By Hank Wesch

LA JOLLA AN ACCREDITATION TEST FOR SCHOOLOFHARDROCKS

Asked for an overall assessment of the career of Schoolofhardrocks, the 5-2 second choice in the opening line for Saturday’s Grade II $150,000 La Jolla Handicap, trainer David Hofmans was nothing but forthright.

“I think that we’ve pretty much mismanaged him,” Hofmans said. “When you have a three-year-old that has a lot of talent, you try and get in that (Kentucky) Derby mix. He has a lot of talent, but he’s still young and green.

“It took us a couple races to realize he wasn’t ready for that. Then we tried to go long on the turf, because of his pedigree and since we’ve done that, he seems OK.”

A winner in his racing debut at Del Mar on August 31 of last year, the second and third races in the career of the son of Rock Hard Ten were in the Grade II San Felipe (4^th) and Grade I Santa Anita Derby (last of eight) in March and April. On Kentucky Derby Day, May 3, ‘Rocks was still at Santa Anita, finishing second in the Desert Code  6 ½-furlong turf sprint.

A victory at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita on May 31 prompted a ship to Chicago and a fourth-place finish in the Grade III American Derby at Arlington Park on July 12. Back in California, Schoolofhardrocks has turned in two bullet works over the dirt at Los Alamitos.  

“He’s always been a good horse in the mornings,” Hofmans said. “He has a lot of raw talent and he’s maturing and has really come into himself. I think he’ll be a really good four-year-old. “

Schoolofhardrocks is one of three sons of Rock Hard Ten in a field of six for the La Jolla. The others are Sammy Mandeville and Tonito M. The La Jolla will go as the fifth on a 10-race card and will be the first stakes over the newly-renovated Jimmy Durante Turf Course since the July 27 California Dreamin’ Handicap.

“It’s a concern, but I think the turf course is going to be fine,” Hofmans said. “I think they’ve softened it up some. It was a little too hard at first, a little too unforgiving.”

The field, from the rail out: Argyle Cut (Corey Nakatani, 7-2), Schoolofhardrocks (Martin Garcia, 5-2), I’ll Wrap It Up (Elvis Trujillo, 15-1), Sammy Mandeville (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), Tonito M. (Victor Espinoza, 4-1) and Enterprising (Mike Smith, 2-1).

THREE-WAY TIE IN JOCKEY RACE; BAZE STILL SITTING ON 2,000

Things couldn’t get much closer than they are atop the rider standings approaching the halfway point in the meeting.

Kent Desormeaux and Elvis Trujillo, tied with 13 wins each going into Thursday’s card, added one to their totals. Two-time defending riding champion Rafael Bejarano won twice, extending to six his streak of at least one win per day, to join Desormeaux and Trujillo at the 14-win mark.

Jockey Tyler Baze missed two of the seven racing days while on paternity leave but has gone 0-for-25 since recording career win No. 1,999 in the fifth race on Wednesday, July 30. His six scheduled mounts on Friday’s card are: Freaky Floyd  (1^st, 7-2), Nicole Michelle (2^nd, 3-1), Natalie Paige (3^rd, 4-1), Always A Chance (4^th, 15-1), Uzziel (7^th, 6-1) and Vavoom (8^th, 8-1).

MISS SERENDIPITY OPENING LINE FAVORITE FOR MABEE

Miss Serendipity, winner by a nose in the Grade I Gamely Stakes on May 26 at Santa Anita, is the 5-2 opening line favorite in a field of nine for Sunday’s $250,000 Grade II John C. Mabee Stakes.

The group for the 1 1/8-mile turf event from the rail out is: Charlie Em (Martin Garcia, 15-1), Every Way (Joe Talamo, 6-1), Wishing Gate (Drayden Van Dyke, 7-2), Miss Ellany (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1), Moulin de Mougin (Mike Smith, 8-1), Miss Serendipity (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2), Queen of The Sand (Martin Pedroza, 15-1), Stormy Lucy (Corey Nakatani, 6-1), Cozze Up Lady (Kent Desormeaux (9-2).

CAT O’MOUNTAIN OUT OF TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC PICTURE

Cat O’Mountain, one of two European-based horses being aimed for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on August 24, is no longer being considered for the race.

The 4-year-old gelding, a son of Street Cry owned by Godolphin Racing LLC and trained by Charles Appleby, was scheduled to ship following a workout at Kempton, England on Wednesday but travel plans have been cancelled.

Toast of New York, the UAE Derby winner, is still on schedule to ship late next week and arrive at Del Mar on Monday, August 19.

KINZ FUNKY MONKEY A HORSE FOR WHATEVER COURSE IN DAISYCUTTER

Kinz Funky Monkey, the only stakes-winning progeny of infamous racing bust The Green Monkey, will be out to improve on a third-place finish in last year’s Daisycutter Handicap when the $90,000 5-furlong sprint is run for the 12^th time Friday.

The race, contested on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course previously, has been switched to the Polytrack. And while the 4-year-old filly he trains for Always Believe Inc. has had success on both surfaces at Del Mar, Peter Eurton did have a preference.

“I would have preferred the grass,” Eurton said. “I like her on synthetic, but I love her on grass. I’m certainly not going to scratch her. She’s doing very well.”

Kinz Funky Monkey goes for her second win of the meeting. She was a half-length winner in a sprint on Polytrack in the third race on the opening day program July 17.

WHAT’S IN A NAME – “Daisycutter” is a racetrack term for a horse with a low running motion especially suited to turf racing. The race has been contested since 2003.

GARY JONES ECSTATIC OVER HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

Del Mar resident, 1993 Del Mar training champion and conditioner of horses like Best Pal and Turkoman, was understandably overwhelmed by his induction into the National Thoroughbred Racing Museum and Hall of Fame Friday morning.

“It was wonderful, I’m like ‘Pinch me,’ “ Jones said by telephone from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  “There were so many (racing) greats here for it. I’m standing here right now looking at Manny Ycaza.”

Jones estimated his acceptance speech lasted 8-10 minutes. “There were about 20 people I wanted to thank and I probably got in about two of them,” Jones said. Among those he missed, that would be well known to West Coast racetrackers, he said, were the late Arthur Martin, a longtime exercise rider, and Jake Mullins, colors room superintendent on the Southern California circuit.

“The main point I wanted to make was, you don’t get here by yourself. It’s thanks to a lot of other people,” Jones said.

TRAKUS FACTS FOR THURSDAY

Social Request won in gate-to-wire fashion in Thursday’s third race while first time starter Stellar Act endured a wide trip throughout. At the finish, Stellar Act covered 28 feet more than Social Request, which equates to roughly 3 ¼ lengths. Social Request’s winning margin was just one length. 

CLOSERS –California Chrome worked 3furlongs in :37.60 handily Friday morning at Los Alamitos under exercise rider Anna Wells. The first registered work since a tie for fourth place in the Belmont Stakes ranked 13^th of 15 at the distance of the morning … Ship And Win eligible horses on Friday’s card are:  Lotta Attitude (3^rd, Blaine Wright, trainer), Underhill Drive (3^rd, Peter Miller) and No Dishonor (8^th, Cody Autrey). 

DEL MAR STATISTICS 

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Thursday, August 7, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Thursday, August 7, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Thursday, August 7, 2014 Inclusive)

 Winning favorites -- 39 out of 145 -- 26.90%

 Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 33 out of 115 -- 28.70%

 Winning favorites on turf -- 6 out of 30 -- 20.00%

 Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 11 -- 45.45%

 In-the-Money favorites -- 89 out of 145 -- 61.38%

 In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 11 -- 72.73%

Friday, August 8, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793