By Hank Wesch
RARE RAIN CAUSES NO PAIN FOR TRACK SUPERINTENDENTS
Overnight storms Thursday to Friday dropped .22 inches of rain on Del Mar, muddying up some places in the stable area but having little effect on the Polytrack main surface or the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
“If I had to list it, I’d list it as ‘good,’ ” turf superintendent Leif Dickinson said at mid-morning Friday. “Our rating system is kind of ambiguous. Our track is usually firm but today it’ll probably be good.
“If we had gotten any more rain today, we might have considered taking some races off the turf. But with what we had, and the rails being at 24 feet, we should be good to go.”
Three on Friday’s eight-race program and eight of 18 combined races on Saturday and Sunday were scheduled for the turf course. The Weather Channel 10-day forecast Friday morning predicted minimal chance of additional showers for the Del Mar area.
Previously announced plans stated the rails on the turf course would be out to 24 feet for Friday’s races, in to 18 feet on Saturday and out to 24 on Sunday. However, as a result of the rains, they will remain at 24 feet for the weekend. Plans are for the rails to be set at six feet for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, and then to zero for the final three days of the meeting.
Seven of the final nine stakes of the inaugural Bing Crosby Season are scheduled for the turf in what is a continuation of the “Turf Festival” of Hollywood Park fall seasons before that track closed last December.
The Polytrack main surface lived up to its “all weather” designation. It appeared unaffected by the rain and received compliments from horsemen with workers over it early Friday morning.
LADY PIMPERNEL TO MAKE U.S. DEBUT IN RED CARPET HANDICAP
Lady Pimpernel, a 4-year-old English-bred filly, will make her U.S. racing debut in Saturday’s $100,000, Grade III Red Carpet Stakes.
A private purchase in England in September by Triton Racing LLC trained by Carla Gaines, Lady Pimpernel was shipped across the Atlantic with the intention of running in a Breeders’ Cup prep race at Santa Anita in October but was accorded also eligible status and did not get an opportunity to compete.
At that point, Gaines said, the target for the winner of four of 14 lifetime starts became the Bing Crosby meeting and the 1 3/8-mile Red Carpet (formerly Beverly Hills Handicap) for older female runners.
“You don’t get a lot of chances for these type of races,” Gaines said. “Missing (the Santa Anita race) was a disappointment, but now she’s had time (seven weeks) to acclimate.”
Only one Red Carpet entrant, trainer Bill Mott’s Modernstone, has raced at the 1 3/8th-mile distance in 2014. Lady Pimpernel won her last two starts in England, at Newmarket on August 2 and Salisbury on August 13. Both were 1 ¼ miles.
“I don’t think the distance will be an issue,” Gaines said. “She’s a solid mile-and-a-quarter horse and she’s training very well.”
The field for the Red Carpet, in post position order with oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line is: Appealing Cat (Rafael Bejarano, 7-2), Winning Rhythm (Alex Solis, 5-1), Hijra (Elvis Trujillo, 5-1), Left A Message (Gary Stevens, (15-1), Luscious Lonna (William Antongeorgi III, 12-1), Bee Brave (Martin Garcia, 20-1), Modernstone (Martin Pedroza, 15-1), Three Hearts (Joe Talamo, 15-1), Lady Pimpernel (Victor Espinoza, 6-1), Lady Of Gold (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1), and Scooter Bird (Corey Nakatani, 9-2). The also eligibles are Macaabra (Fernando Perez, 20-1) and Soresca (Tiago Pereira, 20-1).
RED OUTLAW MORNING LINE FAVORITE FOR CARY GRANT
Blinkers On Racing Stable’s Red Outlaw, undefeated in six starts, was established as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight in oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line for Sunday’s $100,000, 7-furlong Cary Grant Stakes.
Trained by Peter Miller, Red Outlaw counted the 7-furlong Real Good Deal and the one-mile El Cajon in August at Del Mar’s summer meeting as wins Nos. 4-5 to start his career. The 3-year-old California-bred son of Tribal Rule then went on to take the Uniformity Stakes at Santa Anita in October.
Red Outlaw is also nominated for the Native Diver Handicap and Hollywood Derby a week from Saturday. Miller said that a decision regarding the Cary Grant or one of the other races wouldn’t be finalized until Sunday.
The field for the Cary Grant is: Celebrity Status (Tyler Baze, 15-1), Got Even (Martin Pedroza, 10-1), Patriots Rule (Fernando Perez, 12-1), Soi Phet (Kent Desormeaux, 4-1), Big Macher (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2), Magic Mark (Joe Talamo, 8-1) and Rousing Sermon (Elvis Trujillo, 6-1).
CLEMENT TO SEND DISCREET MARQ FOR MATRIARCH
Trainer Christophe Clement has informed the racing office of intentions to ship 2013 Del Mar Oaks winner Discreet Marq from New York for the $300,000 Matriarch on Sunday, November 30, seeking a second Grade I victory for the daughter of Discreet Cat at Del Mar.
Discreet Marq prevailed by a half-length over Wishing Gate in the 2013 Oaks and has raced in six subsequent Grade I events with runner-up finishes by narrow margins in two of them being the best results.
DELTA DOLLARS DRAW DEL MAR DELEGATION
Of the 12 horses entered in Saturday’s $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., seven have connections to Del Mar-based trainers or jockeys. In addition to the seven-figure purse, the 1 1/16-mile event for 2-year-olds carries points toward qualification for the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
From the rail out, the Del Mar delegation is:
Prime Engine (8-1, post position No. 1) was scratched from last week’s Desi Arnaz. The unbeaten Northern Afleet colt is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
Conquest Tsunami (4-1, No. 4), is trained by Mark Casse.
Red Button (12-1, No. 7) broke his maiden at Del Mar on July 26. The son of Distorted Humor is trained by Mark Glatt and will be ridden by Tyler Baze.
Wake Up Nick (10-1, No. 8) won the Graduation and I’m Smokin Stakes at the summer meeting. The son of Cindago is trained by Leandro Mora and will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez.
Ocho Ocho Ocho (6-1, No. 10) is trained by Jim Cassidy and to be ridden by Mike Smith.
Unblunted (Also Eligible, 15-1, No. 11) is trained by Michael McCarthy and to be ridden by Joe Talamo.
Two Six Wins (Also Eligible, 20-1, No. 12) is trained by Mike Pender and to be ridden by Martin Pedroza.
Anticipating that their horses would be left out of the race, Talamo and Pedroza have a combined nine mounts scheduled Saturday on the Del Mar card.
The Delta Jackpot is the seventh race on the Delta Downs program with a scheduled post of 2:15 p.m. Pacific time.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BING
For the inaugural Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar, we offer a daily note, quote or anecdote about the track’s founding father for whom the fall meeting is named.
Two weeks ago, Wild Caroline, owned by Three Kings Racing and Tommy Hutton’s Dream Stable, trained by Mike Puype and ridden by Tyler Baze, won the first race of the inaugural Bing Crosby Season. In 1937, the first race of the inaugural Del Mar meeting was won by a horse named High Strike owned, of course, by Bing Crosby.
CLOSERS – Press corps members are encouraged to make an appearance in the winner’s circle following the third race, named for longtime San Diego radio personality and Del Mar morning line maker Ernie Myers … Trainer Mark Casse said that Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou, nominated to both the Hollywood Derby and Matriarch, would have a five-furlong workout Saturday morning under rider Corey Nakatani.
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Thursday, November 20, 2014 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
Money Won |
|
Elvis Trujillo |
40 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
15% |
$272,754 |
|
Tyler Baze |
43 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
14% |
$171,440 |
|
Victor Espinoza |
26 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
23% |
$224,888 |
|
Martin Pedroza |
26 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
19% |
$191,904 |
|
Edwin Maldonado |
28 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
18% |
$153,948 |
|
Fernando Perez |
27 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
19% |
$166,610 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
32 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
13% |
$152,010 |
|
Joseph Talamo |
20 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
20% |
$165,790 |
|
Drayden Van Dyke |
40 |
3 |
13 |
5 |
8% |
$227,258 |
|
Tiago Pereira |
29 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
10% |
$122,130 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Thursday, November 20, 2014 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
Money Won |
|
Peter Miller |
28 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
21% |
$196,958 |
|
Mike Puype |
21 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
24% |
$193,470 |
|
John W. Sadler |
16 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
25% |
$143,630 |
|
Leandro Mora |
29 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
10% |
$138,474 |
|
Robert B. Hess, Jr. |
15 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
20% |
$78,940 |
|
Vladimir Cerin |
9 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
33% |
$70,010 |
|
Peter Eurton |
9 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
33% |
$121,640 |
|
Jerry Hollendorfer |
17 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
12% |
$164,948 |
|
George Papaprodromou |
11 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
18% |
$76,220 |
|
Barry Abrams |
7 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
29% |
$78,770 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Thursday, November 20, 2014 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 20 out of 69 -- 28.99%
Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 14 out of 46 -- 30.43%
Winning favorites on turf -- 6 out of 23 -- 26.09%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 1 out of 9 -- 11.11%
In-the-Money favorites -- 42 out of 69 -- 60.87%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 9 -- 55.56%
Friday, November 21, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793