Say The Word, Desormeaux Have Final Word In Hollywood Turf Cup

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word swung clear at the top of the stretch and scampered down the lane to capture the $251,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Friday afternoon in Del Mar, Calif.

The 6-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready ran a mile and one half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 2:27.62 under Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux to score by a length and take down a first prize of $150,000 in the Grade 2 headliner.

Phil D'Amato trains the winner and he also trains the runner-up, The Elwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, et al's Acclimate, who set all the pace in the marathon, but couldn't hold off his stablemate at the end. Finishing third a neck back was Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s Friar's Road.

Say the Word, who is a Canadian horse bred by the Sam-Son Farm of Rick Balaz of Ontario, paid $13.00, $5.80 and $4.00 across the board. Acclimate returned $8.80 and $4.40, while Friar's Road paid $3.20.

“This horse has had so much trouble before this; it was great to see him win. Kent (Desormeaux) did like he said he would and kept him covered up, then go him clear in the stretch and let him stretch his legs,” said D'Amato.

Desormeaux, who was winning his 86th stakes at Del Mar, kept his horse covered up for the majority of the journey, shifted him all the way outside at the top of the lane and kept him to a drive to the wire. It was the veteran's seventh lifetime score and the winner's share increased his earnings to $882,792. All of his wins have come on the turf.

“I've got to give Phil (trainer D'Amato) the credit for this one,” said Desormeaux. “He told me it was hard to get this horse to settle, so I told him I'd do the European thing: I'd put him up some horse's rear (force him to stay in position) and wait until the end. My peers always ask me who's my star and what that means is I'll put a star by the horse that I think will carry me 70 yards from the wire. And Umby (rider Umberto Rispoli) had the star today (Rispoli was aboard Friar's Road, the horse Desormeaux drafted in behind).”

In the track's continuing Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager, the bet once more couldn't be conquered by the fans and its carryover moved up to $510,986. With only two days of racing left in the season, there's a real possibility that the wager could go all the way to Sunday's closing day and cause a mandatory payout that afternoon, a situation that usually greatly enhances the pool for the players.

First post for both Saturday and Sunday's races will be 12:30 p.m.

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Acclimate, Rockemperor Among Seven Entered For Friday’s Hollywood Turf Cup

Phil D'Amato-trained Acclimate, John Shirreff's Astronaut, and Chad Brown-conditioned Rockemperor, last seen at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., in the $4 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, are among seven entered today for Friday's $250,000 G2 Hollywood Turf Cup.

A victory, or high placing, for Acclimate, Astronaut, or Rockemperor, would salve the sting of ill-starred efforts in the Breeders' Cup, in the case of Astronaut and Rockemperor after gaining entry through “Win and You're In” victories.

Astronaut rallied in the stretch for a half-length victory in the Del Mar Handicap at odds of 24-1 on Pacific Classic Day in August. Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza found no clear path in the BC Turf, however, had to check hard before the quarter pole and finished 12th of 14. Rockemperor won the Turf Classic at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in October but was in tight quarters throughout in the BC Turf and finished eighth.

Acclimate, with one win and three narrow losses in graded events leading up to the BC Turf, was close to the pace early before fading to last.

The post position draw was scheduled this afternoon. The entrants, in alphabetical order: Acclimate (Ricky Gonzalez); Astronaut (Espinoza); Award Winner (Juan Hernandez); Cupid's Claws (Abel Cedillo); Friar's Road (Umberto Rispoli), Rockemperor (Flavien Prat), and Say The Word (Kent Desormeaux).

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Acclimate Makes It Look Easy, Takes Marathon San Juan Capistrano For Second Time

As Yogi Berra once famously noted, “It's déjà vu all over again.”  Such was the case in the 81st running of the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita  in Arcadia, Calif., as 7-year-old California-bred gelding Acclimate skipped to a 3 ¾-length victory, replicating his gate-to-wire score in the 2019 San Juan.  Trained by Phil D'Amato, who collected his third consecutive win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, Acclimate was ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, who coaxed 1 3/4 miles out of the son of Acclamation in 2:49.74.

With a traditional hillside start, Acclimate went right to the front and had his ears up as he made the dirt crossing at the top of the lane.  With a two-length advantage around the clubhouse turn, Acclimate was running easily while pursued by Ward 'n Jerry and Pillar Mountain in the run up the backside.

With three furlongs to run, Gonzalez stepped on the gas, but eventual runner-up Astronaut was about to make an eye-catching run of his own around the far turn.  Although he loomed into contention a quarter mile out, Astronaut was unable to sustain his bid and Acclimate made it look easy as he widened his margin late.

“Just get him in front, nice and comfortable is where he likes to be,” said Gonzalez, who had ridden him to a close second place finish going a mile and one quarter on turf in the G2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29.  “Just keep the other horses away from him and he's as happy as he could be.  I was really happy.

“We barely got beat last time.  It was just the head bob, but after the wire he was in front again, so in knew the distance wasn't going to be a problem for him.  Today, I'm just relieved that he got it done so easy.”

Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of six 3-year-olds and up, Acclimate paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.

Bred by Old English Rancho and Sal and Patsy Berumen, Acclimate is out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds. He is owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde and had been winless since winning the G2 Del Mar Handicap nine starts back on Aug. 17, 2019.  With his third graded stakes win in-hand, Acclimate is now 25-7-4-4 and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased his earnings to $557,872.

“This horse, he's been through the highs and lows and he's bounced back,” said an emotional D'Amato, Santa Anita's leading trainer with 50 wins, 15 of them stakes, second to Bob Baffert's 17 stakes victories.  “He's just an old warrior and he gave it his all today.  It's just a beautiful thing to watch. … Ricky did a masterful job of maintaining the distance and setting those comfortable fractions to have enough horse left.  It's a credit to him and the horse.  To dial those fractions in the way he did, Ricky rode like a seasoned veteran at this distance.

“The San Juan Capistrano was my favorite race growing up.  When I was a kid coming to the races, this is the race I always came to see.  I thought this was an “A” performance for him today and this is a horse I would target for the Del Mar Handicap.  He has been lightly raced.  We gave him a short break and he has come back better than ever.”

Off at 8-1 with Victor Espinoza up, Astronaut finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of 2020 San Juan winner Red King and paid $8.20 and $4.20 while off at 8-1.

Trained by D'Amato and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Red King was the second choice at 2-1 and paid $2.40 to show while finishing three lengths in front of Ward 'n Jerry.

Fractions on the race were 48.19, 1:11.56, 1:35.48 and 2:00.30.

With four stakes on tap, first post time for an 11-race card on closing day Sunday is at 1 p.m. PT.  There will be mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers, including the 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six, which has a Jackpot carryover of $188,751 heading into tomorrow.

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Veteran Acclimate Headlines Saturday’s Marathon San Juan Capistrano At Santa Anita

Fresh off a big second at a mile and one quarter on turf, trainer Phil D'Amato's Acclimate heads a field of six going a mile and three quarters on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita. A traditional closing day feature for decades, the iconic San Juan will be run for the 81st time on the penultimate day of Santa Anita's 78-day Winter/Spring Meeting and will feature a traditional hillside turf start.

Also meriting major consideration are fellow California-bred gelding Ward 'n Jerry, a recent winner of a two starter allowance marathons on turf and Red King, a runaway winner of last year's San Juan Capistrano who most recently finished a half length behind the top selection in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29.

A 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Acclimation, out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds, Acclimate opened up by three lengths after the first half mile in the Whittingham and ended up second, beaten a head by the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner, when ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez.

Juan Hernandez, the meet's second leading rider, will take over for the first time on Saturday. Acclimate, who took the 2019 San Juan Capistrano running in gate to wire fashion in combination with the now-departed Martin Garcia will be making his second appearance in the San Juan. Owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde, Acclimate was bred in-part by the Johnston family's Old English Rancho. A two-time graded stakes winner he is 24-6-4-4 and has earnings of $497,872.

Head and head for the early lead in last year's San Juan, Ward 'n Jerry ended up third, beaten five lengths by Red King. An 8-year-old gelding by Lucky Pulpit, Ward 'n Jerry appears on edge for trainer Mike Puype, as he rallied for a sharp head victory in a mile and one quarter starter allowance on Feb. 20 and stretched out to a half length score in a mile and one half turf starter allowance March 20.

Owned and bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, Ward 'n Jerry, who is out of the Dehere mare Tamarack Bay, will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by leading man Flavien Prat and will no doubt take some beating on Saturday. With an overall mark of 27-8-2-4, he has earnings of $468,259.

A 4 ¼ length winner of last year's San Juan and a close third in the 2019 running, Red King, who got the jump on highly accomplished United in taking the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap five starts back on Aug. 22, has plenty of class and the return services of regular rider Umberto Rispoli. A 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, Red King would relish a fast pace as he seeks his second San Juan win in what will be his third appearance.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Phillip Belmonte, Red King, who is 32-7-4-9 with earnings of $471,755, is trained by meet-leader Phil D'Amato, who holds a 46-42 edge over Peter Miller with three days remaining.

THE GRADE 3 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 11 Approximate post time 6:00 p.m. PT

  1. Lure Him In – Edwin Maldonado – 122
  2. Red King – Umberto Rispoli – 124
  3. Ward 'n Jerry – Flavien Prat – 122
  4. Acclimate – Ricardo Gonzalez – 122
  5. Pillar Mountain – Joe Bravo – 122
  6. Astronaut – Victor Espinoza – 122

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