By Hank Wesch

CLEMENT AND COMPANY EYE OAKS REPEAT WITH SEA QUEEN

A year ago Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement, journeyed West from their New York headquarters with 3-year-old filly Discreet Marq and returned, less than a week later, following a victory in the Del Mar Oaks.

He’s back. This time with Sea Queen, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid who has had a month of freshening since finishing second in the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park on July 5.  With three wins and two seconds in six lifetime starts and earnings of $401,495 for owner Stonetower Stable, Sea Queen is the 2-1 morning line favorite in a field of  nine for the 58^th running of the Grade I, $300,000 1 1/8-mile grass test.

The trip here from New York, via Ontario airport, was without incident and Sea Queen has settled nicely into the pre-race routine.

“Our main hope in coming out here is that she will be very competitive in this race. We won it last year and we’re just trying to duplicate,” Lorieul said.

“She is a small-framed filly and she doesn’t need much work. She worked last week on the grass at Saratoga (5f, 1:00.40), so she is fit. She is going to school in the paddock; all we need to do is get her used to her new surroundings.”

A year ago Lorieul said Discreet Marq, despite a front-running form, could rate off the pace and win. Under Julien Leparoux, Discreet Marq came from third to win by three-quarters of a length. A similar scenario with Sea Queen, under Rafael Bejarano, would be just fine.

“She is a filly that needs to be fairly close to the pace because she doesn’t have a great turn of foot,” Lorieul said. “But she always tries. I would say we don’t have a very good post (far outside), so the object will be to break and get a good position. Hopefully, there will be a couple of speed horses in the race and she could be stalking.

“She does not have to be on the lead to win and it will be up to Bejarano.”

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, 2-1).

OH WHAT A RELIEF! BAZE GETS NO. 2,000 … AND THEN SOME

It was three calendar weeks, 10 racing days and an 0-for-46 stretch in coming, but jockey Tyler Baze finally got career victory No. 2,000 on Thursday when he guided Kate’s Event home in the third race for trainer Ted West and owner Gulliver Racing LLC of Phil Bongiovanni of Yorba Linda.

Then, four races later, Baze took the first step toward 3,000 aboard Fable for the same West/Gulliver Racing LLC connections.

“It was definitely a relief to get that little monkey off my back,” Baze said Friday morning in the Del Mar stable area. “It was so exciting, and then to get another win was pretty cool.

“It is frustrating when you don’t win races. But you just keep showing up with a smile on your face. I knew I was doing the best I could do and it was bound to come. But patience was getting a little rough with me. It was getting a little frustrating, but now it’s over with.”

Baze, who has battled substance abuse problems for the past two years, acknowledged several supporters.

“It took a lot of people to get that done,” Baze said.  “I’ve been through hell the last few years and it has taken hard work and keeping my mind on the right things. I have to thank the Winners’ Foundation, Craig (agent Craig O’Bryan) who stood by me and Jeff (trainer Jeff Mullins).

“Jeff has been a huge part of giving me a chance and helping me out.”

Returnng to the winner’s circle, Baze was greeted with a banner acknowledging win No. 2,000 and, shortly after that, was doused with a celebratory bucket of water by jockey Joe Talamo.

“I knew it was coming,” Baze said. “Joe has been telling me for a week that he couldn’t wait to throw a bucket of ice water on me. He got almost as wet as me. It reminded me of my first win. It’s special.”

Thursday’s wins were Nos. 93 and 94 of 2014 for Baze. His mounts have accounted for $5,278,252 in purse earnings, No. 17 nationally among riders, according to Equibase statistics.

NINETEEN NOMINATED FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC

With the deadline for nominations passing at midnight Thursday, there are 19 names on the list for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic.

They are, in alphabetical order: Bayern, Big Cazanova, Clubhouse Ride, Fed Biz, Flamboyant, Footbridge, Frac Daddy, Game On Dude, Ice Cream Truck, Imperative, Irish Surf, Main Sequence, Majestic Harbor, Moreno, Mystery Train, Shared Belief, Sky Kingdom, Toast of New York and You Know I Know.

Considered most probable for the final field are: Clubhouse Ride, Footbridge, Frac Daddy, Game On Dude, Imperative, Irish Surf, Majestic Harbor, Mystery Train, Shared Belief, Sky Kingdom, Toast of New York and You Know I Know.

Nominations closed for three other graded stakes on the August 23-24 weekend.

The $200,000 Grade II Del Mar Handicap on Saturday, August 23, also had 19 nominations. Of that group, Ice Cream Truck and Irish Surf are also nominated for the Pacific Classic.

Thirteen were nominated for the Grade II $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Sunday, August 24, with the biggest names being Bing Crosby 1-2 finishers Big Macher and Goldencents and San Diego Handicap winner Fed Biz.

Sixteen were placed in nomination for the Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Mile with multiple graded stakes winner Obviously and Eddie Read victor Tom’s Tribute being prominent.

STEVENS ON THE MOVE FOLLOWING KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens was on a bench near the stable area racing office Friday morning. Attired in a tee shirt and shorts, the right knee that Stevens had surgically replaced exactly three weeks ago was on display for all to see.

“I’m no different than anyone else. They said the first two weeks (after surgery) would be hell, and they were,” Stevens said. “But I’ve gotten rid of my cane, I’m walking and driving again and that’s the main thing.”

Stevens, 51, has expressed intentions to ride again which would be an achievement believed to be without precedent in racing, especially at major circuit levels.  

COMEBACKERS MATCH UP IN RANCHO BERNARDO

Judy the Beauty, making her first start since May, and Reneesgotzip, away since November, are the top choices in a field of six for Sunday’s $150,000 Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap.

Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, Judy the Beauty won the Grade I Madison at Keeneland in April, and was fourth in the Grade I Humana Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day, May 3, at Churchill Downs in her last start. Judy the Beauty is 7-5 on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s opening line.

Defending race champion Reneesgotzip (8-5) has been sidelined since a runner-up effort in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on November 2 at Santa Anita, but has been showing  exceptional speed again in workouts.

The field, from the rail out: Judy the Beauty (Mike Smith, 7-5), Fashion Plate (Rafael Bejarano, 4-1), Reneesgotzip  (Corey Nakatani, 8-5), Sagebrush Queen (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1), Amaranth (Dennis Carr, 10-1) and Madame Cactus (Joe Talamo, 10-1).

KATHLEEN ROSE TOPS 10 IN SOLANA BEACH

Kathleen Rose, runner-up in the Grade II Royal Heroine Stakes on June 28 at Santa Anita, is the 3-1 morning line favorite in a field of 10 for Sunday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap.

Trained by Mike Machowsky for B & B Zeitz Stables Inc., Kathleen Rose had three straight front-running wins at the optional-claiming level before being caught late to lose by a neck to Parranda in the Royal Heroine.

WONDERFULLY SET FOR WEST COAST DEBUT IN SANDY BLUE

Wonderfully, an Irish-bred 3-year-old daughter of Galileo, will make her first start for the stable of Tom Proctor, and first West Coast appearance in Friday’s $90,000 Sandy Blue Handicap.

Owned by Hill N Dale Equine Holdings Inc., Wonderfully won twice in eight starts in Europe for trainer Aidan O’Brien and was fifth of 10 in the Grade I Belmont Oaks on July 5 at Belmont Park in her U.S. debut.

WHAT’S IN A NAME – The Sandy Blue Handicap is named for the 1973 winner of the Del Mar Oaks. Sandy Blue was owned by Circle C Ranch and Witt and trained by Tommy Doyle.

CLOSERS – Ship and Win eligible horses on Friday’s card are: Enlisted Man (1^st, Mike Puype, trainer), Money Tree (1^st, Carl O’Callaghan), Mr. Commons (3^rd, John Shirreffs), Forest Mouse (3^rd, Henry Dominguez), Bull Dozer (5^th, J. Keith Desormeaux), Cuzan (5^th, Eddie Truman), Wonderfully (6^th, Tom Proctor, no bonus, stakes) … Selected workouts from 140 timed Friday: Ice Cream Truck (3f, :36.00), Setsuko (3f, :38.80), Seeking the Sherif (5f, 1:00.60), Big Cazanova (5f, :59.00).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Thursday, August 14, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Thursday, August 14, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Thursday, August 14, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 50 out of 188 -- 26.60%

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 41 out of 149 -- 27.52%

Winning favorites on turf -- 9 out of 39 -- 23.08% 

Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 12 -- 41.67%

In-the-Money favorites -- 112 out of 188 -- 59.57%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 12 -- 66.67%

Friday, August 15, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793