Unique Bella © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

DAY 9

UNIQUE BELLA AIMS FOR GRADE I HIRSCH IN REGULAR WAY

What’s unique about Unique Bella?

“She’s a champion, that’s what’s unique about her,” Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said when asked the question Saturday morning.

There is that.

The 4-year-old gray daughter of Tapit out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Unrivaled Belle, has eight wins in 11 starts for owner Don Alberto Stable and earnings of more than $1 million. The money has been produced almost equally, a half-million in 2017 and again this year. There were five victories in six starts in 2017 -- all of them in Graded Stakes including the Grade I La Brea at Santa Anita to end the season -- which generated Eclipse Award votes as the female sprint champion.

The only dips in an otherwise banner year were an injury in the spring that prevented her running in the Kentucky Oaks – where she figured to be strongly favored – and a seventh in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint here last November 4.

This year, Unique Bella’s record shows a nine-length romp in the Grade II Santa Maria and 2 ¼-length cruise in the Grade I Beholder Mile at Santa Anita sandwiched around a second-place finish, beaten 2 ¼-lengths by Unbridled Mo in the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas on April 13.

Sufficient credentials to make Unique Bella the 2-5 morning line favorite against five rivals in Sunday’s Grade I $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes.

“She’s very to nice work with around the barn and she does her job all businesslike on the racetrack,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s been that way since Day One. She’s all set (for the Hirsch), Mike Smith was happy with her last workout (6 furlongs in a bullet 1:11.80) and we’ve been very pleased with the way she’s been schooling and everything.”

Asked the “What’s unique” question, Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward thought a minute and then came up with something that, if not unique, is different from a lot of horses.

“She’s a little claustrophobic in the stall, but outside she’s a lot better,” Ward said. “At Santa Anita we put a window to the next stall so she could see the other horses. Here, we can put up outside pens and she’s really comfortable in hers and doesn’t show any nerves at all.”

The field from the rail: Bernina Star (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1), Unique Bella (Mike Smith, 2-5), La Force (Drayden Van Dyke, 5-1), Turkish Tabby (Mario Gutierrez, 20-1), Shenandoah Queen (Joe Talamo, 10-1) and Yuvetsi (Tyler Baze, 8-1).

The Clement L. Hirsch is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $2 million Longines Distaff in November at Churchill Downs.

PRAT COULD JOIN McCARRON, SHOEMAKER WITH CROSBY WIN

Jockey Flavien Prat has won the last three runnings of Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes. He started the streak in 2015 aboard Wild Dude for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and continued it in 2016 aboard Lord Nelson for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and last year on Ransom the Moon for Phil D’Amato.

Prat is back on Ransom the Moon, the 6-1 third choice on the morning line behind Roy H (2-1) and American Anthem (5-2). And a victory would enable Prat to join legendary riders Bill Shoemaker and Chris McCarron as having ridden to wins in an individual Del Mar stakes four years in succession.

Shoemaker set the precedent, winning the Del Mar Futurity from 1971-74. McCarron accomplished the feat three times, taking the Graduation Stakes from 1979-82, the Clement L. Hirsch from 1994-97 and the Rancho Bernardo from 1995-98.

Prat is one of eight riders to have won a stakes three years in row. Of that group, McCarron and Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza recorded multiple three-peats.  McCarron won the La Jolla Handicap from 1980-82, the San Diego Handicap  from 1993-95 and again from 1997-99 and the John C. Mabee from 1992-94 on the way to his Del Mar record 134 stakes victories. Espinoza, out for the 2018 season with an injury, won the Pat O’Brien from 2001-03 and the San Diego Handicap from 2003-05.

PAVEL’S WORK IS CLASSIC-WORTHY; ACCELERATE GOES SUNDAY

Doug O’Neill-trained and J. Paul Reddam-owned Pavel put in a workout Friday that appears to have punched his ticket to the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on Saturday, August 18.

“It was an exciting workout and I heard from the connections for the horse that the decision for the Pacific Classic is really strong,” O’Neill assistant Leandro Mora said Saturday morning. “I’m happy too, because it means that we can all see him run.”

Pavel worked in company with King Cause, a 3-year-old targeted for the West Virginia Derby next week. Pavel, a 4-year-old son of Creative Cause who was a winner last out in the Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 16, was timed in 1:12.60, best of four at the distance that morning. King Cause covered the distance in 1:14.60.

A career earner of $1.175 million from three wins in 10 starts, Pavel was under consideration to ship east for one of the major handicap division events upcoming there.

In other Pacific Classic news, Accelerate – winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita -- is scheduled to work Sunday morning.

Juan Leyva, assistant trainer to John Sadler, is expected to be in the irons for what Sadler said would be a six-furlong go.

FONDNESS MAY BE STRONGEST EMOTION FROM THOSE CLOSE TO JUSTIFY

It was business as usual around the Bob Baffert barn Saturday morning as the time ticked away toward the 3:45 start of Triple Crown winner Justify’s parade before the  Del Mar crowd as a farewell before the retirement announced on Wednesday.

“We’re so grateful to have had him and of what he’s done, that kind of overshadows everything else,” said  Dana Barnes, exercise rider and wife of assistant trainer Jim Barnes. “We got to enjoy him and we know he’s going out safe and sound. That’s the main thing, our No. 1 concern.

“There’s a little bit of melancholy, of course. Every one that leaves, you hate to see them go. But when you know they’re going to live a happy life and be healthy, that’s all you care about.”

Jim Barnes will be alongside Justify for the walk around the paddock and in front of the grandstand in a group along with groom Eduardo “Lalo” Luna, hot walker Paolo Silva Luna, exercise rider Umberto Gomez, Baffert’s son Bode and assistant Pasqual Rivera.

Baffert and wife Jill, WinStar Farm owners Kenny and Lisa Trout and WinStar President and CEO for racing operations Elliott Walden will follow the proceedings from inside the paddock and winner’s circle.

“I don’t know how I’m going to feel,” Walden said Saturday morning from the grandstand, where he watched workouts with Baffert. “Justify has given us a lot, so we can’t be disheartened. He is, gratefully, sound and he’s going to head into the next phase of his life in good shape.”

POTENTIAL BAFFERT 2-YEAR-OLD STARS SET FOR WEEKEND STARTS

Two highly-touted tw0-year-olds trained by Bob Baffert are set to make their racing debuts here this weekend.

Chasing Yesterday, a half-sister to Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah, gets her career going in Saturday’s first race, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special with a purse of $60,000.

A daughter of Tapit out of the Yankee Gentleman mare Littleprincessemma, homebred by Summerwind Farm, completed a series of eight workouts with two at Del Mar this month and is 6-5 on the morning line. Mike Smith will be aboard for the debut.

Sunday’s sixth race, a six-furlong maiden special with a purse of $60,000 has Roadster. The gray son of Quality Road, a $525,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale for Speedway Stable.

Roadster has a long series of workouts starting in April, the last two this month at Del Mar and has been mentioned by Baffert as the next in his long line of standout juveniles and a possible successor to recent stars American Pharoah, Arrogate and Justify.

Roadster drew the inside post in a field of 12 and will be ridden by Mike Smith.

“I  don’t like his post position, but he looks pretty good. He looks like he can run,” Baffert said Saturday.

CLOSERS – Jockey Kyle Frey, injured in a post parade incident aboard Beat the Chalk in Friday’s nightcap, suffered a sprained left knee that will keep him out of action for 2-3 weeks, his agent, Bill Sadoo, reported Saturday morning. Frye was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where he was treated and released … Selected works from 147 officially timed Saturday morning: Brill (4f, :48.00), Skye Diamonds (4f, :49.80), Instagrand (5f, 1:00.80) … Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on the work by Brill, the $1 million yearling purchase who debuted here impressively on opening day: “Drayden Van Dyke was up and he was very impressed. She’s doing everything right.”

DEL MAR STATISTICS 

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Friday, July 27, 2018 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Friday, July 27, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Friday, July 27, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 28 out of 69 -- 40.58%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 23 out of 44 -- 52.27%

Winning favorites on turf -- 5 out of 25 -- 20.00%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 6 out of 9 -- 66.67%

In-the-Money favorites -- 44 out of 69 -- 63.77%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 9 out of 9 -- 100.00%