Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Zoffarelli Wins La Jolla Handicap Via Disqualification In U.S. Debut

Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Zoffarelli, in from England just a week earlier and unable to even get a work in over the Del Mar track, didn't let that stop him as he ran well and survived a bumping match through the stretch to be declared the winner of the $150,500 La Jolla Handicap Sunday at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

The bay gelding by Zoffany actually was second across the wire just a nose behind Yuesheng Zhang's Sword Zorro and just a head in front of Double L. Racing or Baffert's Hudson Ridge in a furious finish. But the track's stewards reviewed film of the contentious stretch run where all three horses went through a series of bumps and came to the conclusion that Sword Zorro should be disqualified and placed third and the other two horses each moved up one placing.

The winning time on the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.27.

Drayden Van Dyke rode the winner for trainer Jeff Mullins. The owners are the father and son team of Jed and Tim Cohen.

Zoffarelli returned $17.80, $6.00 and $3.80 across the board. Hudson Ridge paid $3.40 and $2.40, while Sword Zorro returned $3.60 to show.

Zoffarelli, who last raced June 30 at Bath in England, earned $90,000 for his victory moving his bankroll up to $110,325. He had won a race and was second five times in seven starts in England as a 2- and 3-year-old.

The track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager proved too elusive for the 12th straight racing day meaning there will be a whopping carryover of $1,127,460 going into the return of racing Thursday. First post for the eight-race card will be 2 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Zoffarelli, winner) – “If I don't get banged that last time, I'm going to go on by and win it on my own. But he (Sword Zorro) kept constantly drifting out and out. It was the right call. I knew this horse was going to run big today. I did my homework. I was over at the barn with Jeff (trainer Mullins) the other morning watching this horse's races in England. The owners (Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal) know what they're doing when they go over to Europe and buy one. They got another good one here.”

JEFF MULLINS, (Zoffarelli, winner) – “I've only had him for eight days. No works. They worked him before he came and we just kept him happy. I wasn't that confident (during the inquiry). I've been on the wrong side of them a lot before. It (elevation to first) looked legitimate, but you never know. (Any similar off-the-plane stakes wins?) River Boyne (2018 La Jolla Handicap).”

FRACTIONS: :23.38 :47.16 1:11.55 1:36.20 1:4227

The stakes win was the first of the meeting for rider Van Dyke and his first in the La Jolla Handicap. He now has 34 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meeting for trainer Mullins but his second in the La Jolla Handicap (River Boyne, 2018). He now has 21 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Red Baron's Barn (Jed Cohen of Encino, Calif.) and Rancho Temecal (Tim Cohen of Piru, Calif.).

The post Zoffarelli Wins La Jolla Handicap Via Disqualification In U.S. Debut appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Smith Fit As Ever As He Celebrates 56th Birthday

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith will mark birthday No. 56 on Tuesday. Here's what he said recently about the prospect:

“I know the number is getting higher, but I don't think about it that much,” Smith said. “I've been training since I was in my 20s, going five or six days a week, no breaks. And I feel, fitness-wise, I'm pretty much the same right now as I was in my 30s.

“The only thing I'm doing that's different is that I'm not lifting as much weight as I used to. Then I was lighter, tacking 114 and could afford to put some muscle on, so once a week I'd see how much I could lift. Now, I'm a little older and a little heavier, tacking 118, and I don't do that anymore.”

Smith said he runs about five miles a day with a goal of “a marathon a week,” or 26 miles over the period. “I love it when we're down here because I can run on the beach,” he said.

“I accept it (fitness) as a way of life,” he said. “If something is hurting, I'll work some other part of my body. The only time I've stopped is when I've been injured.”

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Asmussen’s Next Target: Juan Suarez

The Week in Review by Bill Finley

Steve Asmussen moved past Dale Baird Saturday to become North America's all-time leading trainer in wins with 9,446. But for such a goal-oriented individual, it's no time to rest. To be number one in the world, Asmussen still has to catch Peruvian trainer Juan Suarez. And it won't be easy.

Suarez, as of Saturday, had 9,886 wins–or 440 more than Asmussen. On the same day that Asmussen won one race from 13 starters spread across four racetracks, Suarez had three wins on the Saturday card at Peru's only racetrack, the Hipodromo de Monterrico, which is in Lima.

Over the last five years, Suarez, 71, is averaging 315 wins a year, while Asmussen is averaging 390. That means he will likely chip away at Suarez's lead but could spend years trying to catch him. The main advantage Asmussen has is his age. He is 16 years younger than Suarez and will surely outlast him.

Suarez was born in Santiago, Chile and moved to Peru in 1963 at the age of 13. The family moved because Suarez's father, Juan Suarez, Sr., was hired as the trainer for Haras Barlovento, then among the leading stables in the country. The elder Suarez won the most prestigious race in Peru, the G1 Derby Nacional, eight times. Suarez worked as an assistant to his father before going out on his own in 1980 and won 116 races that year.

Much like Asmussen, he built up a huge stable that delivered year after year. From 2001 on, he has not had fewer than 200 winners in a year. He had a personal best 368 in 2013. He currently trains 210 horses and has had as many as 300 at times.

Asmussen enjoys advantages Suarez will never have. Not only does he have more horses than Suarez, but he has the ability to race at four or five tracks at a time. Suarez is restricted to running at Hipodromo de Monterrico.

Through an interpreter, Suarez said that his numbers are down because the stable is still dealing with COVID-19 issues. Though in his seventies, he shows no signs of slowing down and he is not contemplating retirement.

“I live for this activity and I do not have any plans for retirement,” he said. “I am still active in the field here in Peru and many horse owners still look to me because of my experience and our friendship.”

It seems that Asmussen and Suarez share many of the same attributes and both believe the key to success is hard work, putting together a good team and paying attention to every last detail.

“The most important thing is having a dedicated work team,” Suarez said. “You must also have support from your family because the job takes up so much of your time.”

“I was reading about Steve Asmussen and his having such a great memory,” said Suarez's nephew, Lexington-based bloodstock agent Dante Zanelli, Jr. “My uncle is just like that. He has a photographic memory. He has had as many as 300 horses at a time and he knows everything about every horse. He knows his horses and he remembers everything about them. That has a lot to do with his success. He is also an extremely good trainer and has great people working for him. It's very similar to what Steve Asmussen has.”

While Suarez wants to win, he is not consumed with winning.

“I don't focus too much on the wins,” he said. “I pay more attention to the work. I want everything to be OK, and then to see the result of the hard work done by my team and I.”

Suarez has had just one starter in the U.S. For the 2012 GII Breeders' Cup Marathon at Santa Anita, he brought over the Peruvian-bred mare Almudena (Per) (Silver Planet {Arg}). A Group 1 winner in her native country, she finished 10th with Jose Valdivia, Jr. aboard. Valdivia is Suarez's nephew. He is also related to retired jockey Fernando Toro, who is his brother-in-law.

“That was a great experience,” Suarez said. “We did not have much luck in that race but the experience and being able to celebrate the experience was amazing. I love how in the USA they make the experience even greater with the Breeders' Cup organization and all the attention to detail.”

He has also exported horses to the U.S., including a stakes winner at Hialeah. He trained Tomcito (Street Cry {Ire}) before sending him to Zanelli, then a trainer, for the 2008 GI Florida Derby, where he was third.

Zanelli said that his uncle has considered opening up a small stable at Del Mar.

“We have talked about that and the logistics involved and how to make it work,” Zanelli said “He's been talking to his owners about this and has been trying to get permission from the Jockey Club of Peru to open a stable at Del Mar. He'll explore that again for next year. He has a couple of pretty good horses that could win there. He'd like to have a stable with six to nine horses.”

With 12 horses entered Saturday at the Hipodromo de Monterrico, Suarez didn't have time to watch Asmussen move past Dale Baird, but he is well aware of Asmussen's accomplishments and he is an admirer.

“I know that Mr. Steve Asmussen is one of the top-tier horse trainers in the USA,” he said. “I also know that he has a lot of horses and a great work team and family. That shows why he is so successful. His breaking the record in the USA shows the great work ethic that he has. I know the sacrifices you must make to train horses, for the trainer, the family and the team that works with him. It is particularly difficult in such a competitive horse racing country as it is in the USA. I wish the best to Mr. Asmussen and congratulate him for the enormous achievement he has accomplished.”

Panza Left His Mark on Saratoga and NYRA

The paid attendance Saturday at Saratoga for the card topped by the GI Whitney S. was 38,525 and the all-sources handle was $36,820,234. Yes, Saratoga sells itself, but those numbers may not have been possible without NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza. Panza announced his resignation last week. He will work through the end of the Belmont fall meet.

Panza “got it.” He loves racing and is always happy to roll his sleeves up and get to work to make it better. Two of his primary innovations were on display Saturday and contributed to the card's success. He put together the successful turf series for 3-year-old males and fillies that includes the $1-million GI Saratoga Derby Invitational run Saturday. He's also an advocate of creating “Super Saturdays” at the NYRA tracks. Saturday's card didn't include just the Whitney, it had five stakes races and three Grade I's. He turned the card for the GI Belmont S. into a day that goes well beyond the Belmont itself. Next to the two Breeders' Cup Days, it is the best card on the year.

His successor will have big shoes to fill.

The post Asmussen’s Next Target: Juan Suarez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Eastern Invaders Take Best Pal, Yellow Ribbon At Del Mar

A stakes doubleheader saw a young colt begin to bloom and an impressive filly continue to shine Saturday afternoon at Del Mar as Rustlewood Farm's Pappacap scored smartly in the Best Pal Stakes and Susan and John Moore's Princess Grace found a hole turning for home and ran away from rivals in the Yellow Ribbon Handicap.

The pair of offerings at the seaside track in Del Mar, Calif., were both Grade 2 events and both offered $200,000 purses. The Best Pal – being run for the 51st time – saw Pappacap maneuver like an old pro in only his second start in the juvenile headliner as he waited on rider Joe Bravo's signal, then zoomed to the front turning for home and went on to tally by 4 3/4 lengths. He ran the six furlongs in 1:11.66.

In the Yellow Ribbon – on the turf at 1 1/16 miles and being offered for its 69th edition – jockey Kent Desormeaux saw a hole nearing the quarter pole and asked the 4-year-old filly Princess Grace to go for it. She did readily and pulled clear in the lane to finish 1 1/4 lengths to the good at the end of the filly/mare feature. The winner covered the distance in a snappy 1:40.84.

Pappacap, a bay colt by champion Gun Runner bred by his owners, had captured his debut in a straight maiden race at Gulfstream Park in Florida on May 14. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse shipped him west for the Best Pal, perhaps looking ahead to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which will be run at Del Mar on November 5.

Princess Grace, a homebred daughter of the Japanese stallion Karakontie, was winning her fifth race in her sixth start (she was second in her lone loss) and accomplishing it at her sixth different racetrack. The well-traveled filly is trained by Michael Stidham.

Pappacap picked up a check for $120,000 with his victory, pushing his bankroll to $158,000. Princess Grace also earned $120,000 for her bit of handiwork and now shows winnings of $440,460.

Lovingier, Fasihuddin or Navarro's Finneus checked in second in the Best Pal, while Gary Barber's Bet On Mookie was third. Pappacap paid $6.60, $3.40 and $2.60 across the board. In the Yellow Ribbon, LNJ Foxwoods' Dogtag ran second and Slam Dunk Racing, Stable Currency and Branham's Maxim Rate was third. Princess Grace paid $9.20, $5.00 and $3.40. Dogtag returned $4.80 and $3.20, while Maxim Rate paid $3.00.

Six horses ran in the Best Pal, while nine competed in the Yellow Ribbon.

Pappacap draws off to win the Best Pal by 4 3/4 lengths under Joe Bravo

The track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager continued elusive for gamblers and grew its jackpot again for the 11th straight day. The carryover into Sunday's 10-race card will now be $982,985.

First post Sunday is 2 p.m.

Post-race quotes – Yellow Ribbon:

KENT DESORMEAUX (Princess Grace, winner) – “Michael (trainer Stidham) told me one thing before the race that I used to advantage today: He said 'She's brave.' When that hole opened turning for home, I sent her through and she went right on with it. She was a bit keen going into the first turn, but on the backside she was just all floppy ears and off the bit; taking it easy. I clucked to her at the three (eighths) and from there she just carried me home. Nice win on a nice filly.”

MIKE STIDHAM (Princess Grace, winner) – “I will tell you this: this filly is tenacious and one of the most hard-trying fillies I've ever trained. I trained her mother and she was just like that – not quite as talented, but always digging in and trying to win every time out. This little filly has been at six different racetracks and she should be undefeated, the one loss was just unlucky. I don't know what's next, I haven't looked past this race. This was going to be her test to step up to another league and she obviously passed the test really well.”

FRACTIONS: :23.06 :46.61 1:10.46 1:34.89 1:40.84

The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Desormeaux but his fourth in the Yellow Ribbon. He now has 84 stakes wins at Del Mar, ninth best among all riders.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Stidham and his first in the Yellow Ribbon. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Susan and John Moore from Far Hills, N.J.

The pair of offerings were both Grade II events and both offered $200,000 purses. The Best Pal – being run for the 51st time – saw Pappacap maneuver like an old pro in only his second start in the juvenile headliner as he waited on rider Joe Bravo's signal, then zoomed to the front turning for home and went on to tally by four and three-quarter lengths. He ran the six furlongs in 1:11.66.

In the Yellow Ribbon – on the turf at a mile and one sixteenth and being offered for its 69th edition – jockey Kent Desormeaux saw a hole nearing the quarter pole and asked the 4-year-old filly Princess Grace to go for it. She did readily and pulled clear in the lane to finish a length and a quarter to the good at the end of the filly/mare feature. The winner covered the distance in a snappy 1:40.84.

Princess Grace, a homebred daughter of the Japanese stallion Karakontie, was winner her fifth race in her sixth start (she was second in her lone loss) and accomplishing it at her sixth different racetrack. The well-traveled filly is trained by Michael Stidham.

Pappacap picked up a check for $120,000 with his victory, pushing his bankroll to $158,000. Princess Grace also earned $120,000 for her bit of handiwork and now shows winnings of $440,460.

Six horses ran in the Best Pal, while nine competed in the Yellow Ribbon.

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot Wager continued to be too tough to take down for gamblers and grew its jackpot again for the 11th straight day. The carryover into Sunday's 10-race card will now be $982,985.

First post Sunday is 2 p.m.

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Post-race quotes

Yellow Ribbon

FRACTIONS: :23.06 :46.61 1:10.46 1:34.89 1:40.84

The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Desormeaux but his fourth in the Yellow Ribbon. He now has 84 stakes wins at Del Mar, ninth best among all riders.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Stidham and his first in the Yellow Ribbon. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Susan and John Moore from Far Hills, NJ

Best Pal

JOE BRAVO (Pappacap, winner) – “I was glad to see how well he settled in behind those two up front. His race in Florida, he just was pure speed. You don't know if that's the way they like to go. But he showed another dimension today. Mark Casse sends them out ready.”

ALLEN HARDY-ZUKOWSKI, assistant to Mark Casse (Pappacap, winner) – “Joe (Bravo) gave him such a great ride coming out of the gate. He seemed loaded and when Joe asked in the stretch he responded. I was glad to see that, especially coming off a layoff. It was great.”

FRACTIONS: :22.11 :45.79 :58.61 1:11.66

The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Best Pal. He now has four stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Casse and his second in the Best Pal (Skyway, 2014). He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Rustlewood Farm of George and Karen Russell of Reddick, Fla.

The post Eastern Invaders Take Best Pal, Yellow Ribbon At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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