Pretty N Cool has looked extremely impressive in her two career starts here, winning a maiden event and then the Grade II $200,000 Sorrento Stakes by a combined 7 ¼ lengths.

 

And what those performances earned the daughter of Scat Daddy, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is an opportunity to prove herself once again in Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante. Pretty N Cool, the 2-1 favorite on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line, will face 10 rivals, the connections for two of whom paid $10,000 for the chance to run in the seven-furlong race that determines the 2-year-old filly championship of the meeting.

 

The supplementals are East Coast shipper Come to Mischief and Del Mar based Right There.

 

Come to Mischief, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief, was privately purchased by Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing Stable Inc following an impressive six-length debut victory on June 28 in the $125,000 My Dear Stakes on Polytrack at Woodbine and placed in the care of trainer Peter Walder in Florida. She had been training at Gulfstream Park through August 22 before shipping west last week and recording a four-furlong work on Sunday here in  :51.60.

 

“She freaked in her first (and only) start,” Walder said by phone Thursday morning. “You look at the tape and go ‘My God, holy cow, this is scary.’ It took her a little bit of time for her settling in because of the heat in Florida, but once she did, she’s been fine.”

 

The Del Mar Debutante wasn’t atop the list of target races immediately after the purchase, Walder said. But it was decided that Del Mar’s dirt might be closer to the Woodbine’s surface than some East Coast tracks. The supplemental fee was not a deterrent.

 

“When you purchase a horse you think to be of that caliber you expect you’re going to have to pay to compete at the higher levels,” Walder said.

 

Walder lived in Los Angeles for seven years in his youth, but succumbed to the lure of Santa Anita in Arcadia. “I used to ditch school and make three different bus connections to get there,” Walder said. “My mom would come home and say, ‘How was school?’ and I’d say, ‘Good, I hit the daily double.’”

 

He’d never been to Del Mar, however, until last weekend. “I have to say (Racing Secretary) David Jerkens and everybody out there have been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “They really rolled out the red carpet and made me feel special.”

 

Come to Mischief drew the No. 2 post position and will be ridden by Gary Stevens. “I’m not crazy about the two hole, but I’m sure glad I’ve got a Hall of Fame rider to work it out,” Walder said,

 

Right There, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Eskendereya owned by Big Chief Racing LLC and trained by J. Keith Desormeaux, won the Landaluce Stakes at Santa Anita on June 21 in her second career start and was fourth to Pretty N Cool, beaten 9 ¼ lengths, in the 6 ½-furlong Sorrento.

 

“She got a little tired, I think she needed a little more work and a little more distance,” Desormeaux assistant Joasin Diego said Thursday.

 

The field from the rail out: Right There (Kent Desormeaux, 20-1), Come to Mischief (Gary Stevens, 8-1), Pretty N Cool (Martin Garcia, 2-1), Land Over Sea (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1), Surfside Tiara (Rafael Bejarano, 7-2), Stays in Vegas (Flavien Prat, 15-1), One True Kiss (Joe Talamo, 15-1), My Dynamo (Fernando Perez, 20-1), Gomo (Alex Solis, 15-1), Mitzi Winks (Drayden Van Dyke, 30-1) and Songbird (Mike Smith, 5-2).

 

The Debutante will go as the ninth on an 11-race program with an approximate post time of 6:10 p.m.

 

 

Found Money opened his career with a pair of wins at Santa Anita in May and June, the second in the $125,000 Santa Anita Juvenile.

 

But the 2-year-old California-bred son of Square Eddie owned by Paul Reddam  

was outrun by stablemate Nyquist and four others when fifth of six, beaten 11 ½ lengths, in the Grade II Best Pal Stakes on August 8 here.

 

“He came out of the race with a little mucus, which is kind of typical for babies, so we’re drawing a line through it,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. “He’s fine now and doing well.”

 

Found Money is the 2-1 second choice in a field of six for the featured $150,000 I’m Smokin in tomorrow’s final 4 O’Clock Friday program of the Summer Meeting.

 

The field from the rail:  Carlos Dangerous (Rafael Bejarano, 5-1), Viviendo El Sueno (Martin Garcia, 5-1), Xingontothebone (Felipe Valdez, 10-1), Smokey Image (Juan Hernandez, 8-5), Found Money (Mario Gutierrez, 2-1) and Quorum of Joy (Corey Nakatani, 8-1).

 

 

 

I’malreadythere, a gelded son of Crown of Thorns being saddled for the first time by Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, was made the 7-2 morning line favorite by oddsmaker Russ Hudak for Saturday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes.

 

I’malreadythere was a two-length winner of a maiden race on turf at Gulfstream Park in Florida on August 8 when trained by Michael Yates before shipping west. Hollendorfer sent him out for a five-furlong work in 1:02.40 on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course here Sunday.

 

The field from the rail out: I’malreadythere (Flavien Prat, 7-2), Swiss Minister (Martin Pedroza, 20-1), Hollywood Don (Brice Blanc, 4-1), Dubdubwatson (Alonso Quinonez, 20-1), Mr Notorious (Mike Smith, 12-1), Getoffmyback (James Graham, 20-1), Annie’s Candy (Victor Espinoza, 6-1), Rare Candy (Joe Talamo, 9-2), Go Long (Kent Desormeaux, 15-1), Tiz a Billy (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1) and Hot Ore (Tyler Baze, 5-1). The also eligibles are: Recalibrating (Santiago Gonzalez, 10-1), Dressed In Hermes (Gary Stevens, 8-1) and Aztec Warrior (Flavien Prat, 20-1).

 

 

 

Patrick Valenzuela, granted a license to exercise horses by the California Horse Racing Board in early August while his jockey’s license remains suspended, is making progress for a return to riding, subject to board approval which, if successful, could be in evidence for the Bing Crosby Meeting here when it commences on Thursday, October 29.

 

“I’m working hard and doing all I can to get my license back on October 17,” Valenzuela said Thursday morning. Valenzuela will turn 53 on October 17.

 

Valenzuela said he has been working 5-10 horses a morning for a variety of trainers, among them Mike Pender, Doug O’Neill, George Papaprodroumou and Ron McAnally. His weight is 128.

 

“I’ll be at 117 when I’m ready to ride again,” Valenzuela said. “I’m calling it the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ comeback.”

 

 

Close  of entries and post positions were pending later Thursday, but  marquee performers and stellar fields were expected for the three stakes on Sunday’s card – the $200,000 Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap, $250,000 Grade II Del Mar Derby and $80,000-added C.E.R.F. Stakes.

 

The probables for the Yellow Ribbon, in alphabetical order: Alexis Tangier, Blingismything, Customer Base, Elektrum, Famous Alice, Istanford, Lady Pimpernel, Notte D’Oro, Prize Exhibit, Queen Of The Sand, She’s Not Here, Stormy Lucy and Thegirlinthatsong.

 

For the Del Mar Derby: Gunslinger, Om, Papacoolpapacool, Prospect Park, Royal Albert Hall, Soul Driver and Win The Space.

 

For the C.E.R.F: Amaranth, Baruta, Ben’s Duchess, Judy The Beauty, Uzziel and Windy Forecast.

 

 

 

The Triple Crown champion walked the stable area of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert while owner Ahmed Zayat made the big news of the day. Zayat told the Daily Racing Form that after lengthy consultation with Baffert, assistant trainer Jim Barnes and jockey Victor Espinoza, he had decided to keep American Pharoah in training.

 

“I have discussed all aspects of American Pharoah’s race last Saturday in the Travers – and his condition since the race – with our whole team and have decided American Pharoah deserves another chance, so we are pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Zayat was quoted as saying.

 

American Pharoah will be paraded for the crowd here following the fourth race on Sunday.

 

 

CLOSERS – Forthenineteen, winner of Wednesday’s second race, is named to honor the 19 firefighters who were killed fighting a wildfire in Arizona in July of 2013 … Selected works from 63 on dirt and 13 on turf officially timed Thursday morning: Dirt – Off the Road (5f, :59.20), Normandy Invasion (5f, :59.20), Imperative (4f, :47.20); Turf – Class Leader (4f, :49.00), Om (3f, :38.00).

 

 

 

Jockey Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Inclusive)
Jockey	Mts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Rafael Bejarano	187	33	38	24	18%	$2,199,654
Joseph Talamo	167	26	13	14	16%	$1,487,568
Tyler Baze	187	24	25	29	13%	$1,484,020
Santiago Gonzalez	156	23	15	20	15%	$1,266,706
Mario Gutierrez	119	23	14	10	19%	$1,237,526
Flavien Prat	161	21	26	25	13%	$1,801,744
Martin Garcia	125	18	12	15	14%	$1,179,650
Corey Nakatani	78	16	9	4	21%	$729,726
Kent Desormeaux	85	15	10	12	18%	$781,174
James Graham	120	11	20	14	9%	$925,494

 

Trainer Standings
(Current Through Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Inclusive)
Trainer	Sts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Jerry Hollendorfer	82	20	9	10	24%	$1,216,872
Peter Miller	117	15	21	15	13%	$1,148,020
Doug F. O'Neill	93	14	18	11	15%	$1,095,490
Richard Baltas	66	14	6	12	21%	$706,658
Philip D'Amato	77	12	10	11	16%	$918,932
Mike Puype	69	12	4	8	17%	$653,860
Bob Baffert	56	11	9	8	20%	$884,820
John W. Sadler	50	11	4	5	22%	$586,834
Robert B. Hess, Jr.	51	10	1	8	20%	$310,982
Mark Glatt	58	8	6	7	14%	$413,540

 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Inclusive)
Winning favorites	92	308	29.87%
Wining favorites on dirt	68	211	32.23%
Wining favorites on turf	24	97	24.74%
Winning odds-on favorites	18	36	50.00%
In-the-Money favorites	179	308	58.12%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites	32	36	88.89%

 

 

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