Rafael Bejarano © Benoit Photo

BEJARANO IS BACK BATTLING FOR RIDING TITLE - AND HERE TO STAY

Rafael Bejarano dominated the Del Mar jockey standings from 2012-2016, winning five straight summer meeting titles and only sharing one, the 2016 crown with Flavien Prat.

But in the past two years the 37-year-old native of Peru has seen the youth of Prat, 27, and Drayden Van Dyke, 24, serve themselves the championships. Prat won outright in 2017 with 35 wins to 29 for co-runners-up Bejarano and apprentice Evin Roman. Van Dyke out-duelled Prat last summer, 42-37, with Bejarano, who had suffered a broken wrist earlier in the year, finishing out of the top 10.

With the first three weeks of the 2019 season complete, it’s still the Prat and Van Dyke show – they’re tied for the lead with 17 wins apiece. But hot on their trail, with 13 wins is Bejarano.

Asked if this is the year that Bejarano reclaims the crown, his agent, Tora Yamaguchi, said: “We hope so. But we know it’s a tough (riding) colony here.”

Bejarano wasted no time in signaling that a better Del Mar year was in the offing for him. He won the first race of the meeting aboard Julius, having been given a leg up by Doug O’Neill, who now leads the trainer standings with 13 wins, three ahead of Peter Miller.

Bejarano rode the anchor two wins in O’Neill’s record-tying five-win day a week ago and the Bejarano-O’Neill combination has struck for six wins already in the meeting. Bejarano was aboard for three of the seven winners for trainer Bob Hess, Jr., from 20 starters that has him third behind O’Neill and Peter Miller (10) in the trainer standings.

“We ride for a lot of trainers, but Doug O’Neill has always been a loyal client.,” Yamaguchi said. “He has always liked Rafael and thought Rafael is a strong rider.”

While Prat and Van Dyke will likely spend time away from Del Mar on assignments in the East, Bejarano – booked to ride Cougar II Stakes winner Campaign in the TVG Pacific Classic – has no such plans.

“As of now, we’re here for the meeting,” Yamaguchi said. “We’re not going anywhere.”

FOUR SHIPPERS APPEAR POSSIBLE FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC

The latest list from the racing office of candidates for the TVG Pacific Classic on August 17 includes four East Coast-based horses.

That quartet is comprised of Seeking the Soul for trainer Dallas Stewart, Quip (Rodolphe Brisset), War Story (Jorge Navarro) and Tenfold (Steve Asmussen).

Seeking the Soul and Quip have not raced since finishing 1-2 in the Grade II Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 15, a race in which both received 104 Beyer speed figures.

Seeking the Soul is a multiple graded stakes winner, highlighted by the Grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2017, and has career earnings of more than $3.3 million for owner/breeder Charles Fipke. Quip has Grade II wins in the 2018 Tampa Bay Derby and Oaklawn Handicap in April of this year with earnings of $1,054,100.

War Story, who finished seventh of nine in the 2016 Pacific Classic won by California Chrome, prevailed in last month’s Grade III Monmouth Cup to boost his earnings to more than $2.8 million in 35 career starts. Tenfold, a 4-year-old son of Curlin, won the Grade II Jim Dandy last year at Saratoga and, in May, the Grade III Pimlico Special but was a no-factor ninth of 12 in the Stephen Foster.

Trainer John Sadler, who notched his first TVG Pacific Classic win last year with Accelerate, said Wednesday he will work three prospects – Catalina Cruiser, Campaign and Higher Power – on Saturday, a week ahead of the race, before making a decision. Cougar II Stakes winner Campaign, has previously been given “will run” status.

Among other candidates for the $1 million event are: Draft Pick, trained by Peter Eurton, Mongolian Groom (Enebish Ganbat), For the Top (Bob Baffert), Pavel (Doug O’Neill) and Paladar (Richard Baltas).

Nominations close Thursday for the race, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the fall at Santa Anita. Supplementary nominations can be taken, at a charge of $10,000 until the morning of Tuesday, August 13.

SEVEN SET FOR SATURDAY’S BEST PAL STAKES

A field of seven was entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 Best Pal Stakes. The six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds is a stepping stone for the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Futurity. As recently as 2015 it was won by Nyquist, who went on to win the Del Mar Futurity and the Kentucky Derby.

Among the seven is Thanks Mr. Eidson, a Kentucky-bred son of More Than Ready who broke his maiden impressively here on July 18. Trained by Jeff Bonde and owned by Del Secco DCS Racing, Thanks Mr. Eidson led virtually from the start and pulled away to a 9 ½-length victory under Norberto Arroyo, Jr.

“The light kind of clicked on for him that day,” Bonde said Wednesday morning. “He had run well but had some trouble the (two) races before at Santa Anita, but the trip he got here was perfect.”

The draw for post positions was held later Wednesday but the field, in alphabetical order is: Collusion Illusion (Joe Talamo), Fore Left (Mario Gutierrez), Raging Whiskey (Abel Cedillo), Schrodinger (Flavien Prat), Thanks Mr. Eidson (Norberto Arroyo, Jr.), We’re Still Here (Drayden Van Dyke) and Wrecking Crew (Mike Smith).

PULPIT RIDER TABBED AS FAVORITE FOR SOLANA BEACH STAKES

Mike Puype-trained Pulpit Rider, whose last victory came here a year ago, was named the 5-2 favorite for Friday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes, a mile turf run for  Cal-bred fillies and mares.

A 4-year-old daughter of Lucky Pulpit owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, Pulpit Rider has five wins from 20 career starts with earnings of $374,159. Her last victory came in a mile turf allowance over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course on August 11 of last year.

The field from the rail: Mo See Cal (Flavien Prat, 5-1), Coco Kisses (Ruben Fuentes, 20-1), Battleground State (Tiago Pereira, 30-1), Don’t Sell (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1), Fiery Lady (Martin Garcia, 12-1), Pulpit Rider (Drayden Van Dyke, 5-2), Donut Girl (Abel Cedillo, 30-1), Lynne’s Legacy (Rafael Bejarano, 7-2), Sneaking Out (Mike Smith, 3-1) and a Walk in the Park (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 6-1).

CLOSERS – Selected works from 286 officially timed over the last three mornings: Monday –True Valour (3f, :35.80), Garth (4f, :47.20), Stormy Liberal (4f, :50.80), The Street Fighter (4f, :51.00), Fahan Mura (5f, 1:02.20), Dr. Dorr (6f, 1:12.60), Magic On Tap (6f, 1:12.60); Tuesday – La Sardane (3f, :38.40), Veteran (3f, :34.40), Calexman (4f, :49.60), Queen of the Track (4f, :47.20), American Anthem (5f, 1:00.20), Extra Hope (5f, 1:00.20), Game Winner (5f, 1:01.20), Isotherm (5f, :59.40);  Wednesday – Bombard (4f, :48.20).  

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Sunday, August 4, 2019 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Sunday, August 4, 2019 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Sunday, August 4, 2019 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 51 out of 122 -- 41.80%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 34 out of 73 -- 46.58%

Winning favorites on turf -- 17 out of 49 -- 34.69%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 14 out of 23 -- 60.87%

In-the-Money favorites -- 89 out of 122 -- 72.95%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 21 out of 23 -- 91.30%