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Pinehurst Wins Runhappy Futurity On Del Mar’s Closing Day

Pinehurst scooted to the front in the seven-furlong Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Monday, then just kept on scooting all the way around to score a handy 4 1/2-length triumph in the 74th edition of the seaside track's Grade 1, $300,000 2-year-old championship race.

It was closing afternoon for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's 82nd summer season in Del Mar, Calif., and it ended as many have over the past 25 years, with trainer Bob Baffert saddling the winner of the Futurity. This time was No. 15 for the Hall of Fame conditioner who has shown an affinity with young horses that few other trainers can even think of.

Another Hall of Famer, old pro Mike Smith, rode Pinehurst and nursed him through quick fractions of :22.09, :44.77, 1:10.17 and a final of 1:23.55. It was Smith's first stakes score of the summer and his first in the Futurity.

Finishing second was Lovingier, Fasihuddin or Navarro's Finneus, who had a half length on Downstream Racing's American Xperiment.

“When we ran last time, he stumbled pretty badly coming out of there, but he still made the lead,” said Smith. “So I knew he was plenty quick. We beat a horse that day (August 1) named Enbarr and I knew they were real high on him. So I figured I was sitting on a good horse. When you ride for Bob (trainer Baffert), you ride with confidence. He puts so much foundation under them and they all come running. So glad I got to win a stakes at Del Mar; and best to do it with a Grade 1.”

Pinehurst won a first prize of $180,000 for his efforts and, added to the $42,000 he was awarded for his maiden victory at Del Mar on Aug/. 1, he now shows a bankroll of $222,000. He's a bay colt by Twirling Candy who cost $385,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September Sale. Pinehurst was bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding. He races for SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm LLC.

Pinehurst paid $10.00, $5.40 and $4.00 across the board. Finneus returned $18.00 and $7.80 and American Xperiment paid $5.00.

Earlier in the card, ERJ Racing and Kenney's Mackinnon outran eight rivals in the $102,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf, finishing the mile on the grass in 1:36.24.

The winner was handled by Juan Hernandez and is trained by Doug O”Neill.

Finishing second was Aiden Butler's Thirty Four Coupe, just a nose ahead of Sierra Racing or Sterling Stables' Silver Surfer.

“He broke his maiden (here July 31) in a manner that we were hoping this day would come but you never know,” said O'Neill. “So much credit to the owners being so patient and Juan (Hernandez) being so patient with this colt. I was a little bit concerned as the race unfolded. I knew that (Optimising) was the X-factor. I knew he was in from Europe and had been working well and had great connections and was in a great spot. But when Juan called on MacKinnon and he responded I started smiling. If he stays injury free the ($1 Million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5) is the goal.”

Mackinnon earned $60,000 for his win and increased his bankroll to $117,860. As the 8/5 favorite he paid $5.20 $3.40 and $240. Thirty Four Coupe returned $14.60 and $7.00, while Silver Surfer paid $3.20.

Mackinnon is a chestnut colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Mackinnon and jockey Juan Hernandez win the Del Mar Juvenile Turf

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the “mandatory payout” pool reached $5,153,316 and rewarded 8,238 ticket holders with $561.74 each.

Racing will resume at Del Mar on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The track will host its second Breeders' Cup Championship on November 5 and 6.

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Gunite Powers Clear to Score in Hopeful Stakes

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebred colt Gunite had been highly regarded since his debut back in late April at Churchill Downs but had yet to put everything together for Steve Asmussen, who became the all-time winningest Nort

Gunite’s Hopeful Triumph Completes Grade 1 Saratoga Weekend Double For Gun Runner

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Gunite provided Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his third consecutive score in the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful, a seven-furlong sprint for juveniles, on Closing Day Monday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Asmussen, who won the Hopeful with Basin [2019] and Jackie's Warrior [2020], was joined by Gunite jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. in securing their respective fifth Grade 1 win of the 40-day Spa summer meet.

Wit, the 3-5 mutuel favorite out of a convincing score in the Grade 3 Sanford here July 17, stumbled at the break and dropped back to ninth in the 11-horse field as Headline Report led through an opening quarter-mile in 22.23 seconds on the good and harrowed main track.

Gunite, runner-up to Hopeful-rival High Oak last out in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, was jostled at the start exiting post 3 but quickly rushed into contention by Santana, Jr. to mark the half-mile in 44.49.

Wit, with Irad Ortiz,Jr. up, advanced into fourth position through the turn as Gunite put away pace-pressers Headline Report and Defend, opening up a 2 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call with High Oak launching his bid from fifth and Kevin's Folly, hugging the rail under Jose Lezcano, advancing with menace.

Gunite continued to find more down the lane under Santana, Jr.'s right-handed encouragement and drew off impressively to win by 5 3/4-lengths in a final time of 1:23.08. Wit stayed on strong to complete the exacta by three-lengths over Kevin's Folly.

“I loved how he went through the wire. He didn't get away great today. Ricardo said there was just a little bit of bumping,” Asmussen said. “Going 22 and 1 to 44 and 2, and to look how he did it to the wire, it's going to be exciting going forward. I was concerned we weren't where we expected to be in the first hundred yards. But I watched the race from up the stretch and Ricardo, coming into the stretch, moved his hands a bit but had him plenty gathered up. I felt really good then.

“It's state of mind,” added Asmussen regarding Gunite's development. “We've been aggressive with him and he's put on weight and gotten stronger the whole time. We've been through the roof with how well he's doing.”

The Asmussen-trained and Santana, Jr. piloted Echo Zulu provided Gun Runner – the 2017 Horse of the Year under Asmussen's care – with his first Grade 1-winner as a sire by capturing Sunday's Grade 1 Spinaway at the Spa and Gunite doubled that number with a dominant Hopeful score.

Asmussen said Gunite, who graduated at third asking sprinting six furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 26, improved with added ground.

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“The distance; it was a little too short,” Asmussen said of Gunite's first two starts. “But we were anxious to get the Gun Runners running. He's from a solid sprint family of the Winchells with Gun Runner giving him some endurance. But he's very durable, mentally and physically. As much pressure as we put on him, he accepted it.”

Ortiz, Jr. tipped his cap to the winner after a troubled trip aboard the previously undefeated Wit.

“He got beat by a nice horse. He stumbled a little bit at the beginning and he tried hard to overcome that,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I had to hustle him and ask him to get position to get there on time, but it was too much. It looks like he can [stretch out].”

Pletcher said Wit performed well under difficult circumstances.

“He probably compromised himself,” Pletcher said. “I thought he put in a good, sustained run. It was a tough spot to come from.

“He took a decent chunk out of both quarters,” added Pletcher. “I'm not saying he felt it during the race. It was the result of stumbling away from there.”

Asmussen became North American racing's all-time winningest conditioner in August when Stellar Tap won on Whitney Day to provide the Hall of Famer his 9,446th win, eclipsing the mark of 9,445 victories held by the late Dale Baird.

The 55-year-old Asmussen, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, enjoyed a stellar Spa summer meet, additionally winning Grade 1s with Jackie's Warrior [H. Allen Jerkens Memorial], Yaupon [Forego] and Max Player [Jockey Club Gold Cup].

Santana, Jr, who was aboard for the Grade 1 wins with Yaupon and Max Player, also engineered a top-flight victory with Maracuja in the Coaching Club American Oaks.

The 28-year-old Santana, Jr. said he was in awe of his accomplishments at Saratoga this summer.

“It's special. Saratoga is one of the best tracks in North America. I'm really blessed. Five Grade 1 wins in one meet is unreal,” Santana, Jr. said.

High Oak, Power Agenda, Big Scully, Volcanic, Headline Report, Kitodan, Defend and Street Fight rounded out the order of finish.

Out of the stakes winning Cowboy Cal mare Simple Surprise, Gunite, a Kentucky homebred, banked $165,000 in victory while improving his record to 5-2-2-1. He returned $25.20 for a $2 win ticket.

Asmussen said Gunite will now target the one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne on October 2 at Belmont Park, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar.

“I love him for more 2-year-old races this year. We know what we want his next two races to be and we feel really good about them,” Asmussen said. “The Champagne and the Breeders' Cup are what we're hoping his next two races are. I love his style for the Juvenile. He's going to travel and we'll try to take it. We're very proud of him.”

Live racing returns Thursday, September 16 for Opening Day of the 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, featuring the Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase handicap for 4-year-olds and up.

The Belmont Park fall meet, which will run from Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, October 31, will include five Grade 1 races and five “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar.

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Runhappy Filly Runup Upsets Sorority Stakes At Monmouth

Runup, a James McIngvale homebred 2-year-old filly by his heavily promoted stallion Runhappy, posted a front-running $31 upset in Monday's $200,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Trained by Laura Wohlers and ridden to victory by Joseph Ramos, Runup outhustled Jumeirah to her immediate outside to grab the early lead, cruised through fractions of :23.73, :47.69 and 1:12.74 en route to an unchallenged three-length victory clocked in 1:39.82 on a fast main track.

Jumeirah held second, with 6-5 favorite Gimmick third and Microbiome fourth, You Look Cold fifth and Kingdom Queen rounding out the field of six juvenile fillies. Maestria was scratched.

Produced from the Street Cry mare Up the Street, Runup was bred in Maryland and began her racing career on turf at Colonial Downs in Virginia, finishing third in a maiden race behind Cavalier Cupid. who came out of that race to win the Keswick Stakes at Colonial.

Runup graduated next out in a $40,000 maiden claiming event at Pimlico on Aug. 13, going wire to wire to win by 6 1/4 lengths. She is from the second crop by sprint champion Runhappy, who stands at Claiborne Farm.

“She ran a big race,” said Wohlers. “She's still a little green and she has a lot of improvement to make but she ran a nice race. I really didn't worry about her trying two turns. She's one of those fillies that, in the morning, in her gallops or at a clip, she's still in the bridle at the end. So I really wasn't worried about the distance. I was more concerned about her stepping up into this company with her still being green. She's a little hard to gallop. She's always on the go, like her dad (Runhappy) was. I think she is going to improve the more she runs. We're really happy today. Of course, we're happy for Runhappy. He's our boy.

“She's very fast,” Wohlers added. “You always wonder if they're going to be able to convert that into a distance and going two turns. With the exception of her dad she probably has more speed than any horse we've had in our barn since then. I think she does want to go long and I think she showed today she can do it.”

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“I rode a filly at Indiana Grand for Laura and she told me she had another filly she liked and asked me if I would go to Monmouth Park to ride her,” said Ramos. “That's how I wound up getting the mount. I came in just for this race. It's my first time at Monmouth Park. There was a lot of speed in this race but my filly also has good speed and they felt she would have no trouble going long. She broke out of there so sharp. I kept her relaxed and started talking to her at the quarter pole and she responded for me. I was thinking then that maybe I had this race because they were not coming at me. She's a nice filly. She loves to run. I was a little worried about the two turns because she had only sprinted in her two races before this one. But she went right to the front and just kept going.”

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