The Chosen Vron © Benoit Photo
THE CHOSEN VRON, DR. VENKMAN COME BACK FINE, EYE THE FUTURE
The winners in both of the graded stakes races at Del Mar Saturday have come back in good order and plans are in the works for their next races.
The Chosen Vron made it look easy, beating a solid field of sprinters in the G1 Bing Crosby, a ‘Win and You’re In’ challenge race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He’s doing super,” trainer J. Eric Kruljac said Sunday morning. “He wasn’t tired and cleaned up his feed. He looks like a million bucks.”
Last year Kruljac trained The Chosen Vron up to the Breeders’ Cup following his victory in the Bing Crosby. That will not be the case this year.
“We’re much more likely to look for an out (a prep race),” Kruljac says. “Last year I backed off. I could have trained him a lot harder. I don’t know if it would have made a difference or not. We’ll definitely be much more aggressive. He seems be no worse for wear this morning.”
The Chosen Vron finished a distant fifth to Elite Power in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Closethegame Sugar ran a creditable race in the Bing Crosby, albeit second to The Chosen Vron. Trainer Adam Rice was on a plane first thing Sunday morning, returning home to Kentucky and says the horse will follow this week.
“The track was tiring on him,” Rice said.
Straight No Chaser was scratched out of the Bing Crosby the morning of the race. Trainer Dan Blacker would not get into specifics, but said it’s an issue with the horse.
“We still don’t know the answers,” Blacker says. “It was just really disappointing for everyone. My team had worked really hard with him and done such a great job with him to get to this point. He’s been such a consistent horse to train so when something changed in that consistency we knew something was wrong.”
In the first of the two graded stakes Saturday, Dr. Venkman scored on the stretch out, disposing of race favorite Arabian Knight and holding off a hard-charging Katonah to win the G2 San Diego Handicap, the local prep for the FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic August 31.
“He came back good,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “Certainly it (the Pacific Classic) will be on our radar after today’s performance.”
Dr. Venkman had run exclusively in sprints in his four lifetime starts. But Glatt felt the horse might get the two turns.
“I was as confident as you can be,” Glatt says. “He didn’t really surprise me but, until I see it, I don’t believe it and he passed with flying colors.
“It’s a struggle stretching out with horses for the first time,” Glatt continues. “But we trained him to hopefully back off the bit. He’s always been very push button so I was as confident as can be.”
Glatt entered Dr. Venkman in both the San Diego and the Bing Crosby, but chose the San Diego. Obviously, it was the right choice.
“It feels great,“ Glatt says. “It was a tough decision. Do you really want to take on a horse like Arabian Knight in the first attempt around two turns? Certainly there was a lot of debate about it.”
Katonah returned from a one-year layoff to finish a respectable second. He was also doing well Sunday morning.
“A great, great comeback,” trainer Doug O’Neill says. “The Pacific Classic is our dream goal.”
Arabian Knight in his first race since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic finished a fading fourth in the San Diego after setting much of the pace.
D’AMATO SETS SIGHTS ON ANOTHER DEL MAR TRAINING TITLE
Phil D’Amato is on a bit of a roll at Del Mar. Dating back to the fall of 2021, the 48-year old conditioner has won at least a share of five of the last six training titles at the seaside oval. That includes the last three fall meets and the last two summer meets. In 2022 he shared the summer title with Bob Baffert.
“Anytime you come to Del Mar you have to come with your best foot forward and have your horses 110-percent ready to go,” D’Amato says. “I’ve tried to do that. Freshen them up for the meet.
“The first part is all about getting them acclimated to a new track and surroundings,” D’Amato continues. “So we’re doing that right now and hopefully fire fresh.”
D’Amato started one-for-12 but has rocketed to the top of the trainers standings with four wins this week. While D’Amato’s not about to share all of his trade secrets, he does shed some light on what’s behind his success at Del Mar.
“I think it’s a combination of things,” D’Amato explains. “Having the right horses, owners who want these horses ready to run at Del Mar and experience with a great team behind you. You put all those things together with a little racing luck sprinkled in there and you have success. We’re going to continue with that and hopefully continue to do well here at Del Mar.”
D’Amato has brought his excellent team of horsemen and women and a strong collection of horses for the summer meet.
“Same numbers, similar kind of horses,” D’Amato says. “A little bit more 2-year-old dirt horses but still we have a lot of nice grass horses in the barn as well.”
The D’Amato team is coming off its first trip to the Kentucky Derby. Stronghold punched their ticket to the Derby with his victory in the G1 Santa Anita Derby in April.
“It was an amazing experience and my horse was doing well going into the race,” D’Amato says. “I was able to share it with my family. We all did the walkover. That was just a great experience, to hear the roar of the crowd as you walk into the paddock.
“For a second there at the top of the lane I thought we were going to win,” D’Amato continues. “He got to the lead but kind of petered out a little bit late. But I was proud of my horse. You want to win the Derby even more after you experience it.”
As is the case with every horseman, D’Amato had dreamed of reaching Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. He says it lived up to expectations.
“Oh yeah. The lead up was amazing,” D’Amato remembers. “Churchill Downs treats you well. I definitely want to get back there.”
G1 CLEMENT HIRSCH HIGHLIGHTS WEEK THREE OF RACING AT DEL MAR
The G1 Clement Hirsch always attracts top fillies and mares and the 54th running will be no exception. Ten have been nominated for next Saturday’s race, part of a packed stakes schedule on tap for next week at Del Mar.
The stakes action begins Friday evening with the 37th running of the $150,000 Real Good Deal Stakes. Seventeen 3-year-olds have been nominated for the 7-furlong dirt test for Cal-breds. Shady Tiger from the Phil D’Amato barn looks like the horse to beat. He’s won all four of his races this year including a romp in the $125,000 Echo Eddie at Santa Anita in April.
Adair Manor is expected back to defend her crown in the Clement Hirsch. The Bob Baffert trainee has been strong again as a 5-year-old this year, winning two of her three races. She won the G1 Apple Blossom by 5 ½ lengths at Oaklawn Park in April and the G2 Santa Margarita by 4 ¼ lengths at Santa Anita in May.
She could get some competition from a pair of Kentucky invaders. The 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous and Juddmonte Farm’s Scylla have both been nominated to the mile and a sixteenth dirt race.
Local hopefuls may include Santa Anita Oaks winner Nothing Like You, Desert Dawn and Sugar Fish.
The 19th running of the $150,000 California Dreamin Stakes is on the Clement Hirsch undercard. It’s a Cal-bred stakes race for 3-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth on the grass. Sixteen horses have been nominated including a 2024 four-time winner in Man O Rose, three time winner this year Johnny Podres and defending champion Carmelita’s Man.
Another pair of stakes is slated for Sunday. The 84th running of the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap, the local prep for the G2 Del Mar Derby on September 1, will feature some of the top 3-year-old grass runners on the grounds. Endlessly, the winner of the G3 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park and subsequent ninth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, is one of 10 nominations for the La Jolla.
The 71st running of the $100,000 CTBA stakes also will be run Sunday afternoon. Twelve juvenile fillies have been nominated for the first 2-year-old stakes of the summer meet at Del Mar.
Racing begins every day at 2 p.m. except Fridays when first post is at 4 p.m. Entries for Saturday’s races will be pulled Wednesday and Thursday for Sunday’s races.
COOLING OUT: There had been speculation that Senor Buscador would make his return to the races and defend his crown in the G2 San Diego Saturday. But he was never even nominated. “He didn’t make it,” trainer Todd Fincher says. “We gave him some time off and it was too quick to get him ready. Hopefully the Pat O’Brien, that’s our goal.” The G2 Pat O’Brien at seven furlongs will be run at Del Mar on August 24. Senor Buscador was last seen running third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, one month after shocking the racing world with a victory in the G1 Saudi Cup… Happy Birthday to the Del Mar Grandstand. It was on this date in 1993 the new grandstand was dedicated. The six-story structure replaced the old original wooden grandstand that was built in 1937…Notable works Sunday: Dirt – Anisette (4f, :48.80); Jack’s Magic Girl (4f, :46.60); Muth (4f, 49.80); Duran (5f, :59.00) and National Treasure (5f, :59.40). Turf – Endlessly (4f, :50.60); Johnny Podres (4f, :49.60) King of Gosford (4f, :47.00); Oubabe (5f, 1:00.60) and Planetario (6f, 1:16.60).