Ransom the Moon © Benoit Photo

DAY 10

’18 CROSBY LIKELY ONLY ROUND ONE FOR RANSOM THE MOON VS. ROY H

The 1-2 finish by Ransom the Moon and Roy H on Saturday was a repeat of the 2017 Grade I $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes although the way it played out was very different.

Ransom the Moon was never worse than fourth in a field of nine in 2017 and was cleverly guided by jockey Flavien Prat to follow behind riderless Drefong, who had ducked in at the break unseating jockey Mike Smith, and bolted to the outside turning into the stretch. Seeing an opportunity, Prat swung to the inside and won by 1 ½ lengths.

Roy H, ridden by Eastern jockey Paco Lopez, was a head in front at the half-mile pole but was dogged by Drefong to the inside and then pushed wide around the turn. “My horse was running really well, and then the loose horse changed everything,” Lopez said.

The “What if” speculation about the 2017 Crosby lingered until the gates opened for the 73^rd running on Saturday. Different year. Different circumstances. Same 1-2 finish.

Ransom the Moon was ninth of 11 at the half-mile pole, about 8 ½ lengths behind St. Joe Bay, then came flying down the stretch to score by 2 ¼ lengths. Roy H was positioned fourth, only two lengths off the lead, at the top of the stretch and though forced to go four wide into the stretch, did not have the kick to go with Ransom the Moon but did manage to edge Touching Rainbows and Edwards Going Left for the place.

It was no coincidence that in post-race comments, Ransom the Moon trainer Phil D’Amoto emphasized, twice, that: “This horse beat this field on the square.”

Sunday morning, D’Amato reported that Ransom the Moon came out of the race in good shape. “We’re just going to give him a week or two, then judge his energy level and put our heads together with the owners and figure out what’s the best path to take to the Breeders’ Cup,” D’Amato said.

Ransom the Moon has a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November at Churchill Downs by virtue of the Crosby being a “Win and You’re In” event of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

D’Amato said the second event in Del Mar’s summer sprint stakes series, the 7-furlong, Grade II $200,000 Pat O’Brien on August 25, would be given serious consideration. “It all depends on how much the (Crosby) took out of him, but he looked really good this morning,” D’Amato said.

Peter Miller said that Roy H also showed no adverse signs from the Crosby effort and had no complaints about the race or the result.

“I’m not an excuse guy,” Miller said. “I didn’t have him 100 percent cranked up for the race, I’d said all along he was about 90 percent, and it will be a good stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup. That’s our goal.”

Roy H’s path to a Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory last year went from the Crosby to the Santa Anita Sprint Championship two months later and that route appears the most likely again.

Two races before the Crosby, Miller saddled 4-year-old Fly to Mars ($11.60) to victory in the $151,725 California Dreamin’ Stakes. Fly to Mars was timed in a course record 1:39.50 for 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. The previous record was 1:39.52 set by Sidney’s Candy in 2010.

“Breaking a track record at Del Mar is something special,” Miller said Sunday morning. “All in all, it was a good day.”

With three wins Saturday, Miller moved to the top of the trainer standings, passing Doug O’Neill and Jerry Hollendorfer. Miller has 10 wins from 33 starters, Hollendorfer eight from 28 and O’Neill seven from 39.

FOURTH STRAIGHT CROSBY WIN PUTS PRAT IN ELITE COMPANY

Flavien Prat’s feat of winning the Bing Crosby four years in a row elevated him to a level with Bill Shoemaker and Chris McCarron for four-peat success in the same stakes event.

Prat’s Crosby wins came aboard Wild Dude in 2015, Lord Nelson in 2016 and Ransom the Moon in 2017-18.

Shoemaker set the standard, winning a division of the Del Mar Futurity aboard MacArthur Park in 1971 and subsequent runnings on Groshawk in 72, Such A Rush in ’73 and Diabolo in ’74.

McCarron did it three times in his stakes record-setting Del Mar career. The first was the Graduation Stakes from 1979-82 with Just Right Mike, Sir Dancer, Remember John and Son of Song, respectively. The next was the Clement L. Hirsch from 1994-97 aboard Paseana, Borodislew, Different and Radu Cool. McCarron’s third was the Rancho Bernardo from 1995-98 on Track Gal the first three years and Advancing Star in ’98.

ACCELERATE WORKS SIX FURLONGS WITH PACIFIC CLASSIC IN MIND

Accelerate, winner of both the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita this year, worked six furlongs 1:14.80 under assistant trainer Juan Leyva for trainer John Sadler Sunday morning.

“He went the half in 50 (seconds) and the last quarter in 24,” Sadler said. “He galloped out (seven furlongs) in 1:27. So, it was a good work. He’ll have two more after this on Saturdays or Sundays.

“We’re on course.”

Sadler, who celebrates his  62^nd birthday on Monday, will saddle Shenandoah Queen and Yuvetsi to take on Unique Bella in today’s $300,000 Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. Sadler-trained Stellar Wind won the last two runnings of the Hirsch which, coincidentally, both fell on his birthday.

SHERLOCK SHOOTS FOR BACK-TO-BACK CTBA SCORES WEDNESDAY

Trainer Gary Sherlock, who won last year’s Calfornia Thoroughred Breeders’ Association Stakes with Show It N Moe It, will be aiming for a second straight victory when he sends out  Time for Kisses in the $100,000, 5 ½-furlong sprint for California-bred two-year-old fillies on the main track.

The CTBA kicks off the third week of the Del Mar Summer Season and is the first of six stakes over five racing days highlighted by the Grade II $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on Saturday and the Grade II $$200,000 Sorrento Stakes on Sunday, August 5.

Time for Kisses, a daughter of Time to Get Even, debuted on May 4 at Santa Anita with a runner-up finish, then broke her maiden 24 days later and has been freshened since.

The morning line odds will not be issued until Monday, but Sherlock said that Doug O’Neill-trained Lippy, a winner of the $65,000 Gonzalez Memorial at Turf Paradise in Arizona on June 30, is obvious for favoritism.

“She beat Lippy the last time out and has the fastest last-race Beyer figure, so we think she’s got a good chance and we’re looking forward to it,” Sherlock said.

The field from the rail: Time for Suzzie (Heriberto Figueroa), Six Pack Gal (Rafael Bejarano), Time for Kisses (Joe  Talamo), Cozze Kid (Drayden Van Dyke), Scatapulp (Martin Pedroza), Lippy (Mario Gutierrez), Montana Sunset (Gary Stevens), Naughty Tiger (Ruben Fuentes) and Accomplishedsister (Mike Smith).

GO FUND ME PAGE ESTABLISHED FOR TRAINER VARGAS              

Word has been received of the establishment of a Go Fund Me page for trainer J. Buenaventura Vargas.

Devastated by the San Luis Rey Downs fire, in which he lost 40 years of equipment and decades of memories, Vargas was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure which required heart valve and aorta replacement surgery.

The surgery took place on July 18 and Vargas is recuperating but, unfortunately does not have health insurance. Family members and friends are in hopes the horse racing community, which has a history of strong support for members in times of tragedy and need, can provide assistance through the Go Fund Me page for him via the link below. 

 CLOSERS – Birthday wishes today for trainer Tim Yakteen (54) and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott (65) … Trainer Leonard Powell said that 10-year-old fan favorite runner Soi Phet, scratched from Saturday’s California Dreamin’ Stakes, will be pointed to the $75,000 Harry F. Brubaker on Wednesday, August 22 … Selected works from 230 officially timed Sunday morning: Dirt – Arawak (4f, :48.20), Colonist (4f, :49.40), Rowayton (4f, :48.40), Heartfullofstars (5f, 1:00.60) and Accelerate (6f, 1:14.80); Turf—Soi Phet (4f, :49.40), Toinette (:50.00), Cambodia (5f, 1:00.00) and Madame Stripes (6f, 1:15.20).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, July 28, 2018 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, July 28, 2018 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Saturday, July 28, 2018 Inclusive) 

Winning favorites -- 31 out of 79 -- 39.24%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 26 out of 50 -- 52.00%

Winning favorites on turf -- 5 out of 29 -- 17.24%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 9 out of 12 -- 75.00%

In-the-Money favorites -- 51 out of 79 -- 64.56%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 12 out of 12 -- 100.00%