Thursday, August 21 2008
HYPERBARIC WINS BRUBAKER ‘CAP
Continuing a parade of favorites, Hyperbaric and jockey Garrett Gomez won the featured $86,360 Harry F. Brubaker Handicap Wednesday in decisive fashion.
Hybaric stalked the pace of leader Canteen until the stretch where he surged away from his rivals, drawing off to win by 2 1/4 lengths in a rapid 1:40.01 for the mile and one-sixteenth over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course, with a final sixteenth in 5.3 seconds. The course record for the distance is 1:39.67 set by Mea Domina during the '06 season.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/20/8
4 MAJOR PROSPECTS ARRIVE; OUT OF CONTROL STAYS HOME; SURF CAT, WELL ARMED, DELOSVIENTOS IN FINAL WORKS
Four top prospects for Sunday's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic settled in at Del Mar this morning after arriving Tuesday afternoon from points east and north.
Arriving Tuesday were defending Pacific Classic champion Student Council, trained by Steven Asmussen; Barcola, trained by Mark Hennig; Go Between, trained by Bill Mott and stabled with his Churchill Downs string; and McCann's Mojave, who was vanned south from trainer Steve Specht's barn at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California.
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Wednesday, August 20 2008
DELTA STORM WINS TURF HEADLINER
Michael House's Delta Storm, the 4-5 betting choice under leading rider Rafael Bejarano, outduelled My City by the Bay in a virtual match race to win Monday's feature, a five-furlong sprint over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Delta Storm and My City by the Bay, piloted by Martin Garcia, hooked up shortly after the start and raced as a team, with the former maintaining a slight advantage which he held on to doggedly, finally prevailing by a half-length.
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Monday, August 18 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/18/8
FOUR PACIFIC CLASSIC PROSPECTS WORK -- COAST TO COAST
Two Saratoga-based Pacific Classic prospects, one at Churchill Downs and one at Del Mar, put in their final serious works this morning for Sunday's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the Del Mar main track.
Defending champion Student Council polished off his final work with an easy half-mile in 49.89 at Saratoga for trainer Steven Asmussen. Out of Control, one of two Robert Frankel trainees heading for the Pacific Classic, went 5 furlongs in 1:00.12, also at Saratoga. Frankel's Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track came out of his 6-furlong Sunday move at Del Mar in good shape and is going forward, said Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio.
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Sunday, August 17 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/17/8
MAST TRACK SIZZLES IN WORKOUT FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC
A razor-sharp Mast Track rocketed through 6 furlongs this morning in a bullet 1:11.40 as he finished his serious work toward Sunday's $1-million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.
The Hollywood Gold Cup winner trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Robert Frankel was caught in 59.20 for 5 furlongs on the way to the final timing. The son of Mizzen Mast, who was a multiple stakes winner for Frankel, galloped out 7 furlongs in 1:24.20.
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Saturday, August 16 2008
RACING EXECUTIVE BOB BENOIT DIES AT 81
Robert P. (Bob ) Benoit, 81, died Friday afternoon at Centinela Valley Hospital in Inglewood, Calif., after a lengthy illness. Cause of death was pneumonia.
Benoit, a longtime Thoroughbred racing executive in Southern California, founded and was president of Benoit and Associates, track photographers on the circuit of Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Fairplex Park.
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FAVORED SWEETER STILL SCORES IN GRASS FEATURE AT DEL MAR
DEL MAR, CA -- Lanzman Racing Stable and Jason Wood's Sweeter Still, an Irish-bred filly by Rock of Gibraltar, powered up late under Garrett Gomez and scored by a length a quarter Friday at Del Mar in the featured $85,880 Sandy Blue Handicap.
The dark-hued lassie was a solid favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies traveling a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course and she walked her beat with some late encouragement from the 2007 Eclipse Award-winning rider. She returned $4.20, $2.60 and $2.40 across the board.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/16/8
AWESOME GEM, McCANN'S MOJAVE IN FINAL P.C. WORKOUTS
Awesome Gem, 2007 Pacific Classic runner-up, put the final touches on his preparation for next Sunday's edition of Del Mar's Grade I, $1-million signature event with a 6-furlong move this morning on the main track.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Awesome Again worked in company with Bai and Bai and was clocked in 1:12.80 for the distance, with these splits: first quarter in 25.80 and 5 furlongs in 1:00.60. He galloped out 7 furlongs in 1:28.20. Exercise rider Mario Uribe was up for the work.
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Friday, August 15 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/15/8
12 REMAIN SOLID FOR $1-MILLION PACIFIC CLASSIC
A dozen older horses remain solidly committed to competing in the 18th running of Del Mar's signature race, the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic, on Sunday, August 24 at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.
The Pacific Classic has been designated a "Win and You're In" event by the Breeders' Cup with the winner getting an automatic spot in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday, October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, site of the two days of Breeders' Cup championship races.
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QUEEN OF THE CATSLE WINS DEL MAR FEATURE
In a dominating performance, Queen of the Catsle and jockey Victor Espinoza made quick work of the opposition in winning Del Mar's Thursday feature, a five-furlong dash over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Cut loose entering the stretch under a confident ride by Espinoza, Queen of the Catsle cruised to the front in mid-stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths in :55.95 for the abbreviated distance.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/14/8
CONSISTENCY PAYS OFF FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC'S GO BETWEEN
Ranking as a "Mr. Consistency," Go Between shows one of the most impressive resumes among the 15 prospects lining up for Del Mar's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday, August 24, a race that guarantees the winner a place in the Breeders' Cup Classic as part of the "Win and You're In" program.
The 5-year-old son of Point Given has been out of the money only three times in his last 14 starts and is a constant traveler, having run in Southern California three times and in Kentucky once so far this year. His record also shows races at Calder Race Course, Louisiana Downs, Arlington Park, Churchill Downs, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park over the past two years.
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Thursday, August 14 2008
GET FUNKY WINS GREEN FLASH ‘CAP
Keith Abrahams' Get Funky, winner of the 2006 Del Mar Derby at nine furlongs on the grass, continued to succeed in his new role as a turf sprinter with a game victory in Wednesday's featured $90,220 Green Flash Handicap over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Scoring his fourth triumph in as many starts sprinting on the grass, Get Funky sliced between horses in the final sixteenth under deft handling by jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., winning by a half-length over the 6-5 favorite Idiot Proof.
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