Rafael Bejarano © Zoe Metz for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

 

 

Standout veteran riders Rafael Bejarano and Mario Gutierrez will miss today’s opening program of the third Bing Crosby season at Del Mar due to injury and illness respectively.

 

Bejarano reportedly suffered a hand injury galloping a horse on Tuesday at Santa Anita and was scheduled to see a hand specialist today. Gutierrez reported to the stewards that he was ill.

 

Bejarano notched his 15^th Santa Anita riding title at the fall meeting which concluded Sunday. His 22 wins were two more than runner-up Kent Desormeaux. The title was his 32^nd overall and his 27^th in Southern California.

 

A 34-year-old native of Peru, Bejarano is the five-time defending champion of the Del Mar summer meeting – the 2016 edition shared with Flavien Prat – and defending champion for the Bing Crosby meeting. Bejarano had  20 wins last fall, two more than runner-up Santiago Gonzalez.

 

Gutierrez, 30, has three Triple Crown race victories  to his credit,  aboard I’ll Have Another in the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby last May as the primary rider for the Doug O’Neill stable.

 

Bejarano was booked on seven mounts. His replacements are: Martin Pedroza (3^rd race, Tribal Jewel, 9-5 morning line), Mike Smith (4^th, Americana, 9-2), Tyler Baze (5^th, Dynamic Ruler, 5-2),  Norberto Arroyo, Jr., (6^th,  Rye Patch, 5-2), Jamie Theriot (7^th, Monterey Shale, 3-1), Flavien Prat (8^th, Sobradora Inc, 9-5) and Martin Pedroza (9^th, Wake the Dawn, 3-1).

 

Gutierrez was scheduled to  ride four races. His replacements are:  Kent Desormeaux (2^nd, Lookout Sister, 12-1), Flavien Prat (4^th, Mo Style, 12-1),  Martin Pedroza (7^th, Sir Studleigh, 20-1), and Desormeaux (8^th,  Dressed to a T, 10-1).

 

 

 

The combination of Paddy Gallagher, born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland and the 3-year-old colt Irish-bred colt Mittersill, has been a potent one since they were paired up at Del Mar last summer.

 

Mittersill was acquired by the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners of Aron Wellman after a victory at the Cork Racecourse that was his first in five career starts.

 

And while the son of Acclamation hasn’t added to that win total in two U.S. starts for Gallaghter, he has posted two second-place efforts, one via disqualification at Del Mar on September 3. Giving the connections sufficient encouragement to enter  Saturday’s $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes at one mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Couse.

 

“He’s run two nice races and while this is a little bit of a step up, we decided to take a shot,” Gallagher said Friday morning.

 

Mittersill could provide Gallagher with his second Bing Crosby meet stakes victory and his 12^th overall at Del Mar. Gallagher, who turns 60 next Tuesday,  saddled Queen of the Sand to  the first stakes victory of a Bing Crosby meeting, the Kathryn Crosby on opening day, 2014.

 

Queen of the Sand was nominated to today’s third running of the Kathryn Crosby, but it came up too soon after a race at Santa Anita.

 

“She didn’t run too good in that one but she came out of it well,” Gallagher said. “It’s getting to the time of year when you start thinking about (retirement as) brood mares, but she seems happy and healthy. We’ll see what happens.”

 

The field from the rail out: Camino Del Paraiso (Ricardo Gonzalez, 5-1), Little Scotty (Kent Desormeaux, 4-1), Curlin Rules (Tyler Baze, 2-1), Defiantly (Gary Stevens, 15-1), Barhanpour (Mike Smith, 7-2) and Mittersill (Flavien Prat, 5-2).

 

The Let It Ride will go as the fourth on a nine-race card.

 

 

 

Trainer Art Sherman, overseeing training for his horses stabled at Del Mar on Wednesday morning, reported that California Chrome is back jogging at Los Alamitos after being given three days of rest following his runner-up finish to Arrogate in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday.

 

“He came out of the race good and he looks great,” Sherman said. “You can’t give him any more than three days off or he gets antsy to  go back  to the track.”

 

It was announced earlier in the week that California Chrome will stand stud at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., for an initial $40,000 fee upon his retirement.

 

The plan is for California Chrome to run in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Sherman said he’s hoping that Bob Baffert-trained Arrogate will be there as  well.

 

“If we get (Arrogate) and Chrome there, that’ll really be something special,” Sherman said.

 

 

 

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, working the Del Mar stable area Friday morning, said he comes into the Bing Crosby meeting with one basic goal.

 

“Pick up right where I left off at Santa Anita,” Desormeaux said.

 

Desormeaux, 46, had 20 wins, 10 seconds and 14 thirds from 81 mounts, second to Rafael Bejarano by two  wins (from 43 fewer mounts) but the meet’s best in percentages for wins (25) and in-the-money (54).

 

“I’m riding for everybody, which has been what I envisioned from the start of my career,” Desormeaux said.

 

Desormeaux won Del Mar Summer meeting titles in 1992, 1993 and 1997, tied for third in the inaugural Bing Crosby season with nine wins and tied for seventh last year with seven wins.

           

    

 

Enola Gray, a winner in four of five career starts, drew the No. 2 post position in a field of six and was established as the 3-5 favorite on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line for Saturday’s $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes.

 

Trained by Phil D’Amato for owner/breeder Nick Alexander, Enola Gray, a 3-year-old California-bred daughter of Grazen, was a romping 7 ¾ length winner of the Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar on July 22 to complete a sweep of her first three career starts. Second in the Beverly Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos in September, Enola Gray bounced back to add another win in her most recent start, the October 15 California Distaff Handicap at Santa Anita.

 

The field for the seven-furlong Betty Grable from the rail: Barbara Beatrice (Tiago Pereira, 6-1), Enola Gray (Tyler Baze, 3-5), My Fiona (Fernando Perez, 4-1), Cuddle Alert (Agapito Delgadillo, 4-1), Chao Chom (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1) and Harlington’s Rose (Joe Talamo, 10-1).

 

Daybreak at Del Mar will be held every Saturday from 8:00-10:00 a.m. The morning program offers fans an opportunity to watch morning workouts and enjoy a breakfast in the Clubhouse Terrace Restaurant. 

 

Trackside announcer and former jockey Jeff Bloom will answer questions and identify horses as they tune up for their next race. No reservations required. Those attending will enter through the Main Gate from Jimmy Durante Blvd., park in the main lot and proceed through the Clubhouse entrance to the second floor restaurant area. There is no charge for admission but a $10 parking fee applies.  However, those spending $25 or more for breakfast will have the parking price deducted off the price of their bill.

 

 

CLOSERS – Track co-founder Pat O’Brien’s daughter Mavourneen points out that November 11, 1899 was the birth date of her father, one of the most prominent actors in the first half of the 20^th century. O’Brien died October  15, 1983 … Japanese import Nuovo Record, being prepared for the Red Carpet Stakes on Thanksgiving, galloped 1 ½ miles on the main track Friday morning, a routine that will be followed for the weekend. On Monday, the horse and its three handlers will do little or nothing. The Japanese Racing Association mandates Monday as a day off for horses and horsemen in the country, said racing manager Hiroshi Ando and they’ll abide by the rule while away from home…Entrechat, a candidate for the Grade I $300,000 Matriarch on the closing day of the meeting, December 4, worked three furlongs in :36.80 Friday morning at Santa Anita.   

 

 

Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793