Tuesday, August 12 2008
PUT IT IN WRITING WINS TURF SPRINT
Benefitting from a perfect stalking trip, Put It In Writing and jockey Garrett Gomez won Monday's feature at Del Mar, a five-furlong sprint over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Taking charge on the outside entering the stretch, Put It In Writing persevered in the drive to score a half-length victory over longshot King of the City, with another outsider, Seth the Candeyman third in the field of eight grass speedsters.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/11/8
BAZE TAKES REINS OF AWESOME GEM FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC
Second-leading rider Tyler Baze will guide Awesome Gem in the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday August 24, choosing the 2007 Pacific Classic runner-up over Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track.
Baze was reunited with Awesome Gem for the July 25 Wickerr Handicap on the Del Mar grass, where he missed by a nose to One Union. That performance clinched the deal to ride in the Pacific Classic. Baze had ridden Awesome Gem during a four-race stretch in late 2006 and early '07.
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Monday, August 11 2008
AZUL LEON INHERITS WIN IN BEST PAL STAKES
Azul Leon, the 9-5 favorite under leading rider Rafael Bejarano, remained unbeaten in three races, but only after Del Mar's board of stewards disqualified original winner Kelly Leak for causing stretch interference in Sunday's featured $150,000 Best Pal Stakes for two-year-olds.
Kelly Leak, with Victor Espinoza aboard, nosed out Azul Leon in the final strides of a lengthy stretch battle, with second choice Coronet of a Baron a close-up third, less than a length behind Azul Leon and almost two lengths ahead of longshot Charlie's Moment.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/10/8
PACIFIC CLASSIC PROSPECT McCANN'S MOJAVE IN SHARP WORK
McCann's Mojave, fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup, took a step toward the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic this morning with a sizzling 6-furlong move in 1:10.60 at Golden Gate Fields for trainer Steve Specht.
The 8-year-old California-bred son of Memo, who has posted career purse earnings of $1.5 million, would be making his 36th lifetime start if he goes in Del Mar's signature event Sunday, August 24. Owner Mike Willman said a decision on a Pacific Classic start will be made Tuesday.
Nominations for the Pacific Classic close Thursday.
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Sunday, August 10 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/9/8
AWESOME GEM, MAST TRACK DRILL FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC
Awesome Gem, runner-up to Student Council in the 2007 edition of the Pacific Classic and a major candidate for this year's race, put in a crisp 5-furlong move this morning in 1:00.20 and earned good marks from trainer Craig Dollase and West Point Thoroughbreds' official Jeff Bloom.
Del Mar clockers caught the 5-year-old gelded son of Awesome Again, with exercise rider Mario Uribe up, going the first quarter mile in 24.60, three-eighths in 36.80 and coming home in 23.60 for the final quarter. The ever-conservative Dollase said, "He worked fine and he cooled out good."
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SKY CAPE UPSETS IN LA JOLLA HANDICAP
Withdrawn from the opening-day Oceanside Stakes because of a minor illness, longshot Sky Cape made up for that lost opportunity with a decisive triumph Saturday in the featured $150,000 La Jolla Handicap.
Piloted by talented young rider Joel Rosario, Sky Cape rallied alongside Tangled Tango into the stretch, outduelled that one en route to a 1 1/2 length triumph in a fast 1:40.92 for the mile and one-sixteenth on the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course, ensuring the win with a final sixteenth in blazing :5.3 seconds.
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Saturday, August 09 2008
FILLY LETHAL HEAT WINS REAL GOOD DEAL STAKES
Hard-hitting Lethal Heat, the only filly in a field of eight California-bred three-year-olds, came on strongly in the stretch under jockey Garrett Gomez to win Friday's featured $108,900 Real Good Stakes at seven furlongs.
The daughter of Unusual Heat outgamed a tenacious rival, 13-1 longshot Young Joe, to score by a half-length, with 8-5 favored Dancing in Silks third and Waafi fourth.
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Friday, August 08 2008
DISTANT VICTORY WINS DEL MAR HEADLINER
Distant Victory, the 3-5 favorite under jockey Victor Espinoza, wore down pacemaking longshot In My Glory in a prolonged stretch battle to win Thursday’s feature at Del Mar, a mile and one-eighth contest over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Distant Victory, owned by Gross and Harris Farms and trained by Carla Gaines, was always prominent in the race, engaged In My Glory and jockey Martin Garcia in the upper stretch and proved best by three-quarters of a length.
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Thursday, August 07 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/7/8
SPRINT CHAMP MIDNIGHT LUTE WORKS IN TRACK RECORD TIME
Midnight Lute, 2007 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Award champion, sizzled 7 furlongs under jockey Martin Pedroza in a workout this morning in 1:21.60, faster than the track record of 1:22.46 for the distance set by the filly Lethal Heat in Del Mar's Fleet Treat Stakes July 20.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who was at Saratoga Race Course overseeing his horses there, has not yet settled on where Midnight Lute might run next, but the August 24 Grade II, $300,000 Pat O'Brien Handicap has been mentioned in past conversations. The trainer also has as an option the Grade I, $250,000 Forego Handicap at Saratoga August 30.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/6/8
WELL ARMED, SURF CAT WORK TOWARD PACIFIC CLASSIC
Well Armed and Surf Cat, one-two finishers in the Grade II San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, worked Tuesday toward their apparent next starts -- Del Mar's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday, August 24 at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.
The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic division. In winning the San Diego, Well Armed already has qualified for a spot in the gate for the new $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile set for Saturday, October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
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Tuesday, August 05 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/4/8
HENRY MORENO: HE KNOWS MARES AND HE LIKES ZENYATTA
Trainer Henry Moreno has had some very good female runners in his long career as a conditioner in Southern California so he knows of what he speaks when he says of the undefeated 4-year-old filly Zenyatta, "I think she's a very good mare. She could be a champion, and is a champion right now, as far as that goes.
"She could be one of the all-time greats with just a few more wins."
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INSPIRATION WITHIN WINS AT DEL MAR
In a race marked by an unusual occurrence involving the starting gate, Inspiration Within and jockey David Flores led from wire-to-wire to win Del Mar's featured race Monday, a six-furlong dash for older California-bred fillies and mares.
Shortly after Inspiration Within crossed the finish line, Del Mar's board of stewards posted the inquiry sign concerning the break from the gate of Filter, who was positioned on the outside, in post number seven, under jockey Corey Naktani.
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