Mario Gutierrez © Zoe Metz for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Tora Yamaguchi, agent for Rafael Bejarano, reported Saturday morning that the perennial Del Mar riding champion has a strained ligament in the outer portion of his right hand that is of relatively minor concern.

 

But the short healing process, combined with six days of suspensions that Yamaguchi said will not be appealed, means the summer meeting champion for the past five years, and defending Bing Crosby meet champion, will not ride at Del Mar until November 26, the 10^th day of the 15-day meeting.

 

Yamaguchi and Bejarano had planned for Friday to be a busy one with seven mounts on the nine-race Opening Day program. Instead, as the result of an injury incurred during a morning workout Tuesday at Santa Anita, it was spent seeing a hand specialist in the Los Angeles area.

 

“The doctor said it was not a big deal,” Yamaguchi said. “He has a small brace and with three or four days wearing it, and not using the hand, it should be fine.”

 

Bejarano is, however, facing two three-day suspensions from infractions during the Santa Anita meeting. The first is to be served on racing days Sunday plus Thursday and Friday of next week. The second, which was announced Friday, is set for November 20, 24 and 25.

 

The decision was to heal the hand, serve the suspensions and start anew for the final two weeks of the meeting, which encompass six graded stakes with purses totaling $1.3 million.

 

Mario Gutierrez, who also missed the opening day card, recovered from stomach problems that hit him after morning workouts at Santa Anita on Friday and notified agent Tom Knust of his availability at 9 a.m.      

Trainer Phil D’Amato’s duo of Barbara Beatrice and Enola Gray will break from the Number 1 and 2 posts in Sunday’s $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes with contrasting strategies to achieve the same objective.

 

Enola Gray, a 3-year-old daughter of Grazen owned by Nick Alexander, has been forwardly placed from the start in all five of her career outings, producing four victories and a runner-up finish. Barbara Beatrice, a 4-year-old daughter of Grazen owned by D’Amato and Queen Bee Racing, has made late rallies for four victories in 12 career starts.

 

Enola Gray is the 3-5 morning line favorite, Barbara Beatrice a 6-1 co-fourth choice in the field of six for the seven-furlong race over the main track for older California-bred fillies and mares. And they’re both coming into the race in good form.

 

Enola Gray was a romping 7 ¾-length winner of the Fleet Treat Stakes, over the same course and against age-group California-bred peers to kick off the second weekend of Del Mar’s summer meeting. She incurred her only defeat when second in the Beverly Lewis Stakes against open competition, but bounced back against fellow state breds in the California Distaff Handicap on October 15 in her turf racing debut at Santa Anita.

 

“That (Beverly Lewis) was a little bit of a mistake, I think, and a change in style,” D’Amato assistant Rudy Cruz said Saturday morning. “She likes to go to the front and that time the rider had to check a little bit and she didn’t like that. She likes to run free.

 

“But she came back to win the next time and she’s training really well. I think she’s growing and she’s maybe better than she was in the summer. She’s not nervous anymore.”

 

Barbara Beatrice finished fifth in the Solana Beach turf mile on August 14 then surprised the bettors, who sent her off at 10-1 odds, and to a certain extent the D’Amato stable, when she came from last of seven, passing four horses in the stretch, for a neck victory on the 6 ½-furlong downhill course at Santa Anita on October 15.

 

“The thing about that filly is she can run on grass or dirt,” Cruz said. “So in case Enola goes too fast, too soon, we have another one coming from behind.”

 

The field 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).

 

Trainer Gary Sherlock recorded his first Del Mar stakes victory Friday when Do the Dance, ridden by Tyler Baze, pulled off a wire-to-wire steal of the $78,450 Kathryn Crosby Stakes before an opening-day crowd of 9,022.

 

On Sunday, the 70-year-old native of Pleasanton will shoot for his second stakes victory in three days when he saddles My Fiona in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes.

 

Born into a racing family – his father was a jockey and his mother worked as a steward and racing secretary, Sherlock made his mark as a Quarter Horse trainer before switching to thoroughbreds. He figures he’s been coming to Del Mar in that capacity “since about 1980.”

 

A life-threatening heart condition in 1995 forced him to step away from training for 10 years. Since his return he’s won stakes elsewhere, most notably the Santa Monica at Santa Anita, Ballerina at Saratoga and Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs, all Grade one events and all with Intangaroo in 2008. Lost Bus gave him a second Santa Monica victory this year and Uncle Lino finished third in the Santa Anita Derby and seventh in the Preakness.

 

But nothing, stakes wise, at Del Mar before Friday.

 

“I haven’t had that many horses to run in stakes here and I don’t think I’ve run in many,” Sherlock said Saturday morning outside Barn E.

 

Sherlock and Baze successfully pulled off a change in strategy with Do the Dance, a stretch runner on form who was taken straight to the lead and stayed there for the 1 1/16 miles on turf of the Kathryn Crosby.

 

“The only speed horse in the race (Glory) was scratched, so we figured we’d go for the lead unless somebody else wanted it,” Sherlock said.   

 

My Fiona, a 4-year-old daughter of California-bred Ghostzapper, was away from racing for two  months after a last-place finish of 10 in the Solana Beach Stakes – a mile on turf -- at Del Mar on August 14. She returned with a 3 ½-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs on dirt at Santa Anita three weeks ago.

“She’s doing very well, but she’s a late closing sprinter and that one horse, Enola Gray, is very tough,” Sherlock said.

 

 

 

Jockeys Flavien Prat and Santiago Gonzalez and trainer Richard Baltas doubled up in the win column on opening day.

 

Prat accounted for the opening daily double with victories on Dadtaughtmewell ($12.20) and Enduring Erin  ($5.80) in the first two races. Gonzalez scored a fourth-race upset with Mo’vette ($24.40) and followed with Kenny Benny ($19.20) in the seventh.

 

Enduring Erin and Mo’vette made it a two-for-two day for Baltas.

 

With perennial champion Rafael Bejarano out for the first 10 days of the 15-day meeting due to injury and suspensions, the riding title could come down to a battle between Prat and Gonzalez. Prat tied with Bejarano for the Del Mar Summer championship, his first Southern California title.

 

“Off to a good start,” said Derek Lawson, Prat’s agent. “We’d like to win it outright, but Santiago Gonzalez is  a very good rider and Bejarano will come back with a roar. It’ll be a fight to the finish as it usually is.”

 

 

Food and beverage discounts are available to Diamond Club members and horsemen under the following rules:

        

Diamond Club –Patrons will be able to purchase $30 worth of Premier  Dollars (three $10 vouchers)  for  $20 daily. Limited to one purchase of $30 per day per patron.

 

Horsemen – CHRB licensed owners, trainers, jockeys and jockey agents will be able to purchase either $30 worth of Premier Dollars (three $10 vouchers) for $20 daily or, $120 worth of Premier Dollars (a dozen $10 vouchers) for $80 weekly.

 

Diamond Club patrons can purchase their Dollars at the customer service booths at either the Stretch Run Level 2  or Clubhouse Level 2. Horsemen’s will be available at the front side racing office.

 

 

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