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Irish-Bred Red Lark Gains First Stakes Triumph In Del Mar Oaks Upset

Irish-bred Red Lark made a three-wide rally into the stretch under Drayden Van Dyke, overhauled front-running favorite Laura's Light and Warren's Showtime and scored a decisive one-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, recording her first career stakes victory and second win overall from 12 starts.

Trained by Patrick Gallagher and racing for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Red Lark covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.64 and paid $40.20 as a 19-1 outsider. Another longshot, 25-1 California Kook, rallied for second, with Warren's Showtime, the 7-2 second betting choice, finishing third.

A 3-year-old filly by Australian-bred Epaulette, Red Lark began her career in Ireland, going winless in five starts at 2, then broke her maiden in her second U.S. start on Feb. 9 on turf at Santa Anita. She was stakes-placed when runner-up to Toinette in the G3 Wilshire on June 20 and third most recently in a Del Mar allowance/optional claiming race on July 12 at Del Mar.

Laura's Light, coming into the Del Mar Oaks off back-to-back graded stakes victories in the G3 Honeymoon at Santa Anita and the G2 San Clemente at Del Mar, was sent to the front by Abel Cedillo. After setting fractions of :24.46, :48.14 and 1:12.34 she was overtaken at the top of the stretch by Warren's Showtime, but the latter was unable to sustain her rally in the final furlong after a mile was clocked in 1:36.76.

Van Dyke saved ground with Red Lark in the early stages of the Oaks, shifted off the rail in the run down the backstretch and rallied for the victory with a sharp turn of foot in the final quarter mile.

“Out of the gate, we had the perfect spot,” said Van Dyke. “I wanted to follow Mike Smith (Warren's Showtime), because I thought his filly would be the one to beat. I knew my filly had a good chance because she was really fit. We got bottled up in her last race. Today, she got to run and she showed how good she is.”

“The allowance race here set her up well and she came out of it good,” said Gallagher. “I was confident in the filly; I knew she was happy and all, but I didn't know if she was good enough. She needed to run the race of her life and she did. Drayden had her in a great spot all the way and when he asked she responded and was good enough.”

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Epaulette Filly Upends Del Mar Oaks

Dismissed at odds of 19-1, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Red Lark (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) rallied into the stretch and stormed down the center of the track to pull the upset in the GI Del Mar Oaks. California-bred California Kook (Boisterous) came with a barnstorming run from last to round out the exacta ahead of fellow Cal-bred Warren’s Showtime (Clubhouse Ride) in third.

Red Lark settled slightly worse than centerfield, with cover on the back of Warren’s Showtime, as favored Laura’s Light (Constitution) set the pace in advance of Parkour (Carpe Diem). Following the every move of Warren’s Showtime around the turn while remaining in her slipstream, Red Lark was pulled out to deliver her challenge in upper stretch. Laura’s Light took them into the lane, but was quickly out of gas, as Warren’s Showtime shot to the lead. But Red Lark had that move covered as well and finished well for the victory.

“Out of the gate, we had the perfect spot,” commented winning jockey Drayden Van Dyke. “I wanted to follow Mike Smith [on Warren’s Showtime], because I thought his filly would be the one to beat. I knew my filly had a good chance because she was really fit. We got bottled up in her last race. Today, she got to run and she showed how good she is.”

A five-start maiden and placed once while under the care of former jockey Johnny Murtagh in Ireland, Red Lark broke through in her second appearance in this country in February and made three starts in stakes company. Fifth to Warren’s Showtime in the Mar. 7 China Doll S. at Santa Anita, she was fourth to Laura’s Light in the GIII Honeymoon S. May 30 and a very good second to the classy Toinette (Scat Daddy) when trying older females in the GIII Wilshire S. June 20. The bay was a closing third to Carpe Vinum (Carpe Diem) and California Kook in a first-level allowance at this track July 12.

Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR OAKS-GI, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.64, fm.
1–RED LARK (IRE), 122, f, 3, by Epaulette (Aus)
                1st Dam: Firecrest (Ire) (SW-Eng), by Darshaan (GB)
                2nd Dam: Trefoil (Fr), by Blakeney (GB)
                3rd Dam: First Bloom (GB), by Primera (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
   WIN. (€14,000 RNA Ylg ’18 GOFFEB; €12,000 RNA Ylg ’18
TIRSEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Mrs S. M. Rogers
& Sir Thomas Pilkington (IRE); T-Patrick Gallagher; J-Drayden
Van Dyke. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 12-2-2-1, $225,000.
*1/2 to All Set To Go (IRE) (Verglas (IRE)), GSP-Ire, $132,876.
Werk Nick Rating: C.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–California Kook, 122, f, 3, by Boisterous
                1st Dam: Kukaluka, by Comic Strip
                2nd Dam: Ms. Booty, by Roar
                3rd Dam: Star Lane, by Cahill Road
O/B-Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber (CA); T-Peter Miller.
$50,000.
3–Warren’s Showtime, 122, f, 3, by Clubhouse Ride
                1st Dam: Warren’s Veneda, by Affirmative
                2nd Dam: More Cal Bread, by Flying Continental
                3rd Dam: Nature’s Way, by Nain Bleu (Fr)
O-Benjamin C. & Sally Warren; B-Benjamin C. Warren (CA);
T-Craig Anthony Lewis. $30,000.
Margins: 1, HF, 1. Odds: 19.10, 27.20, 3.90.
Also Ran: Neige Blanche (Fr), Carpe Vinum, Laura’s Light, Guitty (Fr), Parkour, Miss Extra (Fr), Aqua Seaform Shame. Scratched: Trickle In. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:

Red Lark is the second worldwide Grade I winner for her sire by Commands {Aus}) and becomes his 10th graded winner and 14th black-type winner. For the legendary Darshaan, Red Lark is the 47th GI/G1SW out of one of his daughters, a list that includes Breeders’ Cup winners High Chaparral (Ire), Islington (Ire) and Dank (GB). Red Lark is the 234th BTW and 135th GSW for Darshaan as a broodmare sire.

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Red King Holds Off United With Rispoli’s Perfectly Timed Ride In Del Mar Handicap

Jockey Umberto Rispoli rolled the dice, making a six-wide move toward the lead aboard Red King with a half-mile to go in Saturday's Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, then had just enough left to hold off the late charge of odds-on favorite United and Flavien Prat in the 1 3/8-mile turf fixture at the seaside track north of San Diego.

The victory in the $200,000 race gave Red King – owned by Little Red Feather, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte – an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of the “Win and You're In” Challenge Race Series that also provides a travel allowance to winning horses traveling to Kentucky.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Red King covered 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:15.75, winning for the seventh time in 28 lifetime starts. This was his second stakes win since D'Amato claimed him for $25,000 in February 2019. Earlier this year the English Channel 6-year-old horse won the 1 3/4-mile, G3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita.

United finished second, with Originaire closing for third and Proud Pedro fourth in the field of 11 older runners.

Red King paid $10.60.

Longshots Big Buzz and Ward 'n Jerry carved out the slow early fractions, going :25.07, :49.94 and 1:15.09 for the first six furlongs. Rispoli swung Red King to the outside in the run down the backstretch, moving toward the leaders after a mile in 1:40.07. He took command from North County Guy at the top of the stretch, opened up a lead and just lasted over United for the win.

“I didn't like how slow they were going, so I decided to move earlier today,” said Rispoli. “It takes a really good horse to do that, but I knew he had the stamina. I did this when I was riding in Europe. It was close at the finish because he was trying to pull h imself up. I am very happy. This horse gave me a Grade 3 win in his last start, and today he gave me a Grade 2. I want to keep it going with him.”

The stakes win was the seventh of the meet for Rispoli, riding his first seaon at Del Mar. It was the first of the meet for D'Amato but his fourth straight (and sixth of the last seven) in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 27 stakes wins at Del Mar.

“I could see going along the backstretch Flavien (on United) was on the inside and Umberto was about to make that move on the outside. (Rispoli) timed in perfectly. I give all the credit to him. After the last race he was so high on this horse. He chose Red King over Originaire and that gave me a lot of confidence that he felt the horse was climbing up the ladder and to win this race is really special.”

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Favored Harvest Moon Captures Torrey Pines In Stakes Debut

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon ran a perfect stalking race, then proved strongest late in capturing the $100,500 Torrey Pines Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

The 3-year-old filly test, run at a mile with six in the field, was Harvest Moon's third victory in four starts and her first score in a stakes race. She was handled by Flavien Prat, who was winning his meet-leading ninth stakes.

Harvest Moon, a daughter of Uncle Mo bred by Alice Bamford, took home $60,000 for the win pushing her earnings to $120,720. She paid $5 to win as the 3-2 favorite.

Finishing second was Pam and Martin Wygod's Secret Keeper and third was Feghali, Feghali or Mathiesen, et al's Paige Anne.

Harvest Moon covered the distance in 1:36.87 after fractions of :22.13, :45.93, 1:11.16 and 1:23.76.

“It was perfect,” said Prat. “She was nice and relaxed and I knew they were running very fast up front. She's got speed if you want it, though. Last time I hardly asked her to run. Today, she was just waiting on me. She won it very nicely.”

The stakes win was the ninth of the meet for rider Prat, but his first in the Torrey Pines. He now has 53 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Callaghan and his first in the Torrey Pines. He now has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.

“We were delighted,” said Callaghan. “This filly means a lot because I trained the mother (Qaraaba), which gives it a little extra sentiment. She's an exciting, big filly that we've been super patient with and it's great that she's coming in to doing what she's doing.”

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