By Hank Wesch

IN THIS CORNER…ELLLLVISSSS…TRUJIIIILLLLLLOOOO

In what is being billed as the “Battle Off The Saddle,” jockeys Elvis Trujillo and Corey Nakatani are scheduled for a three-round boxing match Saturday following the races. The rounds will be two minutes in duration.

In keeping with the sport’s nicknaming tradition, that’s Elvis “Heartbreak” Trujillo vs. Corey “Knock Out” Nakatani. The matchup, planned for approximately 7:15  p.m. along with five professional bouts, is part of the Ringside At Del Mar boxing series. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund, which explains the participation of Trujillo and Nakatani.

Trujillo, 30, is listed at 5-foot-1 and 112 pounds. The native of Panama City, Panama made the cross-country relocation from Florida to California in May and is in his first Del Mar season.

The story goes that when the idea of a jockey boxing match was presented to the Del Mar colony, Nakatani, a champion high school wrestler and low-handicap golfer who never met an athletic challenge he didn’t like, immediately volunteered.

“Nobody wanted to fight with Corey, but I’m the new guy here, I don’t know that much about him, so I said I’d do it,” Trujillo said Thursday morning after breakfast in the jockeys’ room.

Trujillo said he has been in the ring before. But when asked about his record he referenced less formal situations where the rules weren’t Marquis of Queensberry.

“I fought in the streets in Panama all the time. I won a couple and I lost a couple,” Trujillo said. “It was a poor and rough neighborhood where I grew up, and you have to survive.” Such an environment spawned one of the greatest boxers of all time, Panama’s Roberto Duran.

Trujillo is a boxing fan and enthusiast, whose favorite fighter is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Trujillo’s style, and most likely strategy will be to “stick and move,” as pugilistic commentators say.

“I’m pretty fast and I’m going to hit him with the jab, go in and out, side to side,” Trujillo said. “I know this guy can hit pretty hard, but he’s 43 years old and (over) three rounds, he’s going to get tired faster than I will. I’ll take advantage of my speed and my age.”

Trujillo came West after being contacted by agent Tom Knust, who had assurances from Doug O’Neill, among other trainers, that they would welcome the veteran rider who had won titles at both Calder in Florida and Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

“Thanks to Tom Knust, Doug O’Neill, Jerry Hollendorfer and others, I have been welcomed here.”

Trujillo, whose given name was based on his mother being a big fan of Elvis Presley, is fourth in the Del Mar jockey standings with 24 wins, one behind Hall of Famers Kent Desormeaux and Mike Smith, five behind two-time defending champion Rafael Bejarano. Tomorrow: Corey Nakatani.

SUNSET GLOW FAVORED AMONG NINE FOR DEBUTANTE

Sorrento Stakes winner Sunset Glow was established as the 5-2 morning line favorite by oddsmaker Russ Hudak for Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante.

The daughter of Exchange Rate, owned by Ten Broeck Farm and trained by Wesley Ward, produced a wire-to-wire, 3 ½-length victory in the Sorrento, the major prep for the meeting’s 2-year-old filly championship and penultimate Grade I of the meeting.

The field, from the rail out: Seduire (Elvis Trujillo, 8-1), Manahatta (Rafael Bejarano, 5-1), Starlet O’Hara (Martin Garcia, 5-1), Dad’s Princess (Mike Smith, 12-1), Sunset Glow (Victor Espinoza, 5-2), Her Emmynency (Joe Talamo, 7-2), Stealth Drone (Tyler Baze, 20-1), Conquest Eclipse (Corey Nakatani, 6-1) and Windy Forecast (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1). 

CONQUEST TWO STEP TAKES STEP UP TO STAKES IN EL CAJON

Mark Casse-trained Conquest Two Step, a fast-closing second in a six-furlong optional-claiming race in his Del Mar debut on August 10, is  the 3-1 morning line favorite for Friday’s one mile $100,000 El Cajon Stakes for 3-year-olds.

A field of 10, and one also eligible, was entered for the main track event for 3-year-olds. The draw put the top three choices in oddmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line in posts 8-9-10, with Conquest Two Step inside of Big Tire (7-2) and Red Outlaw (9-2).

Conquest Two Step, a son of Two Step Salsa, was purchased for $420,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in April of 2013. He has a win and three seconds from five starts with earnings of $71,008.

“He’s a horse we paid a lot of money for and we’ve always had a lot of high hopes for,” Casse said Thursday. “He beat Ride On Curlin (winning) first time out at Churchill Downs then injured himself after his second start (in July of 2013). It has taken him a little time to come around, but I thought his last race was great.

“We’re still trying to figure out if he’s a come-from-behind sprinter or can he get two turns? That’s what we’re going to find out tomorrow.”

The field from the rail out: Knock Em Flat (Tiago Pereira, 8-1), Daraybi (Fernando Perez, 12-1), Toowindytohaulrox (Mike Smith, 6-1), Friendswith K Mill (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Diamond Bachelor (Julien Couton, 6-1), Home School (Elvis Trujillo, 8-1), Indexical (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1), Conquest Two Step (Joe Talamo, 3-1), Big Tire (Rafael Bejarano, 7-2), Red Outlaw (Edwin Maldonado, 9-2) and Van Fraassen (Victor Espinoza, 20-1).                     

ENTRY SCHEDULE SET FOR NOVEMBER MEET AT DEL MAR

The entry schedule for the Del Mar fall meeting has been firmed up for the 15-day run that will start on Friday, November 7 and continue through Sunday, November 30.

Entries for the first three days of the meet will be drawn on Tuesday, November 4 (for Friday, Nov. 7), then Wednesday, November 5 (for Saturday, Nov. 8) and Thursday, November 6 (for Sunday, Nov. 9).

After opening week, the remaining three weeks of Del Mar’s “Bing Crosby Season” will see racing conducted on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis. Entries for those days will be drawn as follows:

A draw will be held on Saturday, November 8 for the following Thursday (Nov. 13), then one will be held on Sunday, November 9 for the following Friday (Nov. 14). Next entries will be taken on Wednesday, November 12 for Saturday (Nov. 15) and Thursday, November 13 for Sunday (Nov. 16). Entries for the following two weeks will follow that same pattern – Saturday for Thursday, Sunday for Friday, Wednesday for Saturday and Thursday for Sunday.

As has been the case at the Del Mar summer meeting, scratch time for all days will be at 10 a.m. the day before each particular race day.

BLUE TONE TOPS AMONG SIX FOR BRUBAKER

Blue Tone, a 5-year-old gelding who provided one of the 10 victories during the meeting for the trainer/jockey combination of R.B. Hess, Jr. and Kent Desormeaux, is the 9-5 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $90,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes.

The one-mile main track race for California-breds will go as the third on an 11-race card.

The field, from the rail out: Blue Tone (Kent Desormeaux, 9-5), Drill (Victor Espinoza, 3-1), Timeless Indy (Elvis Trujillo, 10-1), Calm Pacific (Tyler Baze, 6-1), Big Bane Theory (Joe Talamo, 5-2) and Safety Belt (Tiago Pereira, 6-1).

SOLIS ON THE SCENE WITH SATURDAY MOUNTS SET

Newly-minted Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis, returning to the West Coast after several years in the East, was on the morning scene Thursday, working two horses. He also has his first two mounts scheduled Saturday.

“Settled in and ready to go. It’s good to be home,” Solis said. “Hopefully we can get lucky.”

Solis has 4,992 career wins and joked that, “Hopefully we can get to 5,000 the next four days.” Realistically, of course, Solis’ milestone win could come at the Los Alamitos meeting which follows Del Mar,

“Of all places, Los Al, where I haven’t ridden very much,” Solis said.

His comeback-to-Del Mar mounts on Saturday are aboard ZZ Thunder (15-1) for Dave Hofmans in the second race and Perfect Set (12-1) for George Papaprodromou in the seventh.    

FREE HANDICAPPING SEMINARS EXPAND FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND

In addition to the regular Saturday and Sunday free handicapping seminars, there’ll be one on Monday to complete the Labor Day weekend.

Trainer Julio Canani, whose 42 Del Mar stakes victories include the 2004 Debutante with champion Sweet Catomine, will be the guest Saturday, which happens to be Debutante Day.

Jon Lindo’s guest on Sunday will be Art Sherman, trainer of 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome.

The seminar triple concludes Monday with racetrack deluxe, man-about-racing and Barona Casino off-track betting manager John “Johnny B” Bucalo.

Seminars begin at 12:45 and are held in the Seaside Terrace near the top of the stretch.

CLOSERS – Ship And Win eligible horses on Thursday’s card are: Prettyhotprincess (1^st, Hector Palma, trainer), Lookin for Jonesy (1^st, Vladimir Cerin), Shock Wave (5^th, George Papaprodromou), Logan’s Lotto (5^th, J. Keith Desormeaux), Enduring Erin (6^th, R.B. Hess, Jr.), Carrick Bay (6^th, Vann Belvoir) … Selected workouts from the 94 timed Thursday: Lil Bit O’Fun (3f, :37.00), Merit Man (3f, :37.00), Reneesgotzip (4f, :49.00), Suggestive Boy (3f turf, :37.40), Mr Commons (4f turf, :49.00), Miss Serendipity (5f turf, :1:00.20), As Rulers Go (7f turf, :1:29.40).

DEL MAR STATISTICS 

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Wednesday, August 27, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Wednesday, August 27, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Wednesday, August 27, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 77 out of 267 -- 28.84%

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 62 out of 210 -- 29.52%

Winning favorites on turf -- 15 out of 57 -- 26.32%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 17 -- 47.06%

In-the-Money favorites -- 167 out of 267 -- 62.55% 

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 12 out of 17 -- 70.59%

Thursday, August 28, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793