Peter Miller and Son © Benoit Photo
MILLER PONDERS POSSIBILITY OF FOUR FOR CARY GRANT
Trainer Peter Miller has entered four horses in Sunday’s $100,000 seven-furlong Cary Grant Stakes. He’s not motivated by any nostalgic feelings for the distinguished actor for whom the race is named.
“Before my time,” said Miller, who was born in 1966.
The multi-entry is simply a matter of business circumstances.
“It’s a race for California breds and we have a bunch of good Cal-breds in our barn that are race fit,” Miller said. “We may not run them all; we’ll make a decision when the time comes. But there’s a chance all four could go.”
Miller said that in all likelihood Solid Wager and Got Even will be in the starting gate and the decision making process will focus on Red Outlaw and Richard’s Boy. A look at the Miller foursome individually:
- Solid Wager, a 4-year-old Birdonthewire gelding, comes in off a neck victory in an optional claimer last month at Santa Anita at 1 1/16 miles and drops back to the distance of his previous victory eight starts earlier in February there. “He’s a hard trier that will be coming from off the pace,” Miller said.
- Got Even, a 6-year-old Stephen Got Even gelding, will be making his 43rd career start and seeking his sixth victory in a career that has produced $445,678 in earnings. “Another hard trier who’s been unlucky because he’s always been pressured on the lead. We’re going to put him on the lead and see what happens,” Miller said.
- Red Outlaw, a 4-year-old Tribal Rule gelding, won the first six starts of his career before finishing fourth to Big Macher in the 2014 Cary Grant to start a three-race losing streak. He was away eight months from December to August before a third-place effort in the summer meeting and has been training at San Luis Rey Downs since then. “He’s had some issues since he won his first six races, but he’s doing very well now. If he runs his race he definitely has a big shot,” Miller said.
- Richard’s Boy, a 3-year-old Idiot Proof gelding, has won six times in 10 outings and two of his last three starts. The most recent start and win came here on November 12. “We don’t know if we want to run him back in a week and a half, and he may be better at a shorter distance,” Miller said. “But he’s doing really well right now, so we’ll see.”
Regardless of how many Miller sends out, they’ll have to deal with 8-5 morning line favorite Big Macher, the defending race champion and a winner of three Del Mar stakes in a 14-month span from July of 2014 to September of this year.
“He’s definitely the horse to beat,” Miller said. “But whether we run one, two, three or four we’ll be trying.”
HOLLENDORFER, O’NEILL MILESTONE WATCH: TWO TO GO
Trainers Jerry Hollendorfer and Doug O’Neill both notched one win on Friday to move within two of career victory milestones.
Hollendorfer’s Trimoma ($39.00) won Friday’s second race at Golden Gate Fields for career victory No. 6,998. The Hall of Famer has five shots to reach No. 7,000 there and two entrants at Del Mar.
Hollendorfer’s representatives at Golden Gate Fields are: Dyna Star (1st, 7-5), Lindz Winz (3rd, 9-5), Adeline Moon (6th, 5-1), Da Fastest One (8th, 3-1) and Elusive Plains (9th, 7-2). At Del Mar, he’ll send out Prodicious Facts (8-1) and All Star Bub (10-1) in the fifth race.
O’Neill saddled Semper Fortis ($3.20) to win Friday’s first race at Del Mar for career win No. 1,998. O’Neill has two horses running today, Found Money (6-1) in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot at Delta Downs in Louisiana and Jeremy’s Legacy (5-1 in the sixth at Del Mar.
WHAT’S IN A NAME RED CARPET HANDICAP
The Beverly Hills Handicap when it was run at Hollywood Park, today’s featured marathon mile and three-eighths grass event for older fillies and mares was renamed the Red Carpet Handicap, honoring a show business tradition of celebrities being interviewed on a red carpet prior to events such as the Academy Awards.
JOCKEY, TRAINER RACES COULD GO DOWN TO WIRE
Edwin Maldonado won three races on Friday to double his previous Bing Crosby Season total and move into a tie for fifth in the jockey standings. The trio atop the standings -- Santiago Gonzalez, Rafael Bejarano and Mario Gutierrez – all notched one victory to keep the margins unchanged.
Gonzalez enters the last six days of the meeting with 15 wins, two ahead of perennial Southern California circuit champion Bejarano and five in front of Gutierrez.
“We didn’t come here thinking we could win the title, not at all,” said Craig Stephen, Santiago’s agent. “But he’s been riding as well as he ever has. The thing I like is he’s putting them all in a position to win, and then it’s up to whether the horse has it or not.”
To prevail, Gonzalez will have to endure a three-day suspension – Sunday, Thursday and Friday – which encompasses non-stakes races.
Doug O’Neill leads defending Crosby Season champion Peter Miller by one, 10-9, in the trainer standings. They each have one entrant Saturday. O’Neill has six horses entered on Sunday, Miller seven, four of them in the Cary Grant Stakes.
THE PIZZA MAN TAKES A DEL MAR ORDER: THURSDAY’S TURF CUP
Arlington Million winner The Pizza Man headlines a field of 13 expected for Thursday’s featured Grade II $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 ½ miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Bred and owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc. and trained by Roger Brueggemann, The Pizza Man, a six-year-old English Channel gelding, delivered a neck victory over Big Blue Kitten in The Million in July to cap a three-race winning summer win streak that propelled him to the top of the male turf division.
A narrow second in the Shadwell Turf Mile and fifth in the 1 ½-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland are the most recent results in a five-race 2015 campaign that has brought earnings of $938,600 for the year and boosted his career total to $1,748,537.
The Pizza Man finished third to Finnegan’s Wake, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, in the 2014 Hollywood Turf Cup, its inaugural edition at Del Mar.
Close of entries and the draw for post positions were scheduled later Saturday, but stakes coordinator Chris Merz listed the following probables, in alphabetical order. Big John B, Class Leader, Danas Best, Flamboyant, Ganesh, Generoso, Power Foot, Power Ped, Procurement, Southern Freedom, Texas Ryano, The Pizza Man and Up With The Birds.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BING
For the second Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar, we offer a daily note, quote or anecdote about the track’s founding father for whom the fall meeting is named.
The Clemmer Theatre in Spokane, Wa., was built in 1915, renovated in 1988 and renamed in 2006 for Gonzaga University alum Bing Crosby. Among many featured events held at the Bing Crosby Theatre is a “Red Carpet” (note today’s stakes name) movie night.
CLOSERS – Former Padre outfielder Carlos Quentin is part of the ownership group of Tattenham, entered in race seven on Sunday’s card. Tattenham, a winner of two straight at Belmont Park, was claimed for $40,000 by trainer Bob Hess and brought West. It is the initial venture in horse ownership for Quentin … Tom Maloney, a former San Diego Union-Tribune sports writer now working in Toronto, Canada, was a visitor Friday, getting first-hand experience and researching a travel article on the track.
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793