By Jim Charvat

Ultimate Hy © Benoit Photo

DEL MAR BOUNCES BACK FROM TROPICAL STORM HILARY

Things are getting back to normal at Del Mar following last Sunday’s rain from Tropical Storm Hilary. There are still some remnants of the storm. Large puddles of water and mud remain in parts of the stable area but, for the most part, everything has dried out nicely and the pens and walking rings are back in use.

Rain gauges on the backside measured 2 ½ inches of liquid by the time Hilary exited Del Mar, enough to flood some areas between the stables, though the stalls and the horses themselves remained dry.

“We were pretty fortunate,” trainer Peter Eurton says. “Being on this end (of the backside) is flat and has a little better drainage.”

“We did have a little water in between,” trainer Marcelo Polanco says about his barn, “but on the sides nothing happened.”

About 80 horses were transported off the grounds and sent to either Los Alamitos or San Luis Rey. These were horses who are normally kept outside in pens and were vulnerable to the weather conditions. Some were moved inside but once the empty stalls were filled, the excess had to be shipped out temporarily.

Both dirt tracks were open Tuesday but only for jogging, no galloping or works were allowed. Training resumed Wednesday. Racing returns on Thursday.

RAIN DELAYED SOLANA BEACH SET TO GO FRIDAY

Better late than never.

That’s the feeling of most of the trainers involved in Friday’s $150,000 Solana Beach. Rarely has a horse race at Del Mar been more up-in-air as the 30^th running of the Solana Beach Stakes. First, it was slated for Sunday August 20th. Leading up to the weekend of the race there was the question of whether or not Del Mar would even run on Sunday, let alone if the race would be run on the turf or the dirt.

The uncertainty surrounding the Solana Beach was based on forecasts for an impending hurricane stirring things up in the Pacific Ocean south of San Diego. As it turned out, racing was canceled on Sunday, the “hurricane” did dump a decent amount of rain on Del Mar and the Solana Beach was postponed five days.

It will be run at a mile on the turf course and it’s restricted to Cal-breds. What was a six-pack of fillies and mares last Sunday grew to eight with the redraw. For many of the trainers it was just a matter of keeping their horses sharp over the five days.

“She had a nice blow out before the race that was supposed to be on Sunday,” trainer Carla Gaines says about her 6-year old mare, Ultimate Hy, who worked 4-furlongs in :47.40 last Saturday.

“We’ve had no chance to train since,” Gaines continues, “so I think we’re kind of all in the same boat. She’s super sharp. She had a nice gallop this (Wednesday) morning. There’s not a whole lot you can do.”

Gaines has no concerns with how Ultimate Hy will handle the class hike from an entry level allowance to a stakes race.

“She’s been progressing beautifully since she’s come back this year,” Gaines notes. “She’s had a couple of troubled trips. In fact, the filly that won the Oaks (Anisette), beat us in an allowance at Santa Anita (5-29), but go watch the race. You’ll see she should’ve never beat us. We had just a horrible trip. We ended up second and, I’m probably exaggerating, but we probably traveled a sixteenth of a mile farther. At the apex of the turn she was probably six wide and passed the entire field. She’s got a great kick.”

There is no Anisette in the Solana Beach but the morning line favorite Eddie’s New Dream is a hard-knocking mare who always shows up in these races. The 5-year-old missed by a nose in her last outing, a second level allowance race at Del Mar last month. Her last victory came in May when she won the $100,000 Fran’s Valentine at Santa Anita. That was the last time she ran against Cal-breds. Her last two races have been against open company.

The daughter of Square Eddie has a lifetime career mark of 25-7-8-4. Last year at Del Mar she ran three times, finishing second twice, including by a head to Warren’s Candy Girl in the 2022 edition of the Solana Beach.

Rose Maddox missed by a head to Eddie’s New Dream in the Fran’s Valentine and is back with hopes of turning the tables. The 4-year old daughter of Grazen has been first or second in all of her starts in 2023 except one, her last outing when she finished last in the G2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos. She’s back in with Cal-breds and is eligible to show marked improvement.

Glorious Spring comes into the Solana Beach off of a victory in an entry level allowance against open company.

“She’s won her last two races routing,” trainer Dan Blacker says. “She’s a Cal-bred and the options now are you go two-other-than open allowance, which is pretty competitive, or a Cal-bred stakes race which is not much tougher.

“I wanted to give her a little more time because she’s a lightly made filly,” Blacker continues. “Since her last race she’s done really well and I’m really happy with the way she’s trained at Del Mar. It looks like a good spot and I’m thankful to Mr. Harris (owner/breeder John Harris) agreeing this is the right race.”

The Solana Beach is Race #7 on the eight-race Friday card. Approximate post time is 6 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Chancery Way (Evan Roman, 6-1); Madiha (Armando Aguilar, 15-1); Eddie’s New Dream (Mario Gutierrez, 2-1); Ultimate Hy (Hector Berrios, 3-1); Harper’s Gallop (Armando Ayuso, 15-1); Glorious Spring (Antonio Fresu, 10-1); Sunshine Babe (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), and Rose Maddox (Juan Hernandez, 5/2).

PACIFIC CLASSIC: POTENTIAL FIELD GROWS TO 10

The list of potential runners in this year’s 33^rd running of the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic is growing. You can add a Midwest invader, a local horse from the John Shirreffs barn, and a Pacific Classic winner from two years ago.

Tripoli won the Pacific Classic in 2021, beating the likes of Tizamagician and Dr. Post. He has struggled to get back to the winners circle since, his lone victory being an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields early this year. The 6-year old son of Kitten’s Joy ran fifth in the G2 San Diego last month.

Trainer John Sadler’s confidence in Tripoli should be growing following bullet works on consecutive weekends, the most recent on Saturday, a six furlong work at Del Mar in 1:12.60 (1/11).

Skinner is the third 3-year-old to jump on board for the Classic. The son of Curlin was last seen running second to Reincarnate in the Los Alamitos Derby and before that he ran third in the Santa Anita Derby, just a half-length behind the winner, Practical Move. Skinner’s only win out of seven career starts was his maiden victory back in February. He ran twice at Del Mar last year including a third-place finish in the G1 Del Mar Futurity.

“We have another work to go,” Shirreffs says. “Then we’ll decide if we’re going to go.”

Skinner’s most recent work came last Saturday. He went 7-furlongs in 1:26.40 at Del Mar (1/2).

The other new addition to the list of Pacific Classic possibles is Call Me Fast from the Michael Puhich barn. After posting runner-up finishes to Rattle N Roll in both the G3 Ben Ali at Keeneland and the G3 Blame at Churchill Downs. He ran fourth last out in the G3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows.

The 4-year old gelding by Dialed In worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Churchill Downs Saturday.

Bob Baffert is still planning to bring two of his heavyweights to the Pacific Classic.

He’s worked Defunded three times in the past 10 days, two of them were bullet works. The most recent came this morning when he went 6-furlongs in 1:13.00, (1/8). The son of Dialed In is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the G2 San Diego.

Arabian Knight worked four furlongs in :47.60 (13/168) last Saturday. The 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo finished third his last time out in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth Park. Baffert says he’s pleased with how the pair is training.

Geaux Rocket Ride, the winner of the Haskell, is another 3-year old testing older horses for the first time in the Pacific Classic. The Richard Mandella trainee worked seven furlongs in 1:25.40 at Del Mar last Friday.

Two horses coming off victories earlier in the summer meet at Del Mar are eyeing a run in the Pacific Classic. Order and Law won the G3 Cougar II last out. It was his first win since February of 2022 and his first graded stakes victory in his 42-race career. He worked this morning at Del Mar, going 5-furlongs in 1:00.60 (9/38).

“We’re leaning that way,” trainer Bob Hess says of the Pacific Classic. “We’ll have a decision over the weekend.”

Senor Buscador won the G2 San Diego, the local prep for the Pacific Classic. Trainer Todd Fincher is not afraid to put the 5-year-old son of Mineshaft in with the big boys and he rewarded Fincher with his first stakes win at Del Mar.

“It’s a grade one,” Fincher points out,” and that’s kind of important for a stallion prospect. With the right circumstances, he can definitely run with them.”

Senor Buscador worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 (6/38) at Del Mar this morning.

Slow Down Andy also is being pointed to the Classic by trainer Doug O’Neill. The ultra-consistent colt was second to Senor Buscador in the San Diego. He hasn’t won since taking the G2 Del Mar Derby last year but he did run third to Cody’s Wish and Cyberknife in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland.

The son of Nyquist worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Del Mar August 14.

Stilleto Boy has been one of the main fixtures in the handicap division this year, running third in the Pegasus World Cup over the winter, taking the Santa Anita Handicap in the spring and running a close third in the Oaklawn Handicap. He’s looking to rebound from a disappointing sixth in the G1 Stephen Foster at Ellis Park last out.

Stilleto Boy worked 6-furlongs in 1:14.60 (7/11) at Del Mar last Saturday.

The G1 Pacific Classic will headline a stakes-filled day of racing on September 2.

COOLING OUT:  Anisette came out of her dazzling win in the G1 Del Mar Oaks in great shape and now trainer Leonard Powell and the connections will decide where to go next with the Breeders’ Cup the ultimate goal. “There’s a possibility that we’ll go in the Rodeo Drive (at Santa Anita Oct. 7),” Powell says. “It’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ (for the Filly and Mare Turf). There’s another possibility that she’ll go back east.”…Tamara, daughter of Beholder, came out of her impressive maiden victory last Saturday “really good,” according to trainer Richard Mandella. He says they’ll look at the G1 Debutante on closing weekend for her next race…Sad news out of the Bob Baffert barn where last year’s G1 Del Mar Futurity winner, Cave Rock, died over the weekend from complications due to laminitis. The talented colt underwent surgery last month. His last race was a runner-up finish to Forte in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland…That record number of works at Del Mar on Saturday has been revised…upward. The clockers now say 423 horses recorded official workouts the day before Hilary’s visit… 

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current Through August 19, 2023 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings
(Current Through August 19, 2023 Inclusive) 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 19, 2023 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 63 out of 170 -- 37.06%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 35 out of 96 -- 36.46%
Winning favorites on turf -- 28 out of 74 -- 37.84%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 14 out of 24 -- 58.33%
In-the-Money favorites -- 106 out of 170 -- 62.35%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 19 out of 24 -- 79.17%