drayden van dyke | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weston’s Best Pal Score Gives Trainer Hanson, Sire Hit It A Bomb First Graded Stakes Victories

Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston got up in the final stride to triumph in the 50th running of the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., on Saturday.

The gelding became the first stakes winner for the freshman sire Hit It a Bomb, just getting the best of 32-1 longshot Girther, owned by Altamira Racing Stable. Finishing third via disqualification of the original third-place finisher Ambivalent

Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston got up in the final stride to triumph in the 50th running of the Grade II Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar Saturday.

The gelded son of the young stallion Hit It a Bomb just got the best of 32-1 longshot Girther, owned by Altamira Racing Stable. Sonic Breeze was awarded third when the original third-place finisher, Ambivalent, was disqualified for interference and placed fourth.

The 1-2 race favorite, Breeze Easy's Roderick, who had shipping in from New York and was coming off an impressive victory there, failed to fire in the lane and finished last of the seven runners.

“Boy, I had to work hard for that one,” said Van Dyke. “But I'm glad I did. I was happy to win it for (trainer) Ryan Hanson. He's such a kind man and a good horse trainer. And this horse showed some class, too. Ryan told me he never got to paddock him (prior to the race), but he was just standing in there like an old pro. I knew I got there in the end and I'm real glad I did.”

Weston is trained by co-owner Hanson and the bay's score was the first graded stakes win in Thoroughbred racing for the conditioner, as well as his first stakes victory at Del Mar.

“He broke sharp, just like we wanted him to, but then it looked like he just sat there for a minute,” said Hanson. “I got a little nervous when he got shuffled back, but then he got back up there and fought on. The time was not very impressive, but that doesn't matter. I didn't think we were going to win it. I thought we'd be second to the Peter Miller horse, who had had a trip over the track. But I'm just really happy. We'll see how he looks tomorrow and let him tell us what to do (regarding the $250,000, Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day, September 7). ”

Weston paid $12.20, $6.80 and $4.60 across the board and picked up a check for $90,000 from the $151,000 purse.

Final time for the six furlongs was 1:12.72.

The winner was a $7,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September Sale in 2019. He captured his only previous start when he flashed speed and tallied by a length and a quarter in a four and a half furlong straight maiden race at Santa Anita on June 21.

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Can New Kids On The Block Challenge Prat’s Del Mar Dominance?

In the past two summer seasons at Del Mar the jockey title has been a duel between Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke with each rider prevailing once.

It could happen again.

But Derek Lawson, agent for defending champion Prat, has noted the emergence of some ambitious newcomers on the Southern California circuit and cautions against jumping to a two-man conclusion for the 2020 season that starts today.

“It will be extremely competitive,” Lawson said by telephone Thursday. “I hope we (Prat) do well enough to win. But it's not a slam dunk for anybody.”

Prat tied Rafael Bejarano for the 2016 summer title with 38 wins, led the 2017 meet outright over Bejarano with 35, relinquished the crown to Van Dyke in 2018 by a 42-37 margin and grabbed it back, 42-32, over Van Dyke a year ago.

Prat, a native of Melun, France, who turns 28 next month, has maintained his Southern California circuit dominance and high national profile following a 2019 season in which he won the Kentucky Derby, via disqualification, and a meet-leading 10 stakes victories during the Del Mar summer. He won the Santa Anita winter-spring riding championship with 90 wins over the course of the COVID-interrupted December-to-June season.

Through Thursday, Prat ranks seventh nationally with 97 wins from 372 starters (26 percent) and purse earnings of more than $5.3 million according to Equibase statistics.

To stay at the top this summer, however, Prat will have to fend off a foursome that has put up some impressive 2020 numbers as well. A rundown, with statistics in parenthesis and comments from Lawson.

Abel Cedillo—(No. 14 nationally, 61 wins from 419 starts, 15%, $3.6 million in purses). “He's proven that the move down from Northern California last year was the right one for him and his family and he's in a position to continue to make his mark.”

Van Dyke – (No. 25, 35 for 212, 17 percent, $2.6 million). “He's always going to be at or near the top, especially here. He rides for Bob Baffert and will be on a lot of the very good 2-year-olds Bob breaks out here every year.”

Umberto Rispoli – (No. 27, 50 for 269, 19 percent, $2.5 million). The Italian champion, 31, a veteran of racing in Europe, Japan and Hong Kong decided to come to America and race at Santa Anita last winter. “He's a very good rider, obviously, and he adds an international flavor – with Flavien from France and him from Italy – to the meet.”

Juan Hernandez – (No. 31, 134 for 444, 30 percent, $2.2 million). “He follows the path of Cedillo last year and if you look at the statistics, he's No. 1 in the country for wins. So, obviously, he knows how to get the job done.”

Forty-two wins secured the title the last two years. Lawson, prone to set goals, hopes to book Prat on 50 winners this summer. He realizes it's a high bar.

“It's a shorter season and there won't be fans in the stands,” Lawson pointed out. “That's the same for everybody. The disadvantage for us could be going out of town, but I'm not looking to do it very often. It's going to take hard work, staying focused and some luck no matter what.”

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Son Of Hot California Sire Clubhouse Ride Takes Aim At Snow Chief Stakes

Margot's Boy, yet another son of the “now” California stallion Clubhouse Ride, goes for his fourth straight victory and his first stakes triumph in Saturday's $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes at a mile and an eighth on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

The race is named for the Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old male of 1986 who retired in 1987 as the all-time California-bred earnings leader with $3,383,210.

He was trained by Mel Stute.

Clubhouse Ride stands at Pete and Evelyn Parrella's 145-acre Legacy Ranch in Clements, California, for $3,500.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais (pronounced pie-EEZ), Margot's Boy's style is one of catch me if you can. In his last three races, he went to the front and stayed there, although at a mile and one eighth the Snow Chief will mark his longest race yet.

“We'll see how it develops; he doesn't have to be in front,” said Craig Lewis, who also conditioned multiple Grade 2 winner Clubhouse Ride.

“But I prefer to be in front if nobody else wants to be there and if he doesn't have to go too fast.”

Drayden Van Dyke has ridden Margot's Boy in all of his races and will be aboard again Saturday in the Snow Chief, one in the lucrative Golden State Series, this restricted to 3-year-olds.

“I won't have to tell Drayden anything,” Lewis said. “He knows the horse very well. He's a smart rider; I'm sure everything will be fine.

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