By Hank Wesch

IMPERATIVE JOINS THE RANKS OF PACIFIC CLASSIC CONTENDERS

Imperative,  owned by KM Racing Enterprises Inc. and trained by George Papaprodromou, has been nominated for and is being prepared to run in the $1 million Grade I TVG Pacific Classic.

A 4-year-old son of Bernardini, Imperative has three wins in 17 career starts with earnings of $1,194,870, all but $55,170 of it coming in 2014. Claimed for $50,000 in late December of 2013, Imperative has a runner-up effort in the San Antonio Stakes in February at Santa Anita, a victory in the Charlestown Classic in April and a third-place finish in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in July among seven starts this year.

Imperative finished ahead of defending Pacific Classic champion Game On Dude in two recent starts, prevailing by 1 ½ lengths at Charlestown and 4 ½ lengths in front of fourth-place Game On Dude in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita. In his last outing, Imperative was eighth of nine, beaten 11 ½ lengths by Fed Biz, in the San Diego Handicap here on July 26.  

Kent Desormeaux, aboard for Imperative’s last five starts, has the mount for the Pacific Classic.

The deadline for nominations for the 24^th running of the 1 ¼-mile Classic on Sunday, August 24 ,  is midnight Thursday night. Racing officials already have received, or expect to receive, nominations for: Game On Dude, Majestic Harbor, Shared Belief, Clubhouse Ride, Fed Biz, Irish Surf, Footbridge, You Know I Know, Footbridge, Big Casanova, Sky Kingdom, Mystery Train and Toast of New York and Imperative.

Close of entries is next Wednesday, with the post position draw to be conducted at an event that evening at the Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa.

SHIPPER SEA QUEEN EARLY FAVORITE FOR GRADE I OAKS

Of nine Eastern-based fillies nominated for Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, three – Sea Queen, Stellaris and Maibaby – shipped in for the 1 1/8-mile turf event.

The most accomplished of the trio, Sea Queen, was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 10.  Sea Queen, owned by Stonetower Stable and trained by Christophe Clement, was second to Minorette in the Grade I Belmont Oaks on July 5 at Belmont Park, ending a two-race winning streak. The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid has three wins and two seconds in six career starts with earnings of $401,495.

The Oaks field, from the rail out: Diversy Harbor (Mike Smith, 9-2), Famous Alice (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1), Istanford (Martin Garcia, 5-1), Personal Diary (Corey Nakatani, 8-1), Stellaris (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), My Conquestadory (Victor Espinoza, 5-1), Tepin (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Odisseia (Joe Talamo, 8-1), Maibaby (Elvis Trujillo, 15-1), Sea Queen (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2).

SANDY BLUE OVER OAKS FOR DOUBLE-ENTERED ISTANFORD

San Clemente Handicap winner Istanford, entered in both Friday’s $90,000 Sandy Blue Stakes and Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, appears headed for the Sandy Blue, where she is the 2-1 opening line favorite.

Rules would allow Istanford to be scratched no later than one hour prior to post time for a stakes race.

“We’re going in the mile (Sandy Blue),”  Chris Davis, assistant to trainer Mike Stidham, said late Thursday morning. The decision was made after consultation between Stidham and the Istanford ownership group headed by Alley Thrash.

Irish-bred Maibaby, imported from France to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, was also entered in the Sandy Blue and Oaks but the daughter of Hurricane Run owned by David Heerensperger was scratched Thursday from the Sandy Blue.

A winner of two of six starts in France, Maibaby has been at Del Mar for around two weeks and has worked twice on the Polytrack surface. Restrictions regarding use of the turf course, lifted last weekend, prevented works there.

“We weren’t allowed to work her on the grass, so we have no idea what’s going to happen,” Drysdale said.

The field for the Sandy Blue, from the rail out: Amnesia (Fernando Perez, 10-1), Sheza Smoke Show (Joe Talamo, 8-1), Kool Kat (Martin Garcia, 8-1), Miss Machiavelli (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), Time and Tides (Victor Espinoza, 15-1), Tiz Kissable (Tyler Baze, 20-1), Mon Petite (Carson Sullivan, 30-1), Istanford (Rafael Bejarano, 2-1), Maibaby (Elvis Trujillo, 10-1), Soresca (TBD, 15-1) and Wonderfully (Mike Smith, 5-2).

TRUJILLO, DESORMEAUX EDGE TO TOP OF RIDER STANDINGS

With one victory each on Wednesday, Kent Desormeaux and Elvis Trujillo broke a three-way tie entering the day and edged ahead of Rafael Bejarano in the jockey standings. Desormeaux and Trujillo have 17 wins, Bejarano16.

The good news for Desormeaux was a win aboard Merit Man in the featured Green Flash Handicap, his fourth stakes victory of the meeting, tying Mike Smith for the top spot in that category.

“It was fun to see him (Merit Man) rally from off the pace, because lately he’d been running up close,” said trainer Bob Hess, Jr. “That was all about Kent, he adjusted and gave him a great ride.” Hess has eight wins, tied for third in the trainer standings, with all of them ridden by Desormeaux.

The bad news for Desormeaux was a three-day suspension (August 17, 20 and 21) handed down by stewards for failing to maintain a straight course in the stretch aboard Cozze Up Lady in the eighth race on Sunday. Agent, Mike Ciani, said the ruling will be appealed, allowing Desormeaux to continue riding pending a hearing.

In other jockey news:

Apprentice Drayden Van Dyke, who learned Monday of the death of his father, Seth, in Florida, will continue to ride indefinitely. No plans have been made as yet for memorial services.

Corey Nakatani has been excused from two scheduled mounts Thursday due to illness. Reports from the jockeys’ quarters indicated that Nakatani is not the only rider affected by a bug of some sort being passed through the room.

BALL, WILSON GUEST HANDICAPPERS FOR WEEKEND SEMINARS

HRTV commentator Millie Ball will be the Saturday guest and Art Wilson will join Jon Lindo on Sunday for the free handicapping seminars this weekend.

Wilson is a veteran turf writer for Los Angeles area newspapers and a syndicated handicapper.

The seminars are conducted from 12:45-1:30 p.m. both days at the Seaside Terrace area near the top of the stretch. 

TRAKUS FACTS OF THE DAY FOR WEDNESDAY

Majestic Presence made all the running in Wednesday’s fifth race, but it was second-placer She’s Complete who had gaudy data from a wide trip. Overall, She’s Complete covered 52 feet more than the winner, a distance that equates to roughly six lengths. In Wednesday’s feature, the Green Flash, winner Merit Man ran his final eighth in 11.94 seconds, 0.64 seconds faster than second home Remind Mee.

CLOSERS – Ship And Win eligible horses on Thursday’s card are: Bunairgead (2^nd, James Cassidy, trainer), Contessa B. (5^th, R.B. Hess, Jr.), Penny Sixpence (6^th, Neil Drysdale), Carrick Bay (7^th, Vann Belvoir) … Vic Stauffer, former Hollywood Park track announcer turned steward, is substituting this week for steward Scott Chaney who is training for the Ironman Triathlon … Selected works from 134 timed Thursday: Pearl de Vere (4f, :47.60), Desert Steel (5f, :58.80), Tara’s Tango (6f, 1:12.00), Quick Casablanca (7f (t) 1:28.00).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 46 out of 180 -- 25.56%

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 39 out of 143 -- 27.27%

Winning favorites on turf -- 7 out of 37 -- 18.92% 

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

In-the-Money favorites -- 107 out of 180 -- 59.44% 

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

Thursday, August 14, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793