O’NEILL’S MENU: TURKEY TODAY, STAKES THE NEXT TWO
Trainer Doug O’Neill will be spending his Thanksgiving Day in the traditional American way, tailored slightly to a man of his profession.
“I’ll be in Santa Monica with the family, watching horse racing and football and eating a lot of turkey,” O’Neill said Wednesday.
Here at Del Mar, his Team O’Neill lieutenants, Leandro Mora and Steve Rothblum, have to supervise the preparation of horses for the first and last races on an eight-race program. The All Button, owned by the San Diego-based Great Friends Stable is the day starter (with an early 11 a.m. first post). Rothblum is part owner of Global Event, who’ll go in the 2:30 p.m. nightcap, scheduled to allow horsemen and racegoers time to get home for their own holiday celebrations.
The O’Neill stable is the defending training champion of the Bing Crosby meeting and is placed fourth with four wins in 2016, two behind leader Peter Miller, through the first seven of the 15-day meeting. While Team O’Neill produced 15 wins during the last Bing Crosby season, and O’Neill notched the 2,000th win of his career at the meeting, the stable has yet to record a stakes victory in two-plus years of fall sessions at Del Mar.
But with nine stakes to run in the final eight days of the meeting, and five entrants in stakes races Friday and Saturday, the opportunities are at hand.
Team O’Neill’s high visibility starts with Ralis and Royal Albert Hall in Friday’s Grade II $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup. It spills over with How About Zero, Noble Dancer and Simmy’s Temple in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes.
Ralis and Royal Albert Hall drew the inside posts respectively and were both listed at 6-1 on the morning line of oddsmaker Russ Hudak for the 35th running of the 1 ½-mile Hollywood Turf Cup.
Ralis, a son of Square Eddie owned by J. Paul Reddam, was a rallying second in the Grade II, 1 1/8-mile Del Mar Derby in his last start over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course and an overmatched ninth at 80-1 in his last outing, the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on November 5.
Royal Albert Hall showed some affinity for 1 ½-mile turf racing when third in the Grade II Elkhorn last spring at Keeneland.
The O’Neill trio in Saturday’s Jimmy Durante, for two-year-old fillies at a mile on turf, would certainly appear to be competitive in a field of 13, most of them, understandably, with little racing experience.
How About Zero and Simmy’s Temple come in off ungraded stakes wins at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, respectively. Noble Dancer, an import from Ireland with two U.S. starts, recently ran fifth to Simmy’s Temple in the Golden Gate Fields stakes and was a supplemental entry to the Durante.
“All our runners this weekend may be good prices (on the morning line), but they’re all training like favorites,” O’Neill said.
SECOND-TIME U.S. ANGLE FITS RED CARPET FAVORITES
Arles and Nuovo Record, imports from Europe and Japan, respectively, making their second U.S. starts, are the favorites on the morning line of oddsmaker Russ Hudak for Thursday’s 51st running of the Red Carpet Stakes, the Beverly Hills Handicap in its first 48 editiions.
Arles, a French-bred 4-year-old filly, had a series of starts in Germany before being acquired by Team Valor International and put in the care of trainer H. Graham Motion. Team Valor and Motion combined with Animal Kingdom to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
Arles was second throughout in the Grade III Glen Falls Stakes at Saratoga in August and subsequently has been training at Motion’s training center in Fair Hill, Maryland.
Nuovo Record, a 5-year-old mare with nearly $5 million in earnings, came to Del Mar directly after an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on November 5 at Santa Anita and has been training well for the 1 3/8-mile grass marathon.
In post position order from the rail: Nuovo Record (Yasunari Iwata 3-1), Arles (Joel Rosario, 5-2), Swear By It (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 10-1) Generosidade (Tiago Pereira, 10-1), Frenzified (Santiago Gonzalez, 7-2), Into The Mystic (Flavien Prat, 8-1), Ginga (Altair Domingos, 20-1), Fresh Feline (Victor Espinoza, 15-1), Dreamarcher (Mike Smith, 12-1) and Barleysugar (Gary Stevens, 15-1). Backintheacademy (Rito Almanza, 30-1) is an also eligible.
ASHLEYLUVSSUGAR FAVORED FOR HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP
Ashleyluvssugar, a five-year-old California-bred son of Game Plan, returns to the Del Mar Turf Course, where he has had great success, as the 9-5 favorite in a field of seven for Friday’s featured Grade II $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup.
The Peter Eurton trainee, ridden by Gary Stevens in eight of his last nine starts, has career earnings of $967,504 from eight wins in 18 career starts. Half the victories, and nearly half the earnings, have come at Del Mar where Ashleyluvssugar has never been worse than third in eight starts.
At the 2016 summer meeting, he was second in the Grade II Eddie Read in July and won the Grade II Del Mar Handicap in August.
The field from the rail: Ralis (Mario Gutierrez, 6-1), Royal Albert Hall (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1), Flamboyant (Mike Smith, 3-1), Texas Ryano (Joe Talamo, 5-2), Quick Casablanca (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Power Foot (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1) and Ashleyluvssugar (Gary Stevens, 9-5).
OM, WITH HONORS TOP SATURDAY’S STAKES DOUBLE
Dan Hendricks-trained Om, a fast-closing second beaten a nose by Obviously in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at 6 ½ furlongs, returns three weeks later with additional ground to benefit a late run in Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Om will face seven rivals, two of whom are also coming out of Breeders’ Cup events.
Vyjack, a half-length victor over Om in the City of Hope at Santa Anita on October 8, was a well-beaten seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. What a View set a swift pace in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf that set up the late runs of internationally-campaigned Tourist and Tepin, who finished 1-2, while What a View faded to last of 14.
The field from the rail for the Seabiscuit: A Red Tie Day (Norberto Arroyo, Jr.), Stylistics United (Tiago Pereira), Om (Gary Stevens), Vyjack (Flavien Prat), What a View (Tyler Baze), Hunt (Mike Smith), Ring Weekend (Drayden Van Dyke) and Hi Happy (Altair Domingos).
With Honors returns to the Del Mar turf, where she won twice during the summer meeting, in the one-mile Jimmy Durante Stakes for two-year-old fillies.
Half-length victories on grass in her debut in July and in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in September bestowed Breeders’ Cup status on the J. Keith Desormeaux-trained daughter of War Front. Switched to dirt, she was second to Noted And Quoted in the Chandelier and ninth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.
The field from the rail for the Jimmy Durante: Defiant Honor (Mike Smith), Bella Luma (Gary Stevens), Mo’Vette (Santiago Gonzalez), Journey Home (Drayden Van Dyke), Tiburtina (Victor Espinoza), Partyinthepaddock (Kent Desormeaux), How About Zero (Mario Gutierrez), With Honors (Flavien Prat), Noble Dancer (Fernando Perez), Simmy’s Temple (Norberto Arroyo, Jr.), Miss Sugars (Tyler Baze), Happy Mesa (Martin Pedroza) and La Force (Brice Blanc).
ART SHERMAN TO RECEIVE BIG SPORT OF TURFDOM AWARD
The 2016 Big Sport of Turfdom – recognizing a person or group of people who enhance coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists – has been awarded to trainer Art Sherman, the Turf Publicists of America (TPA) announced earlier this week.
Sherman, the trainer of all-time North American earnings leader California Chrome, won in a vote determined by the nearly 150 active members of the TPA, a trade organization of Thoroughbred racing publicists and marketing executives.
“I am so delighted and honored to be among the people that have won this award, a who’s who of racing,” Sherman said. “I’ve always tried to be accommodating to the press and even anyone that asks me for an autograph. It’s for the betterment of the game. Anything for racing.”
Under Sherman’s care, California Chrome has won 15 of 25 starts while amassing $14,452,650 in earnings across four seasons. As a 3-year old, the modestly bred son of Lucky Pulpit won the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes en route to Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old honors. This year, California Chrome won three Group 1 or Grade 1 races, including the $10 million Dubai World Cup, and was second in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“Art Sherman is a publicist’s dream,” said TPA President Jim Mulvihill. “For three years he has trained one of the top horses in the world and during that span has made himself available for thousands of interviews. His genuine nature and likeability have been major factors in California Chrome becoming one of the most popular racehorses of our time.”
The Big Sport of Turfdom will be presented to Sherman at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program’s annual Awards Luncheon on December 6, emceed by Santa Anita Park track announcer Michael Wrona. The luncheon is part of the 2016 Symposium on Racing & Gaming at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz.
STEVENS BECOMES CONTRACT RIDER FOR RUIS STABLES
Ruis Racing announced Wednesday that it has retained Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens as first call stable rider effective December 1.
Stevens had originally planned to move his tack to Oaklawn Park for the start of the winter meet there beginning on January 13. With this announcement, Stevens will remain in California with Ruis Racing.
“It is a great opportunity for me to partner with such a large stable,” said Stevens. “I was excited to head to Oaklawn and explore my opportunities there, but this has come up at the right time and it is a partnership I am excited to be a part of on a bigger scale. I have always loved being part of a team and helping to develop horses and I think this is the perfect group to do that with.”
The Ruis family has been in racing for years but obtained a much stronger foothold this year when the family sold controlling interest in American Scaffold Company and parlayed that money into Thoroughbreds.
Ruis-owned Union Strike won the Grade I Del Mar Debutante during the summer meeting. Ruis Racing has also purchased a spot in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup to be run at Gulfstream Park in Florida on January 28, 2017.
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Sunday, November 20, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Flavien Prat |
36 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
22% |
58% |
$277,192 |
|
Santiago Gonzalez |
32 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
19% |
47% |
$216,890 |
|
Norberto Arroyo, Jr. |
39 |
5 |
8 |
4 |
13% |
44% |
$217,825 |
|
Tyler Baze |
39 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
13% |
38% |
$260,644 |
|
Victor Espinoza |
12 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
42% |
50% |
$193,620 |
|
Mike Smith |
17 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
24% |
47% |
$187,472 |
|
Drayden Van Dyke |
20 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
20% |
30% |
$150,613 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
22 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
14% |
18% |
$155,249 |
|
Stewart Elliott |
22 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
9% |
50% |
$112,575 |
|
Gary Stevens |
13 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
15% |
62% |
$125,540 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Sunday, November 20, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Peter Miller |
22 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
27% |
45% |
$229,814 |
|
Mike Puype |
16 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
31% |
63% |
$129,805 |
|
Richard Baltas |
19 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
26% |
47% |
$193,910 |
|
Doug F. O'Neill |
25 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
16% |
48% |
$222,185 |
|
Mark Glatt |
14 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
21% |
50% |
$97,965 |
|
Steven Miyadi |
10 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
30% |
50% |
$65,366 |
|
Jerry Hollendorfer |
14 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
21% |
29% |
$101,543 |
|
Bob Baffert |
7 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
29% |
57% |
$116,785 |
|
Robertino Diodoro |
6 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
33% |
67% |
$39,265 |
|
William Spawr |
5 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
20% |
80% |
$68,540 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Sunday, November 20, 2016 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 15 out of 60 -- 25.00%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 10 out of 37 -- 27.03%
Winning favorites on turf -- 5 out of 23 -- 21.74%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 3 out of 6 -- 50.00%
In-the-Money favorites -- 37 out of 60 -- 61.67%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 6 -- 83.33%
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793