Del Mar Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Flashy Maiden Winners Take on Saratoga Stakes Winners in Loaded Spinaway

'TDN Rising Star' Ways and Means (Practical Joke), one of the more impressive maiden winners this summer at Saratoga, will square off with unbeaten GIII Adirondack S. heroine Brightwork (Outwork) in a deep renewal of Sunday's GI Spinaway S. at the Spa.

Ways and Means, a homebred for Klaravich Stables, earned a field-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure for her geared-down 12 3/4-length debut victory going six furlongs Aug. 6. She'll take on an additional furlong in the Spinaway.

“She's had two easy works since, and she looks fine,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I'm excited to see her run again. We've been training easy.”

Brightwork made it three-for-three for trainer John Ortiz with an impressive win of her own in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Aug. 6. The re-opposing GIII Schuylerville S. winner Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) was a distant seventh that day.

“The thing about her works is that she's only getting better and better,” Ortiz said of Brightwork. “Her heart rate is showing that she's asking for more distance and so we're going in there as confident as can be.”

The field of 10 also includes: Astoria S. winner and Schuylerville third Closing Act (Munnings); the Bill Mott-trained six-length debut winner on opening day Sugar Hi (Twirling Candy); and Alys Beach (Omaha Beach), who defeated next-out runaway winner Life Talk (Gun Runner) by a head on debut July 30.

Sunday's graded stakes action also includes: the GII Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby and the GIII National Thoroughbred League Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.

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Miller Contemplates Next Start For None Above The Law

Peter Miller looked down the shedrow and smiled approvingly as one of his young sons was petted None Above the Law, the versatile 3-year-old California-bred who had pulled off a 10-1 upset in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“He looks great, he's happy, he feels good, he's a cool head,” Miller said, referring to the horse.

None Above the Law raced three times at the meeting, finishing ninth, beaten only three lengths in the opening day Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on July 16, winning the Real Good Deal Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt on July 30 and then prevailing by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/8-mile Derby when guided along the rail in the stretch by jockey Joe Bravo.

None Above the Law was the second Miller trainee to win two stakes at a summer meeting. He saddled Red Outlaw to win the Real Good Deal and El Cajon in 2014.

“I do remember Red Outlaw,” Miller said. “A real nice horse that ran for Blinkers On Stable. To win the Real Good Deal and the Del Mar Derby (as None Above the Law did) – I don't think that double has been done before.”

The win boosted None Above the Law's career earnings to $454,060, a number that Miller would like to enhance during the fall meeting here, via an undercard stakes during the Breeders' Cup days of November 5-6 or one of the Bing Crosby season stakes that follow.

“I don't know what they have on the undercard, I haven't checked but I know the Hollywood Derby in the fall would be a possibility. We'd like to keep him with 3-year-olds. I just don't think he's quite up to Breeders' Cup capabilities at this point.”

The post Miller Contemplates Next Start For None Above The Law appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory

Given a ground-saving ride by veteran Joe Bravo, the gray gelding None Above the Law fired in the lane and came away a winner of the 77th running of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at the seaside course north of San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, proving best by three-quarters of a length in the $254,000, Grade 2 headliner.

The son of the Japanese stallion Karakontie who was bred in California by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, found running room in the stretch and outfinished 12 rivals late to tally his sixth victory and earn a first prize of $150,000, which pushed his earnings up to $454,060. He is trained by Peter Miller.

Finishing second in the 3-year-old contest on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course was Wachtel Stable, Barber or Drion, et al's Flashiest, who had a head on Reddam Racing's Hockey Dad, the race's pacesetter who hung tough late.

Final time for the nine furlongs out of the angular Del Mar infield chute was 1:48.97.

None Above the Law paid $23.00, $13.60 and $8.60. Flashiest returned $14.80 and $8.00, while Hockey Dad paid $7.60 to show.

This was the first stakes win in the Del Mar Derby for both Bravo and Miller. The jockey is riding his first full season at Del Mar. Miller is the current meet's leading trainer and is en route to winning his eighth conditioning title at the shore oval.

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the bet once again could not be hit and its carryover swelled to $556,901. If it is not hit during tomorrow's 11-race card, it will carry to closing day Monday, which will be a “mandatory” payout afternoon.

First post Sunday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

JOE BRAVO (None Above the Law, winner) – “Peter (trainer Miller) told me this horse can do anything. He wins running seven eighths on the dirt; he wins going a mile and one-eighth on the grass. We just saved all we could and I showed him daylight turning for home. He really got up under me. I'm having fun riding out here. Riding for good horsemen and riding good horses in Southern California. What more could a guy want?”

PETER MILLER (None Above the Law, winner) “I know he went from a mile on turf (9th, Oceanside Stakes) to seven-furlongs on the dirt (won Real Good Deal) to a mile and an eighth on the turf to win this. You won't find that in any training manual, that's not the way you do it. But this horse just does everything well. He's just an overachiever and I just love this horse. The Robinsons are longtime clients and what a ride by Joe Bravo.”

FRACTIONS: :23.80 :48.00 1:12.89 1:37.51 1:48.97

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has 42 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are also the breeders, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas.

The post None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Beat Ray At Del Mar: Hanging Out At Quigley’s Corner

The Beat Ray Everyday Beach Boss contest rolls into closing weekend at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., with analyst and television host Tom Quigley joining Michelle Yu and me to handicap Saturday's Grade 2 Del Mar Derby presented by Caesars SportsBook.

Quigley – whose paddock observations and handicapping tips from Southern California racetracks are a mainstay on Twitter at @Quigleys_Corner – points out that the Del Mar Derby was first run in 1945 as the Quigley Memorial. No, Tom Quigley is not THAT old; the race was named in honor of William A. Quigley, a former college football player and coach who lived in La Jolla, just a few miles south of Del Mar.

Inspired by Santa Anita's opening in December 1934, Quigley brought the idea of a racetrack at Del Mar to singer Bing Crosby in 1936 and was a founder of the seaside oval with Crosby and entertainer Pat O'Brien.

So there's the history of the Del Mar Derby's original name.

More importantly, who will win this year's renewal? Watch the video below to see who Tom, Michelle and I like in the 2021 Derby.

Beat Ray Everyday is a season-long free to play handicapping contest offering as first prize two VIP tickets to the 2021 Breeders' Cup world championships, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6. Contestants have had the opportunity to wager a mythical $100 in win, place and show bets on a selected race each day of the meet, and the winner will be the person who has the highest bankroll after Monday's closing day. Here are the current standings.

Beach Boss will be back for the Bing Crosby meeting that opens on Nov. 3 and runs through Nov. 28. Details will be available here.

The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: Hanging Out At Quigley’s Corner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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