Thursday, September 04, 2008
Del Mar Remains A State, National Racing Leader
"No doubt, we were swimming against a strong (economic) current this year. But we swam well and we will get stronger because of it. While this economy has threatened to drown a lot of folks out there, we held our own and we don't need to be making any excuses for that."
--- Joe Harper, president and general manager, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Del Mar closed out its 69th summer of racing Wednesday with a 10-race card highlighted by the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, a Grade I test that was won in dramatic fashion by the promising colt Midshipman in a comeback of sorts for the track's leading stakes trainer, Bob Baffert.
MIDSHIPMAN WINS DEL MAR FUTURITY
Stonerside Stable's Midshipman and jockey Tyler Baze forged to the front in the final stride to edge out Coronet of a Baron and win the featured Grade I $250,000 Del Mar Futurity for two-year-olds Wednesday, closing day of the 43-day Del Mar summer season.
Closing gamely in the middle of the track, Midshipman gave trainer Bob Baffert his first success in the seven-furlong Futurity since 2002 when Icecoldbeeratreds supplied the conditioner with his seventh consecutive success in the race.
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.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
STARDOM BOUND WINS DEL MAR DEBUTANTE
Rallying from the clouds under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Stardom Bound charged from twelfth and last place to win Monday's Grade I $250,000 Del Mar Debutante and clinch the two-year-old filly championship of the 2008 Del Mar meeting.
Slow from the gate in the seven-furlong sprint, Stardom Bound, a non-winner in two maiden races in which she was second, looped her rivals on the stretch turn and continued on powerfully to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:22.50. She became only the second maiden in the history of the race to win, emulating the feat of Cindy's Hero in 2000.
I’m Smokin Stakes
GARRETT GOMEZ (Babs Moossa) -- "I'm sittin' there on the fence and I'm watching Russell (Russell Baze on Control Seeker). He's got horse and he's ahead of me and he's got to make a decision. I'm thinking he's an old (veteran) rider and his first decision has got to be to keep his horse out of trouble. So I figure he's going to go to the outside and leave the inside to me. Sure enough, it happens that way. This time it worked out. Sometimes it doesn't. You're either a hero or a zero."
RUSSELL BAZE (Control Seeker) -- "This is only his third start and he's still figuring things out. He's still putting it together. I had a good trip and just got beat. No complaints."
