By Hank Wesch
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INFLUX WORKS FOR DEL MAR
Among the reasons for optimism Racing Secretary David Jerkens cited in a pre-meeting assessment of the summer season was increased participation by Northern California-based trainers.
Several Northern California trainers had requested and received more stalls here than in the past and Jerkens, who served as the racing secretary on the Bay Area circuit for nine years, especially noted an ‘M’ Squad of Bill Morey, John Martin, Andy Mathis, Tim McCanna, Steve Miyadi and Bill McClain.
They came, they saw and if they haven’t exactly conquered, they’ve had an impact.
They’ve combined for 14 wins, nine seconds and eight thirds, led by Miyadi, who has a 5-5-4 record from 45 starters with earnings of $301,840, No. 15 on the list of top 100 trainers for the meeting.
Miyadi made his presence known at Del Mar 26 years ago when, at age 32, he saddled Drag Race to win the Del Mar Futurity with its winner’s purse of $241,600.
“I don’t talk about that much, it was a long time ago,” Miyadi said earlier in the meeting. “I’ve won a whole lot of cheaper races since then.”
According to Equibase statistics, Miyadi has 1,382 career wins, 33 of them from 206 starters this year with earnings of more than $1 million.
“I think one thing that David knows, better than most, is that when we come down (from Northern California) we’re coming to run, not train,” Miyadi said.
“I think there have been more Northern California trainers here this year, something that’s been happening through the years,” Jerkens said. “I think that at certain levels they can be competitive and they have been.
“Being up there for nine years, the trainers from up there run, believe me.”
HOLLENDORFER DOUBLES UP IN EL CAJON
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, ahead in the standings and with a stakes win already this week, will pose a double threat when he saddles Iron Fist and Desert Dynamo in Saturday’s $100,000 El Cajon Stakes at one mile on the main track for 3-year-olds.
Iron Fist is four weeks removed from a fourth-place finish in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and will have regular rider Mike Smith again in the irons.
“He’s training very well here,” Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward said Friday morning. “He ran a good race in West Virginia, just got stuck down on a bad part of the track.” The son of Tapit , owned by Regis Racing and Stonestreet Stables LLC, has two wins and three other in-the-money finishes from seven starts with earnings of $172,600.
Iron Fist started his career here a year ago making three starts without a win but getting a Grade I stakes placement when third American Pharoah in the Del Mar Futurity.
Desert Dynamo has made his last three starts at the one mile distance of the El Cajon. The Kentucky-bred son of Desert Party set the pace in an optional claimer here on July 31 before fading to fifth in a field of nine.
“He’s doing well,” Ward said. “His last, there was a lot of speed in the race that we thought he could sit behind, but he just kind of took off.
“We took the blinkers off and we hope he’ll get a little more patient trip.”
The El Cajon field from the rail: Fame and Power (Rafael Bejarano, 5-1), Iron Fist (Mike Smith, 3-1), Desert Dynamo (Flavien Prat, 8-1), Verraco (James Graham, 15-1), Thanksgiving Day (Santiago Gonzalez, 20-1), Gimme Da Lute (Martin Garcia, 4-5) and Rocco’s Wheel (Joe Talamo, 10-1).
The El Cajon will go as the third on a 10-race program with an approximate post time of 3:09 p.m.
STELLAR WIND 6-5 FAVORITE FOR SUNDAY’S TORREY PINES
In 2013, Beholder used the Torrey Pines Stakes as a launching pad for later wins in the Grade I Zenyatta and Breeders’ Cup Distaff en route to an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old filly division. We all know what she did six days ago in the TVG Pacific Classic.
On Sunday, Santa Anita Oaks and Summer Oaks winner Stellar Wind, the latest top 3-year-old filly on the West Coast, follows Beholder’s path when she faces five rivals in the $100,000 Torrey Pines at one mile on the main track.
The Torrey Pines goes as the third on a 10-race card with an approximate first post of 3:09 p.m.
The field from the rail: Stellar Wind (Victor Espinoza, 6-5), Big Book (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2), Roksana (Felipe Valdez, 8-1), Rattataptap (Tyler Baze, 3-1), Hone In (Mike Smith, 12-1) and Ultimate Holiday (James Graham, 10-1).
TOP THREE FROM CTBA RETURN IN TODAY’S GENEROUS PORTION
Obey, Later My Love and Just Google Me, the 1-2-3 finishers in the CTBA Stakes on July 31, return for the final leg of the series in today’s $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes.
Obey, trained out of San Luis Rey Downs by Sam Scolamieri and owned by Ted Serna, registered the second straight win to start her career in the $100,000 CTBA and boosted her earnings to $90,000. Later My Love was beaten three-quarters of a length. Just Google Me was another 5 ¾ lengths back.
WHAT’S IN A NAME – GENEROUS PORTION STAKES
The Generous Portion Stakes is named for 1970 Del Mar Debutante winner Generous Portion who was owned and bred by the Old English Rancho of Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Johnston. Inaugurated in 1991, it has been run annually since 1996.
AMERICAN PHAROAH’S TRAVERS SHOWN HERE
Del Mar patrons on Saturday will be able to view, and bet on, the next stop in American Pharoah’s historic 2015 campaign when the Triple Crown champion takes on eight rivals as the 1-5 morning line favorite in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
The race will be shown on both the infield big screen and the paddock board. Post time is projected at approximately 2:45 p.m. Pacific.
In addition to the Travers and the $100,000 El Cajon Stakes here, Del Mar will be giving away beach bags to all paying customers and hosting a Craft Beer Fest on the infield.
EBANKS, PUGLISI HEADLINE WEEKEND SEMINARS
Ronnie Ebanks, the gregarious agent for Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, and jockey Iggy Puglisi will be the guests on the weekend handicapping seminars.
Ebanks, who has seen his 52-year-old client Stevens win five stakes at the meeting – among them the TVG Pacific Classic and Del Mar Mile last weekend – will offer his expert opinions on Saturday. Puglisi will be Millie Ball’s guest on Sunday.
The seminars start at 12:45 and go to 1:30 p.m. each day at the Seaside Terrace near the top of the stretch.
CLOSERS -- Joe Talamo won three races Thursday to move into sole possession of second place in the jockey standings, six behind leader Rafael Bejarano and two ahead of Tyler Baze …The percentage of winning favorites at the current meeting – 28.68 – is the lowest since 1991 when it was 27.1 … Selected works from 125 officially timed Friday morning: Honey Ride (5f, 1:00.20), Masochistic (4f, :48.20), Gas Total (4f, :49.20) and Derby Glass (4f, :48.40).
DEL MAR STATISTICS
| Jockey Standings | ||||||
| (Current Through Thursday, August 27, 2015 Inclusive) | ||||||
| Jockey | Mts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | Money Won |
| Rafael Bejarano | 166 | 30 | 32 | 23 | 18% | $1,939,384 |
| Joseph Talamo | 148 | 24 | 13 | 12 | 16% | $1,372,428 |
| Tyler Baze | 167 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 13% | $1,345,610 |
| Santiago Gonzalez | 135 | 19 | 12 | 17 | 14% | $1,086,556 |
| Flavien Prat | 140 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 13% | $1,589,964 |
| Mario Gutierrez | 100 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18% | $1,029,476 |
| Martin Garcia | 112 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 13% | $997,780 |
| Kent Desormeaux | 81 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 17% | $733,874 |
| Corey Nakatani | 69 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 20% | $661,976 |
| Tiago Pereira | 82 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 13% | $459,320 |
| Trainer Standings | ||||||
| (Current Through Thursday, August 27, 2015 Inclusive) | ||||||
| Trainer | Sts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | Money Won |
| Jerry Hollendorfer | 70 | 16 | 8 | 9 | 23% | $1,049,372 |
| Peter Miller | 106 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 13% | $1,040,560 |
| Doug F. O'Neill | 86 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 15% | $1,035,920 |
| Philip D'Amato | 65 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 18% | $870,482 |
| Richard Baltas | 58 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 21% | $602,772 |
| Bob Baffert | 50 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 20% | $789,740 |
| John W. Sadler | 43 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 23% | $520,834 |
| Robert B. Hess, Jr. | 47 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 21% | $292,972 |
| Mike Puype | 63 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 14% | $525,700 |
| Mark Glatt | 47 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 15% | $350,350 |
| Winning Favorites Report | |||
| (Current Through Thursday, August 27, 2015 Inclusive) | |||
| Winning favorites | 78 | 272 | 28.68% |
| Winning favorites on dirt | 59 | 187 | 31.55% |
| Winning favorites on turf | 19 | 85 | 22.35% |
| Winning odds-on favorites | 16 | 32 | 50.00% |
| In-the-Money favorites | 159 | 272 | 58.46% |
| In-the-Money odds-on favorites | 29 | 32 | 90.63% |
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793