Trojan Nation © Benoit
BIG WEEKEND FOR TROJAN NATION: PEOPLE TODAY, HORSE TOMORROW
Trojan Nation, the term for the legions of USC sports followers, will be fired up and focused late this afternoon when the No. 20-ranked Trojans football team takes on No. 1 Alabama in its season opener.
On Sunday, the connections of a horse named, by a member, for the group, hope that Trojan Nation will “Fight On” to victory in the Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Derby, the final leg of the three-race grass stakes series for three-year-olds of the summer meeting.
Trojan Nation has one win in nine career starts with earnings of $251,000. That win, in his first outing on turf here on July 31, has put him in the rare, if not unique (we can’t be sure), position of competing in both the Kentucky Derby and Del Mar Derby.
In April, a winless Trojan Nation charged from last place in a field of eight, 9 ¾ lengths behind the leader, through the mud down the stretch at Aqueduct and came within a head of winning the Grade I Wood Memorial, the major New York prep for the Kentucky Derby.
Prompting owners Aaron Sones and his wife Julie Gilbert – who aren’t USC grads but became Trojan converts through her family, his in-laws – and trainer Patrick Gallagher to head for the Triple Crown trail.
“He ran big in the Wood so we thought we’d take a shot in the Derby and that’s what we did,” Gallagher said. “It didn’t work out for us, but it didn’t work out for plenty of others either.”
Trojan Nation drew the sinister No. 1 post, had to be checked at the start, and finished 16th of 20, beaten 26 ¾ lengths.
Five weeks later came the Belmont Stakes and a 10th-place finish in a field of 13 for the still-winless horse.
“I didn’t have any qualms (about running a maiden in the Triple Crown events), none whatsoever,” Gallagher said. “The owners were enthusiastic about it and the horse had showed he belonged.”
Recuperated from the Triple Crown rigors, Trojan Nation was switched from dirt to turf for the 1 1/8-mile win here that prompted Sunday’s test.
“There was grass in his pedigree (by Street Cry out of Storm Song, a daughter of Summer Squall), he’d run a few times and he was still a maiden. So we thought we’d try him on the grass,” Gallagher said. “He looked good on it breaking his maiden, but it’s a big step up for him again, running in this race.
“He’s got conditions to run in (other than graded stakes) but, again, we thought we’d give it a shot.”
The field for the Del Mar Derby, which goes as the eighth race, from the rail: Gold Rush Dancer (Flavien Prat, 8-1), Blackjackcat (Mike Smith, 8-1), Mr. Roary (Edwin Maldonado, 30-1), Moonlight Drive (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), I’malreadythere (Tiago Pereira, 20-1), Curlin Rules (Tyler Baze, 15-1), Arcature (Martin Garcia, 20-1), Monster Bea (Gary Stevens, 5-1), Dressed in Hermes (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), Trojan Nation (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1), Free Rose (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 6-1), Lucky Bryan (Victor Espinoza, 9-2), Ralis (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1) and Diplodocus (Jamie Theriot, 30-1). Also eligible are: Ebadan (Santiago Gonzalez, 20-1) and Materialistic (Iggy Puglisi, 30-1).
SOBRADORA INC PUTS PERFECT RECORD ON THE LINE IN JOHN C. MABEE
Bettors, who sent her off at 9-1, could be excused for discounting Sobrador Inc in the Osunitas Stakes on August 7.
The Argentine import had a perfect 4-for-4 record in her native land, but there was reason to question how she’d fare against graded stakes winners like Elektrum and Prize Exhibit. Still, trainer Simon Callaghan was not surprised at the stretch charge which produced a half-length victory over those two.
“She had shown good form in Argentina,” Callaghan said. “Her works here, while they weren’t all that fast, she had shown a really good turn of foot at the end. So, we kind of expected her to run well and it was nice that she transitioned her works to the racetrack and stayed unbeaten.
“Turn of foot is a big weapon to have. If the pace is slow, maybe you can out-quicken them, and if the pace is fast maybe they’ll come back to you and you’ll still have that punch in the end.”
In Sunday’s Grade II $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8-miles, Sobradora Inc will have an additional 110 yards to run in a field of 12 that includes three returnees from the Osunitas.
“It’s a little bit of a step up,” Callaghan said. “I think she’ll like the extra distance. It’s a slightly better field than she beat last time, but not drastically. I think she’s the filly to beat.”
The field for the John C. Mabee, which goes as the sixth on a 10-race card, from the rail: Gloryzapper (Edwin Maldonado, 12-1), Nancy From Nairobi (Mike Smith, 7-2), Elektrum (Victor Espinoza, 4-1), Queen of The Sand (Gary Stevens, 12-1), Personal Diary (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1), Sobradora Inc (Rafael Bejarano, 3-1), Fresh Feline (Santiago Gonzalez, 12-1), Avenge (Flavien Prat, 10-1), Finest City (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), Keri Belle (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 20-1), Havanna Belle (Tyler Baze, 20-1) and Prize Exhibit (Jamie Theriot, 8-1).
STRAIGHT FIRE A NARROW MORNING LINE FAVORITE IN FUTURITY
Oddsmaker Russ Hudak made Straight Fire the 8-5 favorite for the Closing Day featured $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Futurity on Monday.
Owned by sports talk radio star Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing LLC and partners, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, Straight Fire will break from the No. 2 post.
The Kentucky-bred son of Dominus was a 10 ½-length winner in his second career start here on August 6. He was beaten 5 ¼ lengths in his July 17 debut by Chasing Aces, who broke a 52-year-old track record for five furlongs in the race.
Chasing Aces drew the No. 1 post and is 9-5 on the morning line.
The field for the Futurity, the fifth on a 10-race card, from the rail: Chasing Aces (Tyler Baze, 9-5), Straight Fire (Kent Desormeaux, 8-5), Midnight Pleasure (Martin Garcia, 10-1), Vegas Itch (Jaime Theriot, 20-1), Dynamic Ruler (Flavien Prat, 20-1) and Klimt (Rafael Bejarano, 2-1).
AVERAGE FIELD SIZE DOWN SLIGHTLY BUT QUALITY REMAINS HIGH
The actual number won’t be determined until the final race on Monday afternoon.
But with the final card having been set on Friday, racing secretary David Jerkens projects the average field size will be around 8.2 for the summer meeting, down from a California-high 8.8 for the 40-day 2015 meeting.
“It’s a decline, but we did finish strong the last couple weeks, which was very encouraging, and the quality of the races to close the meeting – the Debutante, Futurity, Derby and Mabee – is very high,” Jerkens said.
“We set the (average field size) bar high last year and it was unrealistic to think we could stay there. We had a six percent inventory reduction and some sickness problems with horses early in the meeting. But after the Pacific Classic (August 20) our numbers have been comparable to last year.”
O’NEILL AIMS FOR ‘FOURPEAT’ WITH TRIO IN JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
Trainer Doug O’Neill will send out three 2-year-old fillies with the aim of a fourth straight victory in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in the final stakes of the summer meeting on Monday.
O’Neill won the one mile event, which identifies candidates for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 4 at Santa Anita, with Clenor in 2013 and in successive seasons with She’s Complete and Jakaby Jade.
The 2013 and 2014 wins were with fillies owned in part by the Great Friends Stable of San Diego sports talk radio personalities Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith. Great Friends will be represented Monday by Noble Dancer and Simmy’s Temple. O’Neill will also saddle You Missed It for J. Paul Reddam.
The field from the rail: Blame It On Alphie (Mike Smith, 9-2), Auntjenn (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 6-1), Red Livy (Kent Desormeaux, 20-1), Jami Racer (Gary Stevens, 15-1), You Missed It (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1), Go Argento (Victor Espinoza, 8-1), Unforgivable U (Stewart Elliott, 20-1), Noble Dancer (Rafael Bejarano, 12-1), Totem Power (Tyler Baze, 15-1), Broken Marriage (Alonso Quinonez, 30-1), Simmy’s Temple (Santiago Gonzalez, 8-1), Lady Beware (Martin Garcia, 20-1) and With Honors (Flavien Prat, 5-2).
CLOSERS -- Meet leaders Flavien Prat and Phil D’Amato, atop the jockey and trainer standings, respectively, notched one win apiece and moved closer to meeting titles with three days remaining. With one victory on Friday Santiago Gonzalez moved into a tie with four-time defending champion Rafael Bejarano for second, but they are still six behind Prat’s 36-win leading total. In the trainer standings, D’Amato maintained a three-win margin over Peter Miller (21-18). Miller’s victory on Friday moved him one ahead of Richard Baltas for second place … Selected works from 96 officially timed Saturday morning: Barbara Beatrice (5f, 1:02.40), Cupid (5f, :58.40), Jazzy Times (5f, :58.40), Justin Squared (5f, :59.00) Stays in Vegas (5f, 1:00.20), Stellar Wind (5f, 1:01.40).
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Friday, September 2, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Flavien Prat |
191 |
36 |
27 |
25 |
19% |
46% |
$2,139,871 |
|
Rafael Bejarano |
149 |
30 |
30 |
22 |
20% |
55% |
$2,005,387 |
|
Santiago Gonzalez |
201 |
30 |
30 |
21 |
15% |
40% |
$1,414,508 |
|
Tyler Baze |
176 |
22 |
24 |
32 |
13% |
44% |
$1,377,886 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
126 |
21 |
22 |
17 |
17% |
48% |
$1,349,483 |
|
Norberto Arroyo, Jr. |
106 |
17 |
13 |
14 |
16% |
42% |
$817,392 |
|
Stewart Elliott |
98 |
16 |
8 |
8 |
16% |
33% |
$584,375 |
|
Victor Espinoza |
65 |
14 |
9 |
10 |
22% |
51% |
$1,548,335 |
|
Tiago Pereira |
103 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
13% |
34% |
$664,145 |
|
Joseph Talamo |
126 |
11 |
12 |
18 |
9% |
33% |
$832,015 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Friday, September 2, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Philip D'Amato |
93 |
21 |
13 |
10 |
23% |
47% |
$1,387,732 |
|
Peter Miller |
97 |
18 |
15 |
13 |
19% |
47% |
$931,621 |
|
Richard Baltas |
81 |
17 |
18 |
9 |
21% |
54% |
$991,216 |
|
Bob Baffert |
61 |
16 |
13 |
7 |
26% |
59% |
$1,304,770 |
|
Mark Glatt |
52 |
11 |
9 |
10 |
21% |
58% |
$453,669 |
|
John W. Sadler |
51 |
11 |
8 |
9 |
22% |
55% |
$765,840 |
|
Doug F. O'Neill |
120 |
10 |
15 |
22 |
8% |
39% |
$761,720 |
|
James M. Cassidy |
48 |
10 |
4 |
8 |
21% |
46% |
$522,699 |
|
Michael Machowsky |
23 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
39% |
52% |
$278,777 |
|
Chris A. Hartman |
33 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
21% |
48% |
$246,515 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, September 2, 2016 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 111 out of 316 -- 35.13%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 81 out of 207 -- 39.13%
Winning favorites on turf -- 30 out of 109 -- 27.52%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 24 out of 49 -- 48.98%
In-the-Money favorites -- 226 out of 316 -- 71.52%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 41 out of 49 -- 83.67%
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793