DAY 15

ACCELERATE PUTS IN PENULTIMATE WORK FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC

John Sadler-trained Accelerate, the probable favorite for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic,  worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 Sunday morning, leaving only one more significant exercise remaining, probably next Sunday, before the August 18 event.

With assistant trainer Juan Leyva up, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky clicked off splits of :13 flat, :25.40, :37.20 and :59.80 by track clockers and covered the ground from the quarter pole to the finish line in :23.60.

“Super, really sharp,” Sadler said of the effort by the horse who has notched victories in the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita this year. “A very good work, so we’re right where we’re supposed to be and we’re very pleased.”

Also working for Sadler on Sunday morning was Curlin Rules, a 5-year-old son of Curlin who is bound for the Longacres Mile Handicap next Sunday at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. Tyler Baze will make the journey to ride.

Curlin Rules was officially timed in 1:02.80 for five furlongs.

It won’t be Sadler’s first shot at the $200,000 race that is the highlight of the thoroughbred racing season in the Pacific Northwest. “I’ve had a couple good efforts,  but haven’t won it,” Sadler said.

A year ago, Del Mar-based trainer Vann Belvoir shipped Gold Rush Dancer to Emerald Downs to be ridden to victory by Evin Roman.

FRANCO BACK TO RIDE SUNDAY; NAKATANI RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

Jockey Geovanni Franco incurred what his agent, James Giannone, described as a bruise high on his left foot in the last-race spill on Saturday. Franco, 21, a native of Mexico, was back at work Sunday morning exercising horses and was scheduled to ride four races on the afternoon program.

“He’s very fortunate, and blessed, to be able to come out of it the way he did,” Giannone said. “Something like this is tough on everyone but he’s cowboy tough. The last time he went down like this, last year at Oaklawn Park, he won two races the next day.”

Franco, in his second season at Del Mar, has eight wins from 59 mounts through the first 14 days of the meeting, placing him sixth in the rider standings.

Corey Nakatani’s injuries from the spill were more concerning and the veteran jockey, who is No. 2 all-time with 108 stakes victories at Del Mar, remained at Scripps La Jolla Hospital overnight pending further examinations of a possible back problem.

Late Sunday morning via text, Nakatani’s son and agent, Matt, reported: “Positive news! We just met with the spinal specialist and he will be released from the hospital shortly. He thankfully escaped without any major injuries, however his timetable to return to riding is uncertain.

“We will be heading back to L.A. tonight to visit with a specialist in the coming days.

“Thank you to everyone who has called/texted checking on my dad. We can’t thank you all enough for your prayers.”

Nakatani entered the meeting tied with Eddie Delahoussaye for the No. 5 spot on Del Mar’s all-time wins list and broke the deadlock with a victory in the fifth race on Friday, July 27, aboard Comes the Deam for trainer Ari Herbertson. Nakatani, 47, notched his second win of the meeting, from 20 mounts, with a masterful ride aboard Little Juanito for trainer Victor Garcia in Saturday’s sixth race.

WHILE PRAT’S AWAY, VAN DYKE AND BAZE MAKE HAY

With meet-leading Flavien Prat at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia on Saturday to ride Once on Whiskey for Bob Baffert in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby, Drayden Van Dyke and Tyler Baze took advantage of the opportunity to notch three wins apiece and close to within one and two wins of the lead, respectively.

Prat finished fifth on Los Alamitos Derby winner Once on Whiskey in West Virginia while Joe Talamo, on assignment for Peter Eurton, rode Affirmed Handicap winner Draft Pick to a second to Mr. Freeze.

Van Dyke’s scores here came on Tap the Wire ($8.00, Graduation Stakes), Sigalert ($7.60, 7^th race) and Cambodia ($5.40, Yellow Ribbon Handicap) to boost his win total to 13 from 53 mounts, one behind Prat.

“It’s all clicking for me now,” Van Dyke said. “I’m feeling good and riding good. I want to keep it going.”

Baze’s victories came on Closing Time (2^nd, $6.00), Conquest Typhoon (3^rd, $10.00) and Tatters to Riches (9^th, $15.40) to advance to third in the standings with 12 wins from 72 mounts.

Tiago Pereira’s wins on It’s Gonna Hurt (1^st, $11.60) and Royal Descendent (5^th, $4.60), made him 6-for-48 and tied for eighth in the standings.

Prat returns Sunday with three scheduled mounts, among them favored River Boyne (7-5) in the Grade III $150,000 La Jolla Handicap and morning line favorite Bellafina (7-2) in the $200,000 Grade II Sorrento Stakes.

THREE STAKES HIGHLIGHT UPCOMING WEEK NO. 4 OF THE MEETING

After carding six stakes races in each of the first three weeks of the meeting, Del Mar will ease back somewhat for the upcoming five-day stand with three added-money events.

The $150,000 Solana Beach on Friday will test older Califonia-bred fillies and mares over a mile on turf. The Grade II $200,000 Best Pal Stakes on Saturday at six furlongs for 2-year-olds figures to identify some Del Mar Futurity candidates. And the Grade III $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at 6 ½ furlongs is a spot for the faster female sprinters on the grounds.

Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Instagrand, a 10-length debut winner on June 29 at Los Alamitos, looms large in the Best Pal. Bob Baffert-trained Roadster is also nominated, but indications are that the son of Quality Road, who lived up to billing with a 4 ¼-length win debuting here on July 29, is headed straight to the Futurity.

Bill Spawr-trained Skye Diamonds is set to defend her title in the Rancho Bernardo.

CLOSERS -- Selected works from 213 officially timed Sunday morning: Beach View (4f, :50.80), Big Score (4f, :47.80), Bowies Hero (4f, :49.80), Flammetta (4f, :48.60), Sharp Samurai (4f, :49.00), Soi Phet (4f, :50.00), Hunt (5f, :1:02.00), Rowayton (5f, 1:01.40), The Lieutenant (5f, 1:00.80), Accelerate (6f, 1:12.20).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 4, 2018 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 4, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Saturday, August 4, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 44 out of 122 -- 36.07%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 36 out of 76 -- 47.37%

Winning favorites on turf -- 8 out of 46 -- 17.39%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 12 out of 17 -- 70.59%

In-the-Money favorites -- 83 out of 122 -- 68.03%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 17 out of 17 -- 100.00%