By Hank Wesch

 

 

In March, James Graham closed the Fair Grounds meeting in New Orleans with 106 wins and his first riding title after four runner-up finishes there over the years.

 

Normally, his agenda then would have taken him northward on the Midwest racing circuit, winding up the summer at Arlington Park in Chicago.

 

This year, however, the 36-year-old native of Dublin, Ireland, decided to follow a different path. A path which brought him to Del Mar for the first time in his life and the experience of his first summertime meeting as a regular here.

 

“The racing in Arlington is very unstable. So we thought, why not try California?,” Graham said Thursday morning outside the stable area racing office. “If we like it, we’ll stay, if we don’t we’ll go back. The family’s all here, so what does that tell you?”

 

Making inroads at a new track in a new region is never easy for any rider. But Graham has been making steady progress. He  won his first race here on Sunday, July 26 in the third race on Far Out Kailee ($22.20) for Richard Baltas. He notched his first Del Mar stakes victory, in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks last Saturday aboard Sharla Rae for trainer Doug O’Neill.

 

“It’s coming along nicely, outdone my expectations, and I just keep working away,” Graham said. “They (horsemen) like my agent (Brad Pegram), which is a big plus. He’s put me into all the good spots, so it’s been good, you know.”

 

Through Wednesday, Graham had six wins from 77 mounts with earnings of $632,568 to rank in the Top 10 for money at the meeting. He was No. 16 in the Del Mar jockey standings for victories. Nationally, he’s No. 23 for earnings with $4,251,773. Graham has ranked in the Top 30 nationally for wins and earnings each of the last four years with a high of ninth in wins last year. He got career win No. 2,000 on 22-1 shot Call Me George in the Grade II $400,000 New Orleans Handicap in March and has added 39 to the total since.

 

Graham has the call on Bailoutbobby (20-1) for O’Neill in Saturday’s Pacific Classic. Graham is one-for-one on the 5-year-old gelded son of Mizzen Mast. They combined for a two-length win in a 1 ¼-mile allowance at Keeneland in October of 2013. And even if it’s been awhile, Graham said the experience will be valuable.

 

“Oh yeah, he’s the same horse,” Graham said. “Smart, clever, all class horse. Let’s see what we can do?”

 

 

Comments on post positions on the morning after Wednesday’s draw:

 

Richard Mandella, Catch a Flight (No. 7) and Beholder (No. 9) – “Good for both, I’m happy with it. I’m happy just to be in it.”

 

John Sadler, Class Leader (No.1) and Hard Aces (No. 4) – “I’m fine with both. They both are closers so it didn’t matter that much. They’re a little to the inside, so they can get towards the rail and save ground.”

 

Doug O’Neill, Bailoutbobby (No. 2) – “I thought the two hole was fine. We know it’s a tough race but we’re happy with the shot.” (O’Neill’s lone victory from seven previous starters came with Lava Man, out of the No. 2 post, in 2006).

 

Phil D’Amato, Midnight Storm (far outside, No. 10) – “We don’t have to worry about somebody coming over on us from the outside. We’ll be the last to load and Tyler (Baze) will be able to break and see what everyone else is doing to the inside. He’s got speed and we’ll use it some time.”

 

Lee Vickers (assistant to Christophe Clement), Red Vine (No. 5) – “I think all the horsemen – owners, trainers, jockeys – are happy with the draw. We’re in the middle, which gives (jockey Joel Rosario) choices.”

 

Richard Baltas, Imperative (No. 6) – “He comes from behind and I’m fine with it. Going a mile and a quarter, anybody who is complaining about post position shouldn’t be in the race.”

 

 

 

Gary and Cecil Barber’s Appealing Tale, trained by Peter Miller, was given a slight edge over Bing Crosby winner Wild Dude as the morning line favorite for Saturday’s Grade II $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes.

 

Appealing Tale, a 5-year-old son of Tale of the Cat, comes in off two straight runner-up finishes in Graded Stakes-- to Masochistic in the seven furlong Grade I  Triple Bend at Santa Anita on June 27 and to Catch a Flight in the Grade II 1 1/16 mile San Diego Handicap here on July 25. Appealing Tale was tabbed the 8-5 O’Brien choice over 9-5 Wild Dude.

 

The O’Brien field from the rail: Turnover (Martin Garcia, 8-1), Appealing Tale (Joe Talamo, 8-5), Wild Dude (Flavien Prat, 9-5), Indexical (Mario Gutierrez, 5-1) and Kobe’s Back (Gary Stevens, 3-1).

 

The O’Brien, a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on October 31 at Keeneland, will go as the fourth on an 11-race card with a 2 p.m. first post. Approximate post time for the Pat O’Brien is 3:30 p.m.

 

 

 

Michael House’s Big John B, trained by Phil D’Amato, was made the 5-2 favorite in a field of nine for Saturday’s Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Handicap. A six-year-old son of Hard Spun, Big John B won the 1 ½-mile Cougar II Handicap over the main track on July 24 in preparation for the 1 3/8 mile Del Mar Handicap on turf.

 

The field for the Del Mar Handicap from the rail: Ashleyluvssugar (Gary Stevens, 3-1), Ganesh (Flavien Prat, 4-1), Flamboyant (Alex Solis, 20-1), Big John B (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2), Little Jerry (Martin Pedroza, 12-1), Power Ped (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Lideris (Mario Gutierrez, 20-1), Finnegans Wake (Victor Espinoza, 7-2) and Danas Best (Joel Rosario, 10-1).

 

The Del Mar Handicap, a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, will go as the eighth on an 11-race card. Approximate post time for the Del Mar Handicap is 5:30 p.m.

 

 

 

The Triple Crown champion galloped just over a mile and a half under exercise rider George Alvarez. Trainer Bob Baffert has indicated that American Pharoah’s next work will be Sunday morning in the usual 7:45-8 a.m. time frame.

 

 

 

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) will host a legislative briefing open to industry stakeholders and other interested parties Friday in Del Mar’s Turf Club Director’s Room. It will begin shortly after 2 p.m.

 

NTRA president and CEO Alex Waldrop and NTRA COO Keith Chamblin will address the latest news from Washington on federal legislation and other developments that could impact California horse racing.

 

Among the topics to be discussed are efforts on behalf of horseplayers, including progress in the push to modernize how winning pari mutuel wagers are reported and withheld; owners issues including three-year depreciation for owners of racehorses; 50% bonus depreciation and the Sec. 179 expense allowance; internet gaming bills, and federal proposals to centralize the regulation of drugs and medications in horse racing testing.

 

 

 

Johnny (West Coast Wheelie) Morris will provide selections on Saturday and Craig Stephen, agent for jockey Santiago Gonzalez, will be Millie Ball’s guest on Sunday for the Weekend Handicapping Seminars.

 

The sessions will be from 12:45-1:30 p.m. both days at the Seaside Terrace area of the track near the top of the stretch.

 

 

CLOSERS --  Santiago Gonzalez won two races on Wednesday to move within one of Flavien Prat in the battle of Del Mar rookie riders in the jockey standings. Prat holds down fourth place with 16 wins, eight behind leader Rafael Bejarano … Two wins on Wednesday moved defending training co-champion Jerry Hollendorfer to within one of leader Doug O’Neill (13-12) … Selected works from 123 officially timed on dirt and 14 on turf Thursday morning: Dirt – Bully Pulpit (5f, 1:01.00), Sky Kingdom (4f, :48.40); Turf – Safety Belt (6f, 1:14.20), Om (5f, 1:02.80), Winning Prize (4f, :47.20).

  

 

 

Jockey Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Inclusive)
Jockey	Mts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Rafael Bejarano	134	24	27	19	18%	$1,486,864
Tyler Baze	142	20	21	22	14%	$1,198,798
Joseph Talamo	123	18	10	10	15%	$1,027,538
Flavien Prat	114	16	12	18	14%	$1,108,322
Santiago Gonzalez	110	15	10	11	14%	$917,406
Mario Gutierrez	80	14	9	7	18%	$838,566
Kent Desormeaux	68	11	10	10	16%	$642,464
Martin Garcia	92	11	8	12	12%	$760,340
Corey Nakatani	54	11	6	4	20%	$503,176
Fernando Perez	95	9	13	15	9%	$494,968

 

Trainer Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Inclusive)
Trainer	Sts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Doug F. O'Neill	67	13	13	8	19%	$969,750
Jerry Hollendorfer	57	12	6	7	21%	$782,442
Peter Miller	83	11	13	12	13%	$740,324
Philip D'Amato	51	9	8	7	18%	$611,662
John W. Sadler	34	9	2	4	26%	$413,162
Richard Baltas	48	8	6	11	17%	$450,372
Mike Puype	51	8	3	7	16%	$480,580
Bob Baffert	38	7	4	6	18%	$566,170
Robert B. Hess, Jr.	37	7	1	6	19%	$229,800
Adam Kitchingman	17	5	5	1	29%	$131,890

 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Inclusive)
Winning favorites	61	220	27.73%
Winning favorites on dirt	44	151	29.14%
Winning favorites on turf	17	69	24.64%
Winning odds-on favorites	12	23	52.17%
In-the-Money favorites	126	220	57.27%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites	21	23	91.30%

 

 

Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793