Balnikhov © Benoit Photo

BALNIKHOV TO WAIT UNTIL THE DEL MAR DERBY SEPTEMBER 3

Little Red Feather Racing, et al’s Balnikhov brought a baggage full of promise with him when he arrived from Ireland at the first of the year. He finally met those expectations Friday afternoon on Opening Day at Del Mar when the 3-year old son of Adaay dropped down on the rail and surged to victory in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes.

Trainer Phil D’Amato says Balnikhov came out of the race in really good shape.

“I think we found what he wants to do,” D’Amato said, “just kind of get covered up and come with his late run.”

D’Amato says Balnikhov is an easy horse to train.

“You don’t have to train him that hard,” D’Amato said, “just put some nice breezes into him and he’ll show up.”

The conditioner says we could see Balnikhov again before the end of the meet.

“He likes spacing in between his races,” D’Amato notes, “so for those reasons, I think we’ll just wait and keep him fresh and run him in the Del Mar Derby.”

The Grade II Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby – at a mile and an eighth on the lawn - goes Saturday, September 3.

Balnikhov beat runner-up Amner Hall by a length and a half. Barsabas finished third, followed by the race favorite, Mackinnon, who trainer Doug O’Neill says came out of the race in great shape.

“We were disappointed, of course, but he needed the race and the winner’s no slouch, the winner’s a nice, nice horse. I have to talk with the owners about our next plan but I’m thinking the Del Mar Derby.”

FLIGHTLINE PUTS IN MAINTENANCE WORK FOR TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC

The horse everyone’s talking about put in his first work at Del Mar Saturday morning, going 5-furlongs in :59.40 handily. It was the fifth best move out of 80 runners at the distance. Trainer John Sadler termed it a ‘maintenance work.’

“Very pleased.” Sadler says. “He worked very nicely, nice and relaxed. We’re right on schedule so all is good.”

Sadler plans to run the undefeated son of Tapit in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar September 3.

“He took a liking for this track last year when he won down here,” Sadler said. “So, he likes the track.”

Flightline won an entry level allowance race at Del Mar last summer by 12 ½ lengths.

TIZAMAGICIAN RETURNS IN THE COUGAR II SUNDAY

If Tizamagician is anywhere near his form from 2021, it could be “now you see him, now you don’t” in this Sunday’s 71st running of the GIII Cougar II Stakes at Del Mar.

Spendthrift Farms and MyRacehorse’s Tizamagician is back to defend his title in the mile and one-half headliner. The son of Tiznow will be making his 5-year old debut following an impressive 2021. He raced nine times last year and finished first or second in seven of them. But he hasn’t raced since his runner-up finish to Lone Rock in the G2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Del Mar on the Breeders’ Cup undercard last November.

“He hasn’t run in a long time,” trainer Richard Mandella pointed out. “He’s had some long winded works. He’s a long winded horse. I expect him to run a pretty good race.”

When asked if he was concerned about coming back in a 12-furlong race after the eight and a half month layoff, Mandella said, “I’m always concerned about something…but he acts like he’s up to it.”

Tizamagician has been working once a week since the Memorial Day weekend, going one mile on July 6 and then again on July 14, both at Santa Anita. “He looks about like the horse we had last year,” Mandella says.

That horse won an allowance at Santa Anita to start the year, followed by a runner-up finish to Express Train in the G2 San Pasqual. After a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap, the dark bay son of the Dixie Union mare, Magic Union, won the G3 Tokyo City at the same mile and a half distance as the Cougar II.

Mandella shipped him back east and he tangled with Lone Rock until giving way and finishing second in the GII Brooklyn at Belmont Park. Back on the West Coast and at Del Mar, Tizamagican won the Cougar II then placed second to Tripoli in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic. He finished the year with a fifth-place run in the GI Awesome Again at Santa Anita followed by his race on Breeders’ Cup day.

Now he’s rested and ready to take on a salty bunch of older horses including 2020 Ohio Derby winner Dean Martini. The 5-year old son of Cairo Prince ran a marathon distance for the first time last out and finished a respectable fourth in the San Juan Capistrano, a race in which less than two lengths separated the top four horses.

Heywoods Beach has drawn post #3 in the seven horse field. Trainer John Sadler says he’s ready to go. “He’s training really well, he had a prep up there (Santa Anita) in the Californian. It’s his second start off a layup and he’s a nice horse.”

Here’s the field for the Cougar II, race eight of the 11-race card, from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds: Dicey Mo Chara (Drayden Van Dyke 4-1); Tizamagician (Juan Hernandez 8-5) Heywoods Beach (Ramon Vazquez 5-2); Extra Hope (Tyler Baze 4-1); Order and Law (Umberto Rispoli 12-1); Dean Martini (Edwin Maldonado 8-1) and Win the Day (Diego Herrera 20-1).

JOCKEY RAMON VAZQUEZ EYES RIDING SUCCESS AT DEL MAR                          

When top rider Flavien Prat announced he was moving his tack back east this summer, one could almost hear a collective sigh of relief coming from the jockey colonies at Santa Anita and Del Mar. Prat took with him over 1,100 wins, not to mention numerous jockey titles, including last summer’s here at Del Mar.

But with every void comes something, or someone, to fill it. Enter Ramon Vazquez, one of several jockeys answering the call to ride fulltime for the first time at Del Mar this summer. The recent Los Alamitos riding champion brings credentials worthy enough of taking down the rider’s title at Del Mar.

Vazquez is a native of Puerto Rico and began riding in the U.S. in 2011. He has put together a solid career riding at Arlington Park, Oaklawn and other midwest tracks. But he flew under the radar until he got the mount on Lone Rock for the Robertino Diodoro barn and later pulled off a huge upset victory in this year’s G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn with Un Ojo at 75-1.

It will not be the first time Vazquez has ridden at Del Mar. He was out here last November to ride Lone Rock in the G2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard.

“Everybody told me it’s a special track, like Saratoga,” Vazquez says. “It’s a dream for me to be here, to ride here for the first time.”

A few months after he got a taste of West Coast racing, Vazquez announced he would move his tack to Santa Anita for the remainder of the winter/spring meet. Despite not starting until late April, he finished with 25 wins in 162 starts and over $1.4 million in earnings. When the Southern California racing scene moved to Los Alamitos, he went out and captured the jockey title, winning 12 races out of 45 starts at the abbreviated meet, outdistancing runner-up Juan Hernandez by seven victories.

“We looked at a big opportunity when Flavien Prat left,” Vazquez says. “We talked about it being a good move to be in California”

But he is not deterred by the recent addition of another top jockey, Florent Geroux. “Yes, its gotten much stronger but that’s making me more strong because I want to ride with the good riders,” Vazquez noted. “Now you have to give another 100%, now you have to give 200%.”

This summer at Del Mar may be a make or break meet for him as to whether or not he stays out west, though he says he’s committed to the long haul. “We’re looking to stay here,” Vazquez says. “I moved my family here, I moved my car here, I’m looking to stay.” 

SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT HEADLINES WICKERR ON SUNDAY

If the Eclipse Awards had a “Tough Luck” category in horse racing, Cannon Thoroughbreds’ Smooth Like Strait would be a top candidate.

Since winning the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar in 2020, the son of Midnight Lute has run 11 times, winning three and finishing second seven times. He has been runner-up in five of his last six races. In fact, all six of those races were Grade Is and IIs and in the race he did not finish second, the G1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, he was third in a three-horse blanket finish. In fact, Smooth Like Strait led at one point in the stretch run of every one of those races, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.

So one could hardly blame trainer Michael McCarthy if he went looking for a softer spot for his 5-year old horse. But McCarthy says that’s not why he’s running Smooth Like Strait in the $100,000 Wickerr Sunday at Del Mar.

“I liked the spacing of the race, it gives us some options as to where we go towards the end of the meet,” McCarthy says. “I thought about running him in the Eddie Read but I just wanted to go ahead and keep him at a mile for the time being.”

Turns out the Wickerr came up as tough a competitive race as you’ll find at this level with several grade stakes winners entered, including a former Breeders’ Cup winner. Exline Border Racing, et al’s Storm the Court won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita making him the early favorite for the 2020 Kentucky Derby. But the son of Court Vision never won another race, bouncing around with graded stakes company until trainer Peter Eurton dropped him into allowance races at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs this year.

Smooth Like Strait would be wise to keep an eye out for Hronis Racing’s Bran, a 4-year-old French-bred who won the GIII Daytona at Santa Anita last out. He’s won twice and placed twice in his last four races.

“This will be the first time at the distance,” Sadler says, “but he’s got a very good record, he’s there every time. Its come up a very tough race but he’s a nice horse in his own right.”

Sadler will also run Yuesheng Zhang’s Sword Zorro, last year’s GIII La Jolla Handicap winner.

The field for the Wickerr from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Irideo (Hector Berrios 15-1); Tesoro (Armando Ayuso 50-1); Sword Zorro (Ryan Curatolo 15-1); Gregorian Chant (Umberto Rispoli 6-1); I’mgonnabesomebody (Kyle Frey 50-1); Navy Armed Guard (Frank Alvarado 20-1); Bran (Florent Geroux 5-1); Storm the Court (Abel Cedillo 8-1); Indian Peak (Ramon Vazquez 8-1); Majestic Eagle (Edwin Maldonado 12-1); Kentucky Pharoah (Declan Cannon 20-1); Smooth Like Strait (Juan Hernandez 6-5) and Me and Mr. C (Joe Bravo 12-1)

COOLING OUT: Juan Hernandez got the jump in the jockey’s race when he guided Paul and Karen Eggert’s Breakfast Ride to victory in the first race on Opening Day. Trained by John Sadler, the 3-year old son of Distorted Humor paid $7.40 to win…Michael McCarthy’s Uncontrolable won the first 2-year old race of the summer meet, gliding home much the best in the five-furlong sprint with Hernandez aboard…Martin Garcia notched his first victory at Del Mar in two-and-a-half-years, bringing in longshot Bellamore at 22-1 in a second-level allowance. Garcia last won when he guided King Abner to victory on November 16, 2019…Notable works on Saturday: Dirt --- Slow Down Andy (4f, :48.00); Beyond Brilliant (5f, 1:00.00); Express Train (5f, 1:00.00); Stilleto Boy (5f, 1:00.00); Tripoli (5f, 1:00.40) and Under the Stars (6f, 1:12.60). A total of 232 horses worked on Saturday.

Del Mar Statistics

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Friday, July 22, 2022 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Friday, July 22, 2022 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, July 22, 2022 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 1 out of 10 -- 10.00%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 0 out of 6 -- 0.00%
Winning favorites on turf -- 1 out of 4 -- 25.00%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 0 out of 0 -- 0.00%
In-the-Money favorites -- 5 out of 10 -- 50.00%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 0 out of 0 -- 0.00%