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Collusion Illusion Noses Out Lexitonian In ‘Win And You’re In’ Bing Crosby

Rider Flavien Prat took advantage of a serious speed battle up front, dove for the rail in the stretch and pulled off a nose victory with the 3-year-old Collusion Illusion in Saturday's 75th running of the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

The colt by Twirling Candy just nosed out Calumet Farm's Lexitonian and rider Drayden Van Dyke who lagged far behind early, looped the field on the turn for home and fired in the lane to just miss in the six-furlong headliner. Final time for the dash was 1:10.41 after early splits of :21.58 and :44.73.

Prat was winning his sixth stakes of the nine-day old meet and his second victory of the day to assume command in the local jockeys' race with 16 firsts. He now has 50 stakes wins at Del Mar. For Collusion Illusion's trainer, Mark Glatt, it was his first Grade I stakes victory.

Lexitonian's trainer, Jack Sisterson, won his first G1 earlier in the day at Saratoga when Vexatious upset champion Midnight Bisou in the Personal Ensign Stakes.

“It set up nicely for me,” said Prat. “They were going fast up front; I could feel it. My horse was handling the dirt well today, too. Better than he usually does. When we turned for home I had horses in front of me and I was aware the inside was playing fast today so I went down there. I got through and at the eighth pole I thought I was going to be an easy winner. Then I saw that horse on the outside (Lexitonian) coming and I wasn't so sure. But we got there.”

Collusion Illusion is owned by a quartet of Washington State partners — Dan Agnew, Jerry Schneider, John Xitco and Dr. Rodney Orr.

Running third in the $250,000 Crosby was Law Abidin Citizen, who races for the same group that owns Collusion Illusion and also is trained by Glatt.

As the favorite, the Florida-bred winner paid $5.80, $3.60 and $2.80. He earned a check for $150,000 and moved his bankroll up to $398,751. He now has won five of his six lifetime starts. Collusion Illusion was bred by Don Dizney.

“We thought, looking on paper, they were going to go pretty fast,” said Glatt. “I didn't think my other horse (Law Abidin Citizen, 3rd) would be that close (early) but he hung in there very tough. He's a bit of an overachiever and I'm almost as proud of him as I am of Collusion Illusion. (Collusion Illusion) doesn't like dirt in his face and the way it set up he was going to have to go extremely wide to stay away from it. But the past couple days the rail has been getting better as a place to be and when he darted to the rail I knew he was going to be coming. I got a little worried if he was going to find a place to go, but he was able to and came through in the end.”

The Crosby was a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Race meaning Collusion Illusion has won a guaranteed starting spot – with all fees paid – to the 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint, which will be held at Keeneland in Lexington, KY, on Saturday, November 7.

Earlier on the card, the 2-year-old Governor Goteven scampered to a three and one-half length victory in the $100,000 CTBA Stakes for California-bred juvenile fillies.

She was ridden by Tiago Pereira and trained by Lisa Bernard, who was winning her first stakes race, as well as first race at Del Mar. Late last year the conditioner took over the horses of now-retired trainer Walther Solis and trains out of San Luis Rey Training Center.

The homebred daughter of Governor Charlie covered five and one half furlongs in 1:05.55 and earned a first prize of $57,000 to increase her earnings to $87,000 for her two wins in two starts. She paid $8.80, $3.00 and $2.20 across the board. Final time for the five and one-half furlong test was 1:05.55.

The winner is owned by her breeder – Templeton Horses – which is the nom du course of Linda Templeton of Warner Srpings, CA.

Finishing second was LeucadiaLand Stable's race favorite Big Andy and third went to C T R Stables Reign of Fire.

Prior to that race, Thousand Words beat favored Honor A.P. in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes, thus earning himself a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby if his connection choose to go.

Racing at Del Mar returns tomorrow with a first post of 2 p.m. PT

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Collusion Illusion, Fashionably Fast Top ‘Win And You’re In’ Bing Crosby

The 3-year-old Collusion Illusion and the 5-year-old Fashionably Fast lead a nine-horse field of talented sprinters in Saturday's 6-furlong, $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on NBCSN, with live coverage from Del Mar beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Bing Crosby winner will receive an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The three-hour program, in association with TVG, marks the fifth telecast this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Commentary and discussion for the telecast will be anchored by TVG's Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray. Post time for the Bing Crosby is 9:30 p.m. ET.

Collusion Illusion, trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Flavien Prat, has won four of five starts, but will be challenging older horses for the first time. He comes into the Bing Crosby off an excellent performance in the 6 ½-furlong Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park on June 20, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion won both his starts at Del Mar last year, breaking his maiden at 5 furlongs in July, and following up that performance with a win in the Best Pal Stakes (G2).

Collusion Illusion made his next start in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 27, and was pulled up in the stretch. After a nearly eight-month layoff, he returned in May for his 3-year-old debut with a sharp 3-length win in a 6-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita.

California-bred Fashionably Fast, trained by Dean Pederson and ridden by Tiago Pereira, won six consecutive races dating back to July of last year, including three at Del Mar, before stepping into graded stakes company in the 7-furlong Triple Bend (G2) at Santa Anita on June 7. He put up a tough battle against top older horse McKinzie into the stretch, but finished second by 1 ½ lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered McKinzie in the Bing Crosby, but said Wednesday that he would be scratched.

Prior to the Triple Bend, Fashionably Fast opened this year winning the California Cup Sprint Stakes and the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita.

A challenge from Kentucky comes from Calumet Farm's 4-year-old Lexitonian, who is being shipped to California following a scratch at the gate in last Saturday's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. A chestnut son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown, Lexitonian, trained by Jack Sisterson and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finished third by less than a length in last October's Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. After a 10th-place finish in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in April, Lexitonian rebounded with a solid win in a 7-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 29.

Harris Farm's 6-year-old gelding Desert Law fought Cistron down the stretch in last year's Bing Crosby Stakes, finishing second by a half-length. A California-bred son of Desert Code, trained by Carla Gaines, Desert Law made his first start of this year in the 6-furlong Thor's Echo Stakes on June 13 at Santa Anita, finishing third as the even-money favorite. Desert Law will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.

W.C. Racing's 4-year-old gelding Wildman Jack, winner of four of nine starts, will make his dirt track debut on Saturday. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Wildman Jack, a bay son of two-time Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents, made his biggest career score on March 7 when he captured the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) in stakes-record time at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. He was scheduled to make his next start in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan but the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the U.S. and won the Daytona Stakes (G3) on the turf at Santa Anita on May 23 by a nose over Sparky Ville. However, in his most recent start, he trailed the field in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11.

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Mandella May Try Pacific Classic Next After United’s Eddie Read Score

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella fired one of his big guns Sunday at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., and the boom shook the grounds and might reverberate forward to the shore track's biggest race of the season.

The veteran trainer gave Flavien Prat a leg up on his turf ace United for the $200,000 Eddie Read Stakes at nine furlongs on grass and watched him walk his beat for an impressive half-length tally.

Then he shook up a couple of turf writers afterwards when he said he's seriously considering Del Mar's signature race – the $500,000, Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic – as a next start for his ace even though the big chestnut son of Giant's Causeway has never run on the dirt.

“…this horse is training so well on the dirt, month after month, that I'm going to consider running him in the Pacific Classic,” Mandella said immediately following the victory. “I've been thinking all summer about it.”

That surprise set up a potential showdown between possibly the best grass horse on the grounds with possibly the best dirt horse in Maximum Security, who won his TVG Pacific Classic prep yesterday in a photo-finish thriller in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.

United ran the Grade 2 Read distance in 1:46.71 and, as the 7/5 favorite, paid $4.80, $3.40 and $2.60 across the board. The $120,000 share of the winner's purse pushed his bankroll to $1,453,549 for owner Larry, Nanci and Jaime Ross, who race under the name LNJ Foxwoods.

Finishing second in the Read was Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's Sharp Samurai and third was CYBT, Gevertz, Gitomer, et al's Neptune's Storm.

United, a 5-year-old gelding, is racing in some of the best form of his life. He's now three-for-three on the year after winning a pair of Grade 2 turf tests at Santa Anita earlier in the year.

Mandella, it is recalled, surprised folks at Del Mar previously in 2015 when he unexpectedly entered his filly Beholder in the TVG Pacific Classic against the boys and she proceeded to towrope them by more than eight lengths in a stunning performance.

The trainer has four wins in the Pacific Classic already.

FLAVIEN PRAT (United, winner) – “The race came up perfect. He broke real well and we got a great spot. We went along fine and when I asked him, he just went on with it. When you ride a really good horse like this, it makes things easier. Good horses do good things; they put you in good spots. It's all easier with his kind.”

RICHARD MANDELLA (United, winner) – “We ran him short (less distance) just to pick his head up. Sometimes you run them long too many times they get stale. But this horse is training so well on the dirt, month after month, I'm going to consider running him in the Pacific Classic. (United has run 12 times on turf and twice on synthetics in his career). I've been thinking all summer about it. We'll think about the Del Mar Handicap on turf, too, but if he keeps training on dirt as well as he has been…”

FRACTIONS: :23.88 :47.84 1:11.68 1:35.27 1:46.71

The victory in the Eddie Read was the third stakes win of the session so far for rider Prat and his third in the race itself. He now has 47 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The victory in the Eddie Read was the first stakes score of the meet for trainer Mandella, but his third in the Read. He now has 65 stakes wins at Del Mar, sixth most among all trainers.

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Prat Rides Four Winners, Sweeps Both Stakes As Del Mar Resumes Racing

Three-time Del Mar riding champ Flavien Prat overcame a battle with COVID-19 and returned to riding at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif., on Friday. He underscored his return to good health, good horses and good luck with a four-win afternoon including a sweep of the two stakes races on the program, the track's first since Sunday, July 12.

The 27-year-old Frenchman gave flawless rides to his quartet of winners, which included a 2 1/4-length tally on Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Big Sweep in the $125,000 Fleet Treat Stakes and a late-running neck score aboard Andrew Farm and O'Connor's Jo Jo Air in the Daisycutter Handicap.

Prat, who had ridden at Del Mar only on Opening Day, July 10, previously, was the track's leading jock last summer and projected himself back into the fray for this go round. He now has five winners to rank second on the riders' roster to Del Mar newcomer Umberto Rispoli and his eight firsts.

Big Sweep ran the seven furlongs of the Fleet Treat in 1:24.44 and paid $4.60 and $3.00 in a four-horse field that did not allow for show betting.

Jo Jo Air covered five furlongs on grass in :56.29 and paid $9.20, $4.80 and $3.60 across the board.

Finishing second in the Fleet Treat for California-breds was KMN Racing's Been Studying Her and third was Brown, Klein or Lebherz's Smiling Shirlee.

The runner-up in the $65,000 Daisycutter was LNJ Foxwoods' Lighthouse, while Fairview's Tomlin pulled in third.

Del Mar will continue its four-day weekend Saturday with an 11-race card starting at 2 p.m. A trio of stakes will be offered on the afternoon, including the $150,000 San Diego Handicap featuring the return to racing of champion Maximum Security.

FLAVIEN PRAT (Jo Jo Air, winner) — “It all fell into place. I watched videos of her races. She broke well and relaxed. We were right in behind the favorite (Stealthediamonds) and I felt good. Then she gave me her big kick. A good race for her.”

BLAKE HEAP (assistant to Wesley Ward, Jo Jo Air, winner) – “She shipped in from Kentucky before this was scheduled for last week (Saturday, July 18). So when it got cancelled, we've had her here for two weeks now. The extra week gave her time to acclimate and get a work over the (turf) course (July 19, 4f, :48.80) so it worked out really well. We knew the three (Stealthediamonds) was going to go fast early so I just told (Flavien Prat) to see how she breaks and save some running for the last. She's going back to Kentucky on Monday and Wesley will decide where she goes from there.”

FRACTIONS: :22.24 :44.83 :56.29

The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Prat and his first in the Daisycutter. He now has 46 stakes wins at Del Mar. It was also his fourth victory on the day's card.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Ward, but his second in the Daisycutter (2015, Shrinking Violet). He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owner is Richard Brodie (Andrew Farm) of Warren, MI and Mrs. Charlie O'Connor.

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