Fresh off of the biggest win of his career going 1 1/4 miles on turf last month at Santa Anita, 5-year-old Offlee Naughty proved much best as the favorite stretching out to 1 1/2 miles Saturday in the $100,000 San Luis Rey (G3) at the Arcadia, Calif. track.
Ridden for the first time since his career debut in June of 2021 by Umberto Rispoli, Offlee Naughty overcame traffic trouble around the final bend to win by 1 ¼ lengths while getting the finishing the distance in 2:24.87 on firm turf.
With a hillside start down Santa Anita's unique Camino Real Turf Course, Offlee Naughty was next to last, about 11 lengths off lonely pacesetter Opry after the first quarter mile. With Opry fully committed, Offlee Naughty remained unhurried and was fourth by about seven lengths at the rail when forced to steady off the heels of Dicey Mo Chara about five-sixteenths of a mile from home. With Opry shortening stride, Offlee Naughty proved his mettle as Rispoli pointed him outside Dicey Mo Chara, whom he gradually overtook well inside the sixteenth pole with Brazilian-bred Planetario charging late to complete the exacta.
The 8-5 favorite in a field of seven older runners, Offlee Naughty paid $5.20 for the victory
“I was trying to go around, I saw Juan (Hernandez, aboard Dicey Mo Chara) in front, so I was trying to sneak in,” said Rispoli. “I came to the top of the stretch and (my horse) switched his lead and he was the better horse today.”
Owned by James and Donna Daniell, Offlee Naughty, a 5-year-old full horse by Flashback out of the Offlee Wild mare Acting Naughty, notched a second consecutive graded stakes win while improving his overall mark to 5-1-1 from 17 starts. Fourth in last year's San Luis Rey in his stakes debut, Offlee Naughty entered this year's edition off victory in the Charles Whittingham (G2), his first career stakes win, April 8 at Santa Anita. He picked up $60,000 for Saturday's triumph, increasing his earnings to $370,645. He was bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West Stables Inc.
“He's been back and forth across the country a couple of times (and) he got really good before he got here,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, who has also campaigned Offlee Naughty in Kentucky and New York. “I thought his race the other day was really good, where at the eighth pole, he found another gear. Today, he kind of chucked around the turn and lost a little bit of momentum, (but) we were able to go ahead and find another gear and get the job done.
“This win is for Jim Daniell and his wife.”
A Group I winner in Brazil, Richard Mandella's Planetario, who was a close fifth in his U.S. debut going 1 1/8 miles on turf June 18 at Santa Anita, flew late under Hector Berrios to overtake Dicey Mo Chara by a neck on the money.
Trained by Leonard Powell, English-bred Dicey Mo Chara was third-best on the day and finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of Opry.
Fractions on the race were :23.95, :47.50, 1:11.55, 1:35.42, and 2:00.22.
The post ‘He Found Another Gear’: Offlee Naughty Proves Best In San Luis Rey appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
