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Mendez Celebrates Dr. Schivel, Prepares Two For CTBA Stakes

The eyes of Luis Mendez took on a little extra sparkle Sunday morning when the subject turned to Dr. Schivel's victory on Saturday in the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Mendez trained Dr. Schivel in his first four career starts as a 2-year-old in 2020, culminating in a victory in the $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. The colt was privately purchased after an impressive maiden victory a month earlier and the new ownership, Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, kept him in Mendez's care through the Futurity pending transfer to the stable of Mark Glatt.

And even though Dr. Schivel is no longer on his shedrow, the horse's success understandably generates feelings of pride in Mendez.

“It was beautiful, lovely, the best possible feeling,” Mendez said. “I'm really happy for the owners and Mark Glatt, too. I'm glad that the horse keeps going up and up. We had a barbeque and watched the race. I got some texts from people saying congratulations. It makes you feel good inside.”

Getting Dr. Schivel to the point he did has had a positive effect on Mendez and his career.

“I'm more comfortable and confident,” Mendez said. “Trainers I respect are now asking me (for advice) sometimes and I take that as a compliment.”

There's a large wooden sign with his name on it that identifies the area where Mendez has 18 stalls in the Del Mar stable area. And he'll saddle a couple of prospects from those stalls when Week Four of the summer season starts Thursday.

Mendez has Ko Olina and Drizella entered in Thursday's featured $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies.

Sagely, Mendez isn't about to favor one over the other. He just cites their individual characteristics and is glad that sorting out the jockey assignments for them worked out without excess stress on himself.

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Edwin Maldonado, who had ridden them both in recent maiden wins, opted for Ko Olina, a daughter of Stanford owned by C T R Stables. That put Juan Hernadez, who had ridden Drizella in her first two starts, comfortably back in the irons of another daughter of Stanford owned by William R. Peeples.

“Ko Olina had me worried before she won here because she was really nervous and washed out before the race,” Mendez said. “Drizella had been very aggressive and kind of nervous going to the track to train before, but I like the way she has settled down and is acting now.”

The CTBA field from the rail with jockeys in parenthesis: Madiha (Umberto Rispoli); At the Spa (Tyler Baze); Lion's Lair (Tiago Pereira); Gianna's Wild Cat (Jessica Pyfer); Carmen Miranda (Giovanni Franco); Irish Wahine (Abel Cedillo); It's Simple (Mario Gutierrez); Ko Olina (Edwin Maldonado) and Drizella (Juan Hernandez).

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Upcoming Del Mar Stakes Feature Two-Year-Olds, Rock Your World

Four stakes that spotlight promising 2-year-olds, the second leg of the series for 3-year-olds, and the 69th running of the Yellow Ribbon for older fillies and mares on turf comprise a six-pack of added-money events for the fourth week of the meeting starting Thursday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Stakes, at 5 ½ furlongs for California-bred 2-year-old fillies initiates things on Thursday. From a list of 12 nominations, a field of nine was entered Saturday with Jorge Periban-trained At the Spa significantly coming in off a victory in a $100,000 stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., in June.

The post position draw was to be held later in the day. The field in alphabetical order with jockeys in parenthesis: At the Spa (Tyler Baze); Carmen Miranda (Giovanni Franco); Drizella (Juan Hernandez); Gianna's Wild Cat (Jessica Pyfer); Irish Wahine (Abel Cedillo); It's Simple (Mario Gutierrez); Ko Olina (Edwin Maldonado); Lion's Lair (Tiago Pereira) and Madiha (Umberto Rispoli).

Friday's feature is the $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, often a stepping stone to the $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante near the end of the meeting. Bob Baffert, a seven-time Sorrento-winning trainer, has three of the 22 nominees.

Saturday card features the $200,000 Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon and the $200,000 Best Pal. The Yellow Ribbon, at 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, drew a dozen nominees topped by Simon Callaghan-trained Maxim Rate, winner of the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita in May.

The Best Pal, often an identifier of potential for the $300,000 Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on closing day of the meeting, has 16 nominations, six of whom have been training outside California.

The week concludes Sunday with the $150,000 Grade 3 La Jolla, the second leg of the series for 3-year-olds, and the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds.

John Sadler-trained Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World is among 15 nominations for the La Jolla, a return to turf racing for the son of Candy Ride after unsuccessful Triple Crown trail runs in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Fourteen were nominated to the Graduation, among them Luis Mendez-trained Big City Lights, a winner of two starts by a combined 19 ¾ lengths.

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At the Spa Shakes Off Competition For Fasig-Tipton Debutante Win

A seven-length first-out maiden winner versus statebreds on May 7, Terry Lovingier's homebred At the Spa made it look easy in open company on Sunday at Santa Anita, as she dispatched of favored Laurel Canyon turning for home en route to a 2 ¼ length score in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante Stakes. Trained by Jorge Periban and ridden by Tyler Baze, At the Spa got five furlongs in :59.79.

With Laurel Canyon hustled from her rail post, At the Spa was immediately alongside as the two fillies raced as a team into the far turn. With Baze riding confidently, At the Spa shook loose of her competition a furlong out and proved much the best.

“Today, she had to fight it out a little bit and she prevailed,” said Baze, who also won the day's previous race aboard Restrainedvengence in the Grade 3 American Stakes. “She's matured so much from the first race, she's just getting better. It's going to be a bright future for her.”

Off as the second choice at 9-5 among a field of five juvenile fillies, At the Spa paid $5.80, $3.20, and $2.20.

“I really feel excited because this filly really is a big filly,” said Periban. “Since the beginning, I knew she had so much talent, a lot of ability. I told Baze, before she ran, 'I got something for you.' And he believed me because we're a good team. I had a lot of confidence, mucho. I can't say what it was, but it was something in my heart (that) said today's going to be another win.”

Breeder and co-owner Terry Lovingier was thrilled with At the Spa's performance. “It was so exciting watching them come down. Watching two babies that I bred draw off together was very cool. I wasn't sure if the gray filly was going to get to her or not.”

Owned by Lovingier, Tom Beckerle, and Saul Carrillo, At the Spa is by the Uncle Mo stallion Outwork and is out of the Smoke Glacken mare Spa Creek. With today's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $107,580.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Munny Penny, who loomed ominously while third turning for home, was second-best on the day, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Laurel Canyon. Off at 6-1, Munny Penny paid $4.80 and $2.60.

Laurel Canyon, a California-bred who broke her maiden at first asking at Gulfstream Park May 13, was ridden by Flavien Prat and paid $2.20 to show while off at odds of 8-5.

Fractions for the race were :22.17 for the first quarter and :46.40 for the half-mile.

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Restrainedvengence Gets First Graded Stakes Victory In American Stakes

Owner/trainer Val Brinkerhoff's consistent 6-year-old gelding Restrainedvengence kept to his task and overhauled favored Neptune's Storm late to notch his first-ever graded stakes victory, as he took Sunday's $100,000 Grade 3 American Stakes by a half-length at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Restrainedvengence got one mile on turf in 1:33.87.

With longshot Sash gunning from his outside post, Neptune's Storm tracked him while second by 1 ½ lengths as Restrainedvengence sat third by a similar margin around the Club House turn. Heading to the quarter pole, it appeared Neptune's Storm, ridden by Flavien Prat, had matters in hand as he reeled in Sash and took charge turning for home.

But Restrainedvengence had plenty left to say, as he wheeled three-deep at the top of the lane while about two lengths off the lead and gradually gained the ascendency inside the sixteenth pole to win going away.

“First of all, I'm most thankful to have Tyler stick with the horse because I haven't been able to get anyone to stick with my horse,” said Brinkerhoff, who purchased the horse for $65,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling. “He likes him and he's come to know him, to win a graded stakes at Santa Anita for me, is just the best thing that ever happened for a long time.

“When I first got him and broke him, I mean he's been a handful, but you love him because he's so good. He's just hard to deal with, when he wants to do something, I just give up and let him do it, and then we go back and start over. I think his attitude has made him be a champion because he wants to do what he wants to do and he loves to run.”

A Kentucky-bred by the Giant's Causeway stallion Hold Me Back, Restrainedvengence, who was most recently third in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile here on May 31, was off at 3-1 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $8.80, $3.60 and $2.60.

“He always tries,” said Baze. “We kind of figured out a couple of things with him a couple of races ago and he was real primed to run a huge race today. I won on him before in New Mexico and I had the chance to get back on him this year. He's done nothing but try hard and just been a great horse for Val.”

Owned by Val Brinkerhoff's wife Kelly and Bob Grayson, Jr., Restrainedvengence, who is out of the Red Ransom mare Cupids Revenge, now has a total of seven stakes wins and an overall mark of 31-9-4-3. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $768,182.

Idle since Sept. 7 and in his first start for Peter Miller, Neptune's Storm appeared to have a perfect trip but couldn't go with the winner late. Off at 4-5, he paid $2.60 and $2.20 while finishing a half-length in front of an on-rushing Tiz Plus.

Ridden by Trevor McCarthy and a first-time gelding today, Tiz Plus was off at 17-1 and rallied well for third money as he returned $3.20 to show.

Fractions for the American Stakes were :22.91, :45.88, 1:09.34, and 1:21.64.

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