John M.B. O'Connor's Astronaut returned $50.00 for a $2 wager when he captured Saturday's Grade 2, $302,500 Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association by half a length at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
The 4-year-old Quality Road colt out of the German-bred mare Armanda, by Acatenango, had Hall of Fame rider Victor Espinoza aboard as they tracked the early leaders, swung out entering the stretch, then outran his 10 rivals to take down a first prize of $180,000. He was winning only the second race of his career and he increased his earnings to $285,860. He's trained by John Shirreffs.
Fernando-Diaz-Valdez Stable, Baalbek Corporation and Don Alberto Stable's Master Piece ran second, a neck in front of Ellwood Johnson Trust, Timmy Time and Ken Tevelde's Acclimate. The winner covered the mile and three-eighths on turf in 2:15.97.
Astronaut paid $50.00, $21.20 and $10.60 for his upset. Master Piece returned $25.00 and $14.80, while Acclimate paid off at $8.00.
Besides his winning purse, Astronaut also earned his owner an all-entry-fees-paid admission to the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf, scheduled to be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 6.
The Del Mar Handicap was Espinoza's only mount of the day and his first ride since Aug. 12.
“This didn't surprise me,” Espinoza said. “I thought in his last race he was a little too close. And, I think the race (San Juan Capistrano) was a little too far for him, so we changed the way he ran a little bit today. I just let him break and get into rhythm. If he was happy, I was happy. He wasn't up on the bridle and running so easily that when we got to the half-mile pole, I started to get a little excited. When I asked him, he finished strong for me, and it makes me happy to win this race for John (trainer Shirreffs). We have a very good relationship. He's always been there for me and I've been there for him. He's been there for me a little more lately.”
Shirreffs said the win “puts a nice bandage” on the defeat sustained by Express Train, the horse he saddled as the betting favorite in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic one race earlier on the day.
“I'm just so happy for Astronaut and his connections; they are really great owners and it's great to win for them. We wanted to run him long, but we weren't sure how long and when he ran so well going a mile and three-quarters (second in the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita, June 19) it seemed like this was possible.”
Astronaut was making his ninth career start in the Del Mar Handicap and recording just his second victory. He began his career with trainer Steve Asmussen, racing once in an Aqueduct maiden sprint in December 2019, then was transferred to Tom Albertrani. He was winless in two starts on turf on the East Coast in 2020 for Albertrani before being moved to Southern California and Shirreffs' barn. He won his second start for Shirreffs going 1 1/8 miles, then was a close second to Tripoli in a May 1, 2021, allowance race at Santa Anita.
Tripoli won the Pacific Classic a half hour before the Del Mar Handicap.
Following another runner-up finish on turf at Santa Anita, Astronaut finished second behind Acclimate in the G3 San Juan Capistrano at 1 3/4 miles.
Acclimate set fractions of :25.24, :49.25, 1:14.28, 1:39.32 and 2:04.05 en route to Astronaut's winning time of 2:15.97 on firm turf.
United, the 2-1 favorite under leading rider Flavien Prat, lost a three-way photo for second, beaten three-quarters of a length while fourth. He lacked room on the turn for home and in upper stretch while Espinoza and Astronaut had clear sailing on the outside.
The win was the first stakes victory of the meet for rider Espinoza, but his third in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 106 stakes wins at Del Mar, third most among all riders.
The win was the second stakes win of the meeting for trainer Shirreffs and his second in the Del Mar Handicap (After Market, 2007). He now has 19 stakes wins at Del Mar.
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