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."
Another Pacific Classic prospect, Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track, worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.80. The Robert Frankel trainee is under the care of chief Frankel assistant, Humberto Ascanio, at Del Mar.
The Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic, set for Sunday, August 24, lost a couple of prospects in the past couple of days. Trainer Mike Mitchell said his Eddie Read Handicap winner, Monzante, would not try the Pacific Classic, opting, instead for the Grade II, $400,000 Del Mar Mile, set on that day's undercard.
Bowing out, also, was Mr Napper Tandy, who was second in an allowance race Friday. Trainer Jack Carava said this morning, "That finishes him for the season here. Actually, he could run in the Windy Sands [Monday, September 1], but he definitely won't run in the Pacific Classic."
The defections still leave 12 others besides today's workers as potential starters in Del Mar's signature event: Defending champion Student Council, trained by Steve Asmussen; Go Between, from the Bill Mott barn at Churchill Downs; the Steve Specht-trained McCann's Mojave; Mostacolli Mort, trained by Julio Canani; Bruce Headley trainee Surf Cat, who is scheduled to work 7 furlongs Tuesday morning at 4:30; Zappa, trained by John Sadler; Delosvientos, an East Coast runner who has been on the grounds throughout the meeting; Out of Control, from Frankel's New York string; Barcola, trained by Mark Hennig in New York; San Diego Handicap winner Well Armed, trained by Eoin Harty, and the 3-year-old Tres Borrachos, trained by C. Beau Greely, who might opt for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga rather than taking on older horses.
'KNOCKED OUT' PURE CLAN WILL SKIP DEL MAR OAKS
The expected showdown between American Oaks winner Pure Clan and runner-up Satan's Circus won't be taking place, after all, in the Grade I, $350,000 Del Mar Oaks next Saturday, August 16, at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Trainer Robert Holthus told the Del Mar racing office Friday afternoon that he wouldn't be making the trip with his filly. In a telephone interview this morning, the veteran trainer said, "That trip to Hollywood Park [for the American Oaks] took more out of her than we expected. And then when we got back here to Kentucky we had about a week of 100-degree weather and the combination of the two just knocked her out.
"There's nothing else wrong, it's just that she's pretty knocked out. We're very disappointed we won't be able to come out there."
Another "shipper" who became a non-shipper when she stayed on the grounds after winning the Grade II San Clemente Handicap July 26, Storm Mesa, was reported doing well this morning by trainer Bret Calhoun, who arrived Wednesday and plans to stay through the race.
"She's trained very well here," Calhoun said. "I've trained her very lightly since she won the San Clemente. She hasn't worked here and won't before the race. I can tell she likes the weather here."
The Oaks will be the next start for the Christophe Clement-trained Satan's Circus, who put in her final work for the race today. Nicholas Bachalard, assistant to Clement with the string here, watched closely as the filly covered a half-mile in 49.20.
Still in the mix for the Oaks after a record-breaking 7-furlong win in Friday's Real Good Deal Stakes for Cal-bred 3-year-olds is Lethal Heat, trained by Barry Abrams. "She came out of the race great," the trainer said this morning, adding, "So far, so good. We plan to run Saturday [in the Oaks]."
Lethal Heat became the first filly to defeat males in the Real Good Deal and the first filly to sweep the meet's seven-furlong sprint series for California-bred 3-year-olds on the main track. She won the Fleet Treat Stakes earlier and her time of 1:21.95 Friday eclipsed the record of 1:22.46 she set in the Fleet Treat.
Abrams cautioned those who might think Lethal Heat is basically a sprinter. "Her mother, Lethal Leta, won at a mile and a sixteenth and a mile and an eighth," he said.
Others expected for the Oaks: Another Abrams trainee, Bel Air Sizzle; Magical Fantasy, trained by Patrick Gallagher; Missit, Ben Cecil; Misty Ocean, Jerry Hollendorfer; Ocean Music, John Shirreffs, and Tasha's Miracle, John Sadler.
GOMEZ CONTINUES HIS STRONG RUN WITH THREE WINS FRIDAY
Jockey Garrett Gomez, 2007's Eclipse Award-winning rider, has been on a roll over the past 12 days and he put an exclamation point on that record with three victories on Friday, including a win in the $108,900 Real Good Deal Stakes.
The riding triple gave him 15 wins in the meet so far, six coming this past week. His win total leaves him only three behind co-runners-up Tyler Baze and Joel Rosario and nine behind leader Rafael Bejarano. Both Gomez and Bejarano will be riding at Arlington Park today.
Since July 28, when Gomez started the day with three victories and trailing Bejarano by 12 wins, the 2007 champion rider has compiled 12 wins and closed the Bejarano gap by three.
In the trainer race, John Sadler was winless for the second day in a row, conjuring thoughts of a mini-slump, but his lead continues to be solid, 15-10, over runner-up Mike Mitchell.
Jerry Hollendorfer follows with nine wins, Doug O'Neill with eight and Peter Miller with seven.
SHORE LINES -- Favorites appear to be making a comeback at Del Mar after a long period where the winning percentage for favorites was below 20 percent, a dramatic change from the norm, where the favorites generally win at 30-33 percent. The strike rate has been rising steadily since July 26 and now stands at 25.28 percent following a four-for-eight performance Friday. Beginning next week, the split-out of favorites -- Polytrack and turf -- will be a regular feature of Stable Notes ... The Stable Notes guy miscalculated on when the second half of the 43-day meet begins. It starts after the fifth race today rather than the earlier note of after the fourth race Friday ... Some other workouts of note this morning: 5 furlongs -- Kilderry, divisional winner of the Oceanside Stakes and a prospect for the Del Mar Derby Sunday, August 31, 1:03; Perfect Drift, 1:01.60; Silver Stetson Man, 1:00.40; Street Hero, bullet 58.60; 6 furlongs -- Dixie Chatter, winner of the other division of the Oceanside Stakes and also a prospect for the Del Mar Derby, a bullet 1:11; 7 furlongs -- Ginger Pop, possible for the Del Mar Oaks, 1:25.60.
TRAKUS FACTS -- Fri., 8/8 -- Peak Speed: Race 1 (Polytrack) -- Carrie With a C -- 45.7 mph (first 7/16ths); Race 6 (Turf) -- Carman -- 44.4 mph (first quarter); Fastest Late Stretch Run: Race 8 (Polytrack) -- Matching Whites -- 37.4 mph (final 16th); Race 6 (Turf) -- Carman -- 41.0 mph (final 16th).
DEL MAR COMBINED JOCKEY & TRAINER STATISTICS
(Current Through Friday, August 8, 2008)
Jockey -- Mts -- 1st -- 2nd -- 3rd -- Win% -- Money Won
Rafael Bejarano -- 106 -- 24 -- 24 -- 20 -- 23% -- $1,338,380
Tyler Baze -- 105 -- 18 -- 11 -- 16 -- 17% -- $864,366
Joel Rosario -- 106 -- 18 -- 9 -- 17 -- 17% -- $667,448
Garrett Gomez -- 71 -- 15 -- 10 -- 9 -- 21% -- $1,055,095
Victor Espinoza -- 81 -- 9 -- 9 -- 11 -- 11% -- $562,890
Martin Garcia -- 71 -- 8 -- 11 -- 9 -- 11% -- $371,434
Joseph Talamo -- 63 -- 7 -- 8 -- 4 -- 11% -- $364,646
Alex Solis -- 62 -- 6 -- 15 -- 12 -- 10% -- $408,440
David Flores -- 63 -- 6 -- 9 -- 11 -- 10% -- $682,843
Martin Pedroza -- 67 -- 6 -- 7 -- 10 -- 9% -- $265,760
Trainer -- Sts -- 1st -- 2nd -- 3rd -- Win% -- Money Won
John W. Sadler -- 57 -- 15 -- 16 -- 3 -- 26% -- $1,090,217
Mike R. Mitchell -- 42 -- 10 -- 5 -- 7 -- 24% -- $647,610
Jerry Hollendorfer -- 33 -- 9 -- 2 -- 9 -- 27% -- $331,529
Doug F. O'Neill -- 50 -- 8 -- 11 -- 6 -- 16% -- $371,847
Peter Miller -- 24 -- 7 -- 3 -- 2 -- 29% -- $224,500
Jeff Mullins -- 40 -- 6 -- 10 -- 6 -- 15% -- $259,647
Clifford W. Sise, Jr. -- 17 -- 6 -- 3 -- 3 -- 35% -- $177,520
Patrick Gallagher -- 20 -- 5 -- 4 -- 2 -- 25% -- $221,720
J. Eric Kruljac -- 10 -- 4 -- 3 -- 1 -- 40% -- $167,620
Carla Gaines -- 14 -- 4 -- 2 -- 3 -- 29% -- $236,688
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, August 8, 2008)
Winning favorites -- 45 out of 178 -- 25.28%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 12 out of 22 -- 54.55%
In-the-Money favorites -- 118 out of 178 -- 66.29%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 20 out of 22 -- 90.91%