Taris and jockey Gary Stevens win the Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap.
Taris, a classy daughter of Flatter, and Chati’s On Top, a four-year-old Old Topper filly, shared the glory Sunday as they scored victories in the co-featured $100,500 Rancho Bernardo Handicap and the $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap.
With Hall of Famer Gary Stevens in the saddle,11-10 favored Taris stalked the pace until the top of the stretch where she cruised to the lead and was under little urging in winning by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:15.31 for the six and one-half furlongs.
Baruta closed gamely to be second, a neck in front of Uzziel, with Wasted at Midnight, the early pacemaker, fading to fourth in the field of seven older fillies and mares.
Taris, owned by the partnership of Tabor, Smith and Magnier and trained by Simon Callaghan, earned $60,000 with her fifth victory in seven races and now has total earnings of $395,700. As the favorite, she returned $4.20, $2.60 and $2.80. Baruta paid $3 and $2.80, while Uzziel returned $4.
In the Solana Beach Handicap, a one-mile grass race for California-bred fillies and mares, Chati’s On Top, sent postward at 5-1 under jockey Santiago Gonzalez, won by one and one-half lengths over Chaulk O Lattey in 1:34.49 for the distance. Mangita was third, one and one-half lengths behind the runner-up and a head in advance of fourth-place Journey On. Smoove It, the 9-5 favorite, was fifth in the field of nine distaff runners. Majestic Heat was withdrawn.
Chati’s On Top, owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Marsha Naify and trained by Mike Puype, won $85,500 with her fourth triumph in 15 starts. Her bankroll now is $294,728. She returned $13.80, $5 and $3.60. Chaulk O Lattey paid $5 and $3.60, while Mangita returned $10 to show.
With a carryover of $97,933 from Saturday and $781,035 wagered into the pool Sunday, the Pick Six offered a total of $878,958 on the final afternoon of Del Mar’s racing week. And, there were two perfect tickets, each paying $257,589.40.
Sunday’s attendance was 11,952.
Rancho Bernardo
GARY STEVENS (Taris, winner) -- "She was relaxed today. We've been working on that. The boys back in the barn and I have been trying to teach her to take it easy; to just relax. She did it today. One jump after the start she settled and went along nice and relaxed. When she does that she's very tough. I don't know what plans are for the rest of the year, but I think she's eligible further down the line to stretch out. I think she can do it."
FLAVIEN PRAT (Baruta, second) -- "My horse is very honest. She tries every time and she runs her race every time. The winner was strong today, but my mare ran well."
KENT DESORMEAUX (Uzziel, third) -- "She turned in a very good effort. This is the best she's ever run for me."
SIMON CALLAGHAN (Taris, winner) -- "That was perfect. Gary said she broke slow but he didn't rush her up, just let her ease back into the racing. It's pretty amazing she's come back so well (from an ankle fracture in December that required surgery). Honestly, she's been training so well we thought the right thing to do was to run her. She wasn't fully cranked up, probably 85 percent, but she's just a natural athlete."
FRACTIONS: :22.59 :45.39 1:09.05 1:15.31
The stakes win was the third of the meet for rider Stevens and his first in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 85 stakes wins at Del Mar, seventh best of all time.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Callaghan and his first in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has two stakes victories at Del Mar.
Taris is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, all Europeans.
Solana Beach Handicap
Quotes
SANTIAGO GONZALEZ (Chati’s On Top, winner) – “We had a very good trip. I went outside and there was lots of room to run. When she goes, she has lots of power. I cut her loose and she really fired.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO (Chaulk O Lattey, second) – “I had a good spot, right in behind the speed. When I asked her she went. But the winner was too much today. We weren’t going to beat her.”
AARON GRYDER (Mangita, third) – “She always runs hard for me. She’s always on the board when I get on her. It’s a pleasure to ride one like her. I’m glad they keep putting me on.”
MIKE PUYPE (Chati’s On Top, winner) – “I can’t say the fractions were overly fast and that’s why she won. She came to run today. She had to run wide and speed has been pretty prevalent on the turf course lately. But when she picked up her run you could tell she meant business. She was the best today. We were entered in the Osunitas (July 18) and when it rained and it came off the turf it was a tough decision whether to scratch or not. But I figured it was best. This was our goal for the summer and she was fresh and ready to run.”
FRACTIONS: :23.08 :47.38 1:10.84 1:22.82 1:34.49
The stakes win is the second of the meet for rider Gonzalez. This is his first season riding at Del Mar.
The stakes win is the first of the meet for trainer Puype and his first in the Solana Beach. He now has 10 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The horse’s owners are Little Red Feather Racing of Woodland Hills, CA and Marsha Naify of Solana Beach, CA.