Thursday, September 04, 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 9/3/8—CLOSING DAY
RIDER CHANGE FOR BELIEVE IN HOPE FOLLOWS VALDIVIA INJURY
High hopes for impressive maiden winner Believe in Hope, pegged at 9-2 odds on the morning line for the Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, took a little dip when an injury to regular rider Jose Valdivia Jr. sidelined him for today's big race. He's off all his mounts.
Valdivia suffered a broken toe when his mount, Kindred Creek, in Monday's third race stepped on his foot after unseating him in the gate. The rider was excused from his mounts for the rest of the day.
Joe Talamo will ride Believe in Hope for trainer Ron Ellis.
Here's the morning line for the rest of the field: Southern Exchange, 7-2; Kelly Leak, 5-1; Coronet of a Baron, 6-1; Escalon, 10-1; Street Hero, 12-1; Wild Wild Posse, 15-1; Blazing Spirit, 20-1; Mensa Heat, 30-1, and Kerwin's Way, 50-1.
DEL MAR MAY SEND BUMPER CROP TO BREEDERS' CUP DAYS
The Breeders' Cup Challenge came to Del Mar for eight races in the "Win and You're In" program, and Del Mar delivered.
Those winners at the seashore that earned automatic berths in Breeders' Cup championship races at Oak Tree at Santa Anita October 24-25 came from these races (with B.C. race):
San Diego Handicap -- Well Armed, $1-million Dirt Mile, October 25.
Cougar II -- Zappa, $500,000 Dirt Marathon, October 25.
John C. Mabee Handicap -- Black Mamba, $2 million Filly & Mare Turf, October 24.
Del Mar Handicap -- Spring House, $3 million Turf, October 25.
Rancho Bernardo Handicap -- Dearest Trickski, $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, October 24.
Pat O'Brien Handicap -- Lewis Michael, $2 million Sprint, October 25.
Del Mar Mile -- Whatsthescript, $2 million Mile (turf), October 25.
Pacific Classic -- Go Between, $5 million Classic, October 25.
In the "Win and You're In" project, Del Mar was tied with Oak Tree for the number of races fitting the program.
Many other Breeders' Cup prospects ran at Del Mar, also, including these winners, with B.C. race: Monzante (Dirt Mile); Zenyatta ($2 million Ladies Classic on October 24); Street Boss, Sprint; Get Funky ($1 million Turf Sprint, October 25); Slew's Tiznow (Dirt Mile); Azul Leon ($2 million Juvenile, October 25), and Stardom Bound ($2 million Juvenile Fillies, October 24).
Other prospects: Surf Cat (undetermined); Daytona (Mile on turf); Awesome Gem (Classic possible); Vacare, winner of Del Mar's Palomar Handicap (no decision yet); In Summation (Sprint), and Jungle Prince (Sprint).
Del Mar-based Intangaroo, who didn't run at the seashore, won her way into the Filly & Mare Sprint with a victory in Saratoga's Diana Handicap.
BAFFERT MAKING A SUSTAINED LATE RUN IN TRAINERS' RACE
Though he's no threat to the front-runners in the race for Del Mar's 2008 training title, Bob Baffert, slow out of the gate, has found his best stride late, moving strongly into the Top Ten in the past two weeks.
When the Baffert-trained Guns on the Table won Monday's 10th race, it gave him seven winners in the past 14 racing days and eight so far for the meeting, tying him for sixth place with Jack Carava, Julio Canani and Brian Koriner. A win in today's Futurity would wipe out some of the frustrations that dogged him early in the meet.
Baffert, who is the all-time leader in stakes wins, at 79 so far, in only 20 seasons, didn't post his first win of the meet until August 2, and then, just as observers began to think he might not win another, Midshipman scored a big win on August 17, triggering the late run.
JOCKEY PEDROZA HAS FIVE SHOTS AT 3,000TH CAREER WINS TODAY
Martin Pedroza needs two victories today to hit the 3,000-victory mark before leaving Del Mar. He was named on five horses, one of which, Jimbos Fire Ant, didn't get in off the also-eligible list in the first race.
He rides Carbella in the second race, Union in the fifth, Pathbreaking in the eighth and Inspired Storm in the 10th.
MEDIA MEMBERS GET A HEARTY 'THANK YOU' FOR JOB WELL DONE
Members of the media from throughout the Southern California area get our thanks for a great job of coverage during Del Mar's 69th Thoroughbred racing season. -- Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Media Department
ON CLOSING DAY, RACE IS ON FOR RUNNER-UP JOCKEY, TRAINER
The title as this year's winning jockey and training has not been in doubt for weeks, so on closing day, eyes turn to the runner-up spot in the standings.
Rafael Bejarano and John Sadler have been in control of the jockey and trainer races since early in the meet, but the battle for the second spot in those standings has been so fierce that today's races are needed to sort that out.
In the jockeys' race, Joel Rosario sits second with 35 wins, but Garrett Gomez, with 34 wins, and Tyler Baze, with 33, could take over the spot with big days. Rosario is named on eight horses, Gomez five and Baze nine.
Among the trainers, Mike Mitchell is runner-up going into the day's races, with 18 victories, and Jeff Mullins and Doug O'Neill are breathing down his neck with 17 and 16 wins, respectively.
Mitchell has two starters, as does Mullins. O'Neill has starters in six races, with two each in the third and ninth, the latter being the Del Mar Futurity. In that race, he saddles Escalon and Wild Wild Posse.
MAIN TRACK MAINTENANCE:
On Tuesday, the Polytrack surface was power-harrowed and rototilled to a depth of six (6") inches. The track was returned to training and racing depth of approximately two inches and consistency through Gallop Mastering and watering.
Wednesday, there were three loads of water (by water truck) added to the racetrack between training and racing time. Additionally, there will be one load of water applied to the running lanes after the day's second race.
Barring notable weather changes, a similar watering pattern will be followed each racing day, with the exception of Fridays and its later start.
SHORE LINES -- Owners Cecil and Gary Barber have salted away the owners' title, both for wins and for earnings, and now have one chance, in today's eighth race with Wild Buddy, to set a record for victories by owners. At present, the brothers are tied with Bob Bone, who made his mark in 2005, at 13 wins. The Barbers had three horses named to run today but Simply Run didn't get in the first off the also-eligible list in the first race, and Cost of Freedom was scratched from the Pirate's Bounty (7th race) ... One of the special sights at this year's Del Mar meet has been the eagerness of trainers from other venues either shipping in for races, or stationing a string of horses here for the entire meet. Christophe Clement and H. Graham Motion had horses for the entire meet under the guidance of assistants Nicholas Bachalard and Alice Clapham. Shipping in -- and leaving with victories -- were Go Between, winner of the $1-million Pacific Classic for trainer Bill Mott, Lewis Michael, winner of the Grade I Pat O'Brien Handicap for trainer Wayne Catalano, and Storm Mesa, who won the Grade II San Clemente Handicap for trainer W. Bret Calhoun ... The annual closing-night Party in the Paddock features a free concert by The English Beat ... Thoroughbred racing continues at Surfside Race Place satellite wagering site on Friday, September 5.
TRAKUS FACTS -- Mon., 9/1 -- Peak Speed: Race 9 (Polytrack) -- Candilejas -- 43.3 mph (first 3/16ths); Race 2 (Turf) -- Comoros -- 41.8 mph (first 3/16ths); Fastest Late Stretch Run: Race 1 (Polytrack) -- Headache -- 38.6 mph (final 16th); Race 2 (Turf) -- Pass the Heat -- 39.3 mph (final 16th).
DEL MAR COMBINED JOCKEY & TRAINER STATISTICS
(Current Through Monday, September 1, 2008)
Jockey -- Mts -- 1st -- 2nd -- 3rd -- Win% -- Money Won
Rafael Bejarano -- 230 -- 44 -- 50 -- 43 -- 19% -- $2,618,542
Joel Rosario -- 246 -- 35 -- 34 -- 38 -- 14% -- $1,593,899
Garrett Gomez -- 155 -- 34 -- 20 -- 25 -- 22% -- $2,731,955
Tyler Baze -- 214 -- 33 -- 29 -- 26 -- 15% -- $1,646,610
Victor Espinoza -- 158 -- 16 -- 19 -- 17 -- 10% -- $993,510
Joseph Talamo -- 146 -- 16 -- 15 -- 11 -- 11% -- $772,667
Martin Pedroza -- 120 -- 15 -- 12 -- 13 -- 13% -- $550,753
Martin Garcia -- 134 -- 14 -- 20 -- 14 -- 10% -- $689,044
Michael Baze -- 138 -- 14 -- 14 -- 12 -- 10% -- $737,783
Alex Solis -- 130 -- 13 -- 24 -- 19 -- 10% -- $1,008,182
Trainer -- Sts -- 1st -- 2nd -- 3rd -- Win% -- Money Won
John W. Sadler -- 115 -- 30 -- 26 -- 10 -- 26% -- $2,066,851
Mike R. Mitchell -- 82 -- 18 -- 8 -- 15 -- 22% -- $1,004,146
Jeff Mullins -- 80 -- 17 -- 19 -- 8 -- 21% -- $616,935
Doug F. O'Neill -- 109 -- 16 -- 21 -- 16 -- 15% -- $881,478
Jerry Hollendorfer -- 55 -- 14 -- 6 -- 12 -- 25% -- $566,409
Bob Baffert -- 62 -- 8 -- 11 -- 10 -- 13% -- $520,087
Jack Carava -- 46 -- 8 -- 7 -- 7 -- 17% -- $313,364
Julio C. Canani -- 54 -- 8 -- 4 -- 9 -- 15% -- $640,877
Brian J. Koriner -- 44 -- 8 -- 3 -- 3 -- 18% -- $296,940
Peter Miller -- 37 -- 7 -- 7 -- 2 -- 19% -- $256,336
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Monday, September 1, 2008)
Winning favorites -- 118 out of 361 -- 32.69%
Winning favorites on main track -- 82 out of 276 -- 29.71%
Winning favorites on turf -- 36 out of 85 -- 42.35%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 21 out of 44 -- 47.73%
In-the-Money favorites -- 261 out of 361 -- 72.30%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 38 out of 44 -- 86.36%
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