Month: August 2023

Saturday At Del Mar: Yellow Ribbon Features Closing Remarks, 2-Year-Olds In Spotlight For Sorrento

A pair of graded black type events – the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap and the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes – will be on tap Saturday at Del Mar as the 84th summer in Del Mar's racing history rolls right along.

The Yellow Ribbon, which is being run for the 71st time and offers a purse of $250,000 to older fillies and mares, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and go as Race 9 on the day's 10-race program. The Sorrento, which will have its 55th presentation and is limited to 2-year-old fillies, will provide a $200,000 purse and go over six furlongs on the main track. It will be race No. 6 on the card.

The Yellow Ribbon has lured seven runners out of their barns and the likely favorite is Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks, a hard-knocking mare who runs her race most every time and may be well spotted by trainer Carla Gaines for a top effort here. She'll have ace turf rider Umberto Rispoli in the tack and will break from the No. 1 post.

In the Sorrento, which has drawn eight young lassies, there may be a nice matchup between Kaleem Shah's Benedetta and Zendan Racing Stables' Dua in a race within the race. Both were winners of their only starts – the former at Los Alamitos on July 8 and the latter at Del Mar on July 22. Trainer Simon Callaghan has given the call on Benedetta to veteran Victor Espinoza, while conditioner Bob Baffert has named leading rider Juan Hernandez on Dua.

Both races will be part of the track's “Pick Six Guarantee,” where a single-ticket holder in the day's popular exotic bet is guaranteed a final prize of no less than $1-million by Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Here's the complete fields for the stakes listed in post position order with riders and morning line odds:

Yellow Ribbon — Closing Remarks (5/2); Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing's Turnerloose (Antonio Fresu, 8-1); Nentwig, Beast Mode Racing or CYBT's Spirit And Glory (hector Berrios, 6-1); Agave Racing Stable or Rocking Robin Ranch's School Dance (Ramon Vazquez, 3-1); Panic Stable's Lucky Girl (Joe Bravo, 5-1); Baoma Corp's Ganadora (Hernande3z, 6-1), and Reddam Racing's Awake At Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 4-1).

Sorrento – Barber or Peli's Feisty Mitole (Vazquez, 8-1); Dan Eplin's Dreamfrye (Berrios, 3-1); Dua (5/2); Adams, Connors, or Rasmussen, et al's Vinos Angel (Bravo, 4-1); Albert, Dunn or Hanson, et al's Kythira (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Gary Folgner's Motet (Abdul Alsagoor, 30-1); R3 Racing's Ur in Trouble (Fresu, 6-1), and Benedetta (2-1).

First post Saturday is a 2 p.m.

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Dubawi’s Arqana May Star Debuts At Haydock

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Insights features a relation to listed winner English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}).

18.15 Haydock, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7f 212yT
AGE OF TIME (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) was, at €800,000, the second-highest-priced breezer at Arqana May when purchased by Godolphin and is the first foal out of a half to the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) connected to the likes of Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Dubawi's Emily Dickinson (Ire). Charlie Appleby launches him in the race won two years ago by Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

16.49 Newmarket, Mdn, £8,000, 2yo, 6fT
QIRAT (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) debuts for Juddmonte and Ralph Beckett and is a half-brother to the recent G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) and son of the G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}). He meets Phil Cunningham's fellow newcomer Fool's Gold (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), a Richard Spencer-trained half-brother to last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}).

18.00 Newmarket, Debutantes, £8,000, 2yo, 7fT
BREAK THE BANK (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) cost King Power Racing 350,000gns at the Book 1 Sale, due largely to the fact that he is a half-brother to their five-times Group 2 winner Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}). Like that classy and tough miler and the G3 Chipchase S. scorer Chil Chil (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and listed scorer Auria (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), he is under the care of Andrew Balding whose 2-year-olds seem to be above-average on recent evidence. Among the other newcomers in a fascinating contest is Amo Racing's €360,000 Goffs Orby purchase Monsieur Fudge (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a Richard Hannon-trained son of the GI E. P. Taylor S. heroine Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).

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Bolt d’Oro Filly a Professional Debut Winner at Saratoga

5th-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-10, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.93, ft, 3 lengths.
MISS D'OR CHERIE (f, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Above Fashion {SW & GSP, $188,590}, by Paddy O'Prado) was drawn widest in a nine-strong field for Thursday's state-bred maiden at Saratoga and turned in a most professional debut effort to open her account at first asking. Outsprinted through the opening exchanges by Snarky (Redesdale), who won the break from the rail, the $300,000 OBS April acquisition showed ample early pace to sit right off the leader's flank from second. Inching closer still at the midway point of the turn, the dark bay eased to the front with a bit more than a quarter-mile to travel, pinching a break entering the final furlong and went on to score by three lengths as the 14-5 favorite. Book of Wisdom (Solomini) ran on gamely for second while no menace to the winner. Miss d'Or Cherie also sold for $72,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and again at that auction house's Kentucky July Yearling Sale, where she fetched $160,000. Christopher Shelli, who operates Fort Christopher's Thoroughbreds in Fort Edward, New York, purchased Miss d'Or Cherie's dam for $27,000 on behalf of Jon Stillman's Caliburn Farm in foal to Star Guitar at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale and they began upgrading her breeding record when mating her with Bernardini that season. He sold the resulting foal, a filly, for $90,000 as the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale in 2021 and the mare has since been represented by a Vino Rosso colt of 2022 that sells as hip 494 during next Monday's session of the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale and a McKinzie filly foaled this past Apr. 7. Above Fashion was subsequently covered by Epicenter. Stillman and his wife Margaret Davenport made the short drive from their farm to watch the race in person Thursday afternoon. “It was a magic moment, just great,” Stillman said. “When she hit the ground, she just had this maturity about her to go along with her physical appearance. As if she knew more than she really did. She looked like she'd been there before and she's shown that from the time she was a foal.” Stillman said that the decision to breed Above Fashion to Bolt d'Oro was his advisor's. “That was Chris's idea, he really nailed it.” Stillman maintains a broodmare band of six at Caliburn Farm.  Sales history: $72,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $160,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing & Steven Rocco; B-Caliburn Farm LLC (NY); T-Christophe Clement.

 

 

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Del Mar Summer: A Side Trip To Dog Beach And Gwen’s Garden

One of the joys of Del Mar, especially for dog lovers, is Dog Beach, located a few furlongs west of the racetrack grandstand beneath the iconic bluff that juts out toward the Pacific Ocean inlet to the San Dieguito River. It's a happy place where dogs of all colors, shapes and sizes bring their humans to watch them frolic in the sand and surf, chase tennis balls or Frisbees, or just get acquainted with one another.

Gwen, a yellow Labrador, was one of those dogs, dragging her human companion, Jimmy Joe Gooding, to Dog Beach for some playtime. When Gwen died, as our beloved pets sadly do, J.J. – as he is known to locals – decided to do something in Gwen's memory that would also be of therapeutic value to him.

Taking advantage of the city of Del Mar's “Adopt a Spot” program, Gooding applied for and received permission to create Gwen's Garden, a small plot of public land at the entrance to Dog Beach with a sidewalk that zig-zags through what was once a wasteland of mostly weeds and dead plants.

Over several years, Gooding transformed that wasteland into a beautiful memorial to Gwen and all the other dogs who enjoyed playtime at Dog Beach. He planted and maintains a variety of succulents, wild flowers, and native greenery, making Gwen's Garden a must-see stop for those who enjoy gardening or flowers or simply want to meditate over a lost canine friend.

Every time I walk through the garden, a smile comes to my face, thinking of the Paulick family's now departed dog, Spud, who annually endured long drives from Kentucky to Del Mar but seemed to find a fountain of youth at Dog Beach, making new friends on each visit.

J.J. Gooding, who created the Dog Beach gardens, posts daily longshot picks during the Del Mar race meet

During the course of the year, depending on the holiday or activities around town, you might see the garden decorated with Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween or inspirational signs for dog lovers. During the racing season, Gooding – who has served as a volunteer for the host committee when the Breeders' Cup is held at Del Mar – puts out longshot picks behind a miniature racing oval placed in the garden. You'll see him there almost every day tending to Gwen's Garden, watering, sweeping sand off the sidewalks, or decorating for the next holiday – often wearing a Breeders' Cup ballcap or shirt.

For me, the most poignant part of the garden are the hand-painted rocks that dog owners have bought to memorialize their own lost friends. Hundreds of rocks, with special tributes painted on them, have been placed there, reminding dog owners of the good times they had at Dog Beach with their faithful companions.

Some of the hand-painted rocks memorializing departed canine friends who enjoyed Dog Beach

Now, on to the races.

By the Numbers

Last week, we reported on the first seven days of racing at Del Mar, pointing out that the percentage of winning favorites was just 27.1 percent – well below the norm – and that front-runners had not fared well on dirt or turf, winning just four of 40 races.

What a difference a week makes.

The four racing programs offered Aug. 3-6, were just the opposite, with 17 favorites winning the 38 races, a hefty 44.7 percent, and front-runners winning 15 of 38 contests. The percentage of winning favorites was almost identical on turf or dirt. Horses leading at every call won 10 of 20 dirt races (50 percent) and five of 18 on turf. Unlike the first two weeks, horses closing from the back one-third of the field had difficulty winning on dirt, with just two of 20 races won by a deep closer. Three of 18 turf races were won by horses closing from well off the pace.

Field size dropped from 9.7 runners per race to 8.5 in week three. It still stands at a healthy 9.3 average field size for the first 78 races over three weeks.

The first open 2-year-old stakes on dirt will be run this weekend for both fillies and colts/geldings, with Saturday's Grade 3 Sorrento presented by Keeneland Sales and Sunday's Best Pal Stakes. Not surprisingly, Bob Baffert figures to have the upper hand in both. Baffert has won both open maiden 2-year-old dirt races thus far and one of the two open maiden 2-year-old filly dirt races.

Baffert's winning filly, Zedan Racing Stables' Dua, won what appeared to be a very competitive filly race July 22 and will be the likely favorite in Saturday's Sorrento.

While the Best Pal entries have not been released yet, Heartland was the more impressive of Baffert's two male 2-year-old maiden winners, the Justify colt breaking last in a six-horse field, then putting in a strong rally to win going away by two lengths under leading rider John Hernandez. Heartland races for CHC Inc. Siena Farm, and WinStar Farm.

Couple of reminders about week four at Del Mar, which begins on Thursday with an eight-race card that kicks off at 2 p.m. PT. Friday's new post time is 3:30 p.m. PT and the Pick 6 will have a $1-million single ticket winner guarantee on Saturday and a mandatory payout on Sunday.

 

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