Elm Drive | Horse Racing Free Tips

D’Amato Readies Two For Yellow Ribbon, Cathkin Peak For La Jolla

Trainer Phil D'Amato reported Saturday morning that 2-year-old filly Elm Drive came out of her victory in Friday's $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes “really good” physically.

And if the Kentucky-bred daughter of Mohaymen, a $165,000 purchase at the Ocala sale in March who carries the colors of Little Red Feather Racing stays that way, she'll next be seen in the $300,000 Grade 1 TVG Del Mar Debutante on September 5.

“Yup, absolutely,” was D'Amato's response when the Debutante was mentioned in the winner's circle after she prevailed by a head over Baoma Corp's Eda in a stretch-long duel while covering six furlongs in 1:10.64.

“She broke on top then Juan (Hernandez) got her to rate, make a move and fight off a rival to her outside the length of the stretch. I just thought that's the epitome of class. Very professional, and I think she's the type of filly that the longer (the races) the better.”

Having chalked up one stakes victory for the weekend, D'Amato will send out Raymundos Secret (6-1) and Charmaine's Mia (4-1) in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon and narrowly favored (2-1) Cathkin Peak in Sunday's $150,000 Grade 3 La Jolla Stakes as a possible closer to three consecutive big days.

Irish-bred Cathkin Peak made his U.S. debut at Del Mar in late November a winning one and followed that with a December victory in the $80,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Kicking off his 3-year-old campaign this year, Cathkin Peak was second to soon-to-be Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World in the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes in February and has gone unraced since.

“He had a couple of little things we needed to deal with, but he never left the barn and he has come back to train really well,” D'Amato said. Cathkin Peak will go 1 1/16 miles, the longest assignment of his career, in the La Jolla – second leg in the grass stakes series for 3-year-olds during the Del Mar summer. His previous starts were all at a mile.

“He's really tactical,” D'Amato said. “If there's not a lot of pace, he can be up close; if there is, he can sit back and make a late move. Juan can play the break and try to have him in the right spot.”

The field for the La Jolla from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parenthesis: Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1); Wyfire (Kyle Frey, 12-1); Hudson Ridge (Abel Cedillo, 5-2); Cathkin Peak (Juan Hernandez, 2-1); Zoffarelli (Drayden Van Dyke, 3-1), and Sword Zorro (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1).

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‘Epitome Of Class’: Elm Drive Holds Off Eda To Win Del Mar’s Sorrento Stakes

Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive dug in the length of the stretch and gamely held off Baoma Corp's Eda by a head in a dandy horse race that decided the winner of the 53rd edition of the Sorrento Stakes Friday at Del Mar.

The Grade 2 headliner at the seaside oval north of San Diego, Calif., went with a purse of $201,500 and Elm Drive came away with the winner's share of $120,000. She was ridden by Juan Hernandez and was saddled by Phil D'Amato.

Finishing third was King, Kirby or Kirby's Smash Ticket, the unlucky race favorite at 13-10 who broke badly, then ran into traffic trouble on the backside.

Elm Drive, a bay daughter of Mohaymen, is now two-for-two in her brief career after having easily captured her initial start in a straight maiden race at Los Alamitos on June 28. Her earnings rose to $147,000.

The winning time was 1:10.64 for the six furlongs.

Elm Drive paid $6.60, $3.80 and $2.20 across the board. Eda returned $3.20 and $2.20, while Smash Tickets paid $2.10.

The Sorrento is considered the key prep for the track's biggest race for juvenile fillies, the Grade 1, $300,000 TVG Del Mar Debutante, which will be contested at seven furlongs on Sunday, Sept. 5. Trainer D'Amato indicated that that race is the next target for Elm Drive.

The track's ever-growing Pick 6 Jackpot wager once more expanded when for the 10th straight day as no player was able to take down the entire pool as the single winner. The carryover into Saturday's program grew to $831,517. First post on Saturday's 11-race card will be at 2 p.m.

Post-race quotes:
JUAN GONZALEZ (Elm Drive, winner) – “Phil (trainer D'Amato) didn't give me any special instructions. He just said play the break and put her in a good spot. She broke well and I had her where I wanted her. When we turned for home and the other filly (Eda) came up outside us, my filly got real brave. She dug in. She's not afraid to fight. She's a good one.”

PHIL D'AMATO (Elm Drive, winner) – “She broke on top then Juan got her to rate, make a move and fight off a rival to her outside the length of the stretch. I just thought that's the epitome of class. Very professional, and I think she's the type of filly that the longer (the races) the better. (Debutante?) Yup, absolutely.”

FRACTIONS: :22.00 :46.00 :57.95 1:10.64

The stakes win was the third of the meeting for rider Hernandez, but his first in the Sorrento. He now has 10 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer D'Amato, but his second in the Sorrento (Spectator, 2017). He now has 30 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are Little Red Feather Racing overseen by Billy Koch of Woodland Hills, CA.

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Mohaymen’s Elm Drives Takes Sorrento

Elm Drive became the first black-type winner for her freshman sire Mohaymen with a gutsy score in the Sorrento Friday evening at Del Mar. Wiring the field by eight lengths in her debut at Los Alamitos June 26, she was the 2-1 co-second-choice along with Eda. Away alertly, Elm Drive was overtaken by 70-1 shot First Promise (First Samurai) and pressed from second through a first quarter in :22 flat. The bay took control on the backstretch run and was soon joined by an eager Eda, who made an eye-catching move approaching the turn. The two sailed clear in the lane, matching strides as they put daylight between them and the rest of the field. The gutsy duo fought it out all the way to the wire with Elm Drive securing a narrow victory.

Pedigree Notes:

Elm Drive is one of seven winners from the first-crop of MGSW Mohaymen and the only black-type winner thus far. Lets Dance Charlie is also the dam of a 2021 colt by Accelerate and was bred back to Volatile.

Friday, Del Mar
SORRENTO S.-GII, $201,500, Del Mar, 8-6, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.64, ft.
1–ELM DRIVE, 118, f, 2, by Mohaymen
                1st Dam: Lets Dance Charlie, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Dance Darling, by Devil's Bag
                3rd Dam: Danzig Darling, by Danzig
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($40,000 Ylg
'20 OBSOCT; $165,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Little Red Feather
Racing; B-Kenneth D'Oyen (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Juan J.
Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $147,000.
*1/2 to Mother of Dragons (First Dude), MSW, $153,995. Werk
   Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Eda, 120, f, 2, Munnings–Show Me, by Lemon Drop Kid.
($240,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR).
O-Baoma Corporation; B-Nathan McCauley (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$40,000.
3–Smash Ticket, 120, f, 2, Midnight Lute–Hennesey Smash, by
Roll Hennessy Roll. O-King, Brad, Kirby, Stan and Kirby,
Suzanne; B-Brad King (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $24,000.
Margins: HD, 13 1/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 2.30, 2.10, 1.30.
Also Ran: Sax, She's So Shiny, Roses for Suzzett, Loveherheart, First Promise. Scratched: At the Spa, It's Simple, Shesgotattitude. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Big Field Set for Sorrento

A wide-open field of 11 juvenile fillies have been entered for Friday evening's GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar.

Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) is the 9-5 morning-line favorite off the heels of a field-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure earned in a five-length maiden score at second asking for trainer Todd Fincher at Del Mar July 17. She impressively dueled clear that day after breaking poorly. The dark bay was previously a debut second in the Lone Star mud June 5.

“It was a pretty big ask for her to jump on a plane, fly across country, step off and win,” Fincher said. “But she had shown a lot in her first race, so we had high expectations that she could. We think she's got a really bright future.”

Eda (Munnings), a $550,000 OBS March graduate, earned her diploma at first asking via disqualification after crossing the line a nose short for Bob Baffert at Santa Anita June 19. The unlucky Ko Olina (Stanford) returned to graduate versus Cal-breds in her next start.

Elm Drive (Mohaymen) kicked off her career with a blowout, eight-length decision on debut over four rivals at Los Alamitos June 26. The runner-up that day We All Agree (Unified) won next out in a $50,000 maiden claimer July 23.

Unbeaten Fasig-Tipton Debutante S. heroine At the Spa (Outwork), and sharp Cal-bred debut winner It's Simple (Nyquist), opted instead for Thursday's CTBA S. at Del Mar.

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