Tuesday, August 05 2008
GARY BRINSON: DEL MAR HAS GIVEN HIM THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE
Some might wonder why Gary Brinson wears a broad beam of a smile that spreads a constant crease across his face.
It's simple. He's in his favorite spot doing his favorite thing. He gets the equine athletes that make Del Mar so delightful off and running for seven weeks each summer.
He's the starter at Del Mar.
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Monday, August 04 2008
BLACK MAMBA WINS JOHN C. MABEE HANDICAP
Trapped along the rail until deep stretch, odds-on favored Black Mamba, under a cool ride by jockey Garrett Gomez, finally found running room nearing the wire to get up and win the featured Grade I $400,000 John C. Mabee Handicap Sunday at Del Mar.
The New Zealand-bred mare, returning to the scene of her first American triumph a year ago, needed a brilliant turn of speed to win by a half-length over a fast-closing longshot, the 24-1 I Can See, with pacemaker Passified hanging on for third, another three-quarters of a length back. Foxysox was fourth in the field of eight older fillies and mares.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/3/8
TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL GONE, YANKEE BRAVO MAY TACKLE LA JOLLA
Yankee Bravo, third in the Louisiana Derby and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby before finishing 10th in the Preakness Stakes, is on the comeback trail with a start in Saturday's Grade II, $150,000 La Jolla Handicap on trainer Patrick Gallagher's agenda.
"We're looking at the La Jolla," Gallagher said this morning.
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Sunday, August 03 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 8/2/8
J. ERIC KRULJAC: HIS SMALLISH STABLE HAS SOME BIG GOALS
Every year there are trainers at Del Mar with barns full of top racing prospects, and then there are trainers that make do with eight or 10 stalls at the seashore -- and do well with a small stable.
J. Eric Kruljac is one of those on the lower end of the scale. This year his eight stalls produced two winners in the first two days of racing, and at one point none of his first six runners was worse than third. It was on Wednesday that his first runner finished out of the money -- and he was fourth.
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Saturday, August 02 2008
HIGHLAND TORREE, COCO BELLE WIN CERF HANDICAP DIVISIONS
Highland Torree and Coco Belle, two fillies with contrasting running styles, accounted for divisions of the featured C.E.R.F. Handicap Friday at Del Mar.
Highland Torree, ridden by Martin Garcia, rallied from off the pace to win the opening section of the six-furlong sprint for older distaffers, while Coco Belle, under Hall of Famer Mike Smith, led from start to finish to win her division.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 8/1/8
JOEL ROSARIO IS TURNING UP THE HEAT IN JOCKEYS' RACE
Patience is a virtue, they say, and perhaps it's no more evident than on the racetrack.
Right now, that seems to be what's working best for young rider Joel Rosario, who has put together two consecutive three-win days to vault into second place in the jockey standings, just two victories behind season-long leader Rafael Bejarano's 16. Rosario's two triples give him six for the week and pushed him ahead of Tyler Baze 14-13.
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Friday, August 01 2008
Del Mar Stable Notes 7/31/8
MOOD QUIET BUT APPRECIATIVE AS POST-LAVA MAN ERA BEGINS
Two key men in Doug O'Neill's Del Mar barn were saddened by the announcement that 2006 Pacific Classic champion and earner of $5.2 million Lava Man won't be coming to the barn anymore.
The 7-year-old was retired officially Wednesday after tests at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center showed that wear and tear on the gelding's ankles was enough to stop him from running again. Steve Kenly of STD Racing Stable, co-owner with Jason Wood, made the announcement.
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Thursday, July 31 2008
ZAPPA COASTS HOME IN COUGAR II HANDICAP
Barber and Barber's Kentucky- bred Zappa cruised to an easy early lead and never looked back under jockey Garrett Gomez in coasting to a 6 1/4 length victory today in the $150,000 Cougar II Handicap at a mile and one-half on the main track.
The Cougar II Handicap is part of the Breeders' Cup's Win and You're In Marathon Division series of races. Thus, Zappa qualified for a spot in the $500,000 B.C. Marathon on Saturday, October 25 at Santa Anita.
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Del Mar Stable Notes 7/30/8
ZENYATTA DRAWS EIGHT CHALLENGERS FOR HIRSCH HANDICAP
Undefeated Zenyatta will try to run her winning streak to seven Saturday in the Grade II, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap for fillies and mares on the main track.
Eight others are scheduled to tackle the 4-year-old filly owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss and trained by John Shirreffs in the 38th running of the 1 1/16-mile handicap. Zenyatta, winner of four straight graded stakes, is assigned high weight of 124 pounds, including Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
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Tuesday, July 29 2008
STREET BOSS HAILED AS ‘FASTEST HOSS’ BY TRAINER HEADLEY
Trainer Bruce Headley, known to versify every so often, didn't let his fourth Bing Crosby Handicap victory go by without saying, "Street Boss looks like the fastest hoss."
That might not rank with Muhammad Ali's poetic style but it serves the veteran trainer's style. As for how his winner came out of the race, Headley said, "His legs are ice cold and he ate everything last night."
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BLACK MAMBA COMMITS TO SUNDAY’S JOHN MABEE ON THE TURF
Black Mamba, at one point a candidate for Arlington Park's Grade I, $750,000 Beverly D. Handicap as well as Sunday's John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar, has been committed to the Grade I, $400,000 Mabee at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Trainer John Sadler made it official this morning. Early last week, the trainer acknowledged that he was "leaning toward the Beverly D.," but he has decided to keep his 5-year-old New Zealand-bred daughter of Black Minnaloushe on the Del Mar grass with Garrett Gomez named to ride.
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THE NAME’S THE GAME FOR ONE FILLY HEADING FOR HIRSCH ‘CAP
It would be hard to find a filly more suited, by name, to compete in Saturday's Grade II, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap.
The filly is named West Coast Swing and she's heading this way from Kentucky on Tuesday. Accompanying the 4-year-old daughter of Gone West on the flight will be trainer Shannon Ritter. They'll be coming from Ritter's home base of Keeneland Race Course in Lexington for the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track.
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