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San Clemente Handicap

DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA                                                                     AUGUST 1, 2009

SAN CLEMENTE HANDICAP

$150,000  Gr II  3-y-o F – 1m – Turf

ALEX SOLIS (Starlarks) – “We got squeezed a little bit at the break and that could have been the best thing that could have happened to us. She took herself back and the way they were going up front, it couldn’t have been better. We always thought she could be this kind of filly; she was just a little immature – needed to do some growing up. But she might have done some of that today.
This was an ideal race for her. She showed just how good she can be.”

MARTIN GARCIA (Strawberry Tart) – “Tough beat. For a second there I thought I had it….”

DANNY SORENSON (Hameildaeme) – “She’s a feisty little filly. (She refused to load for several minutes and the rider had to dismount and remount her in the gate.) She’s been like that since Day 1. But we’ll get that fixed and she’ll wind up winning a race like this one day. She can do that. You can count on it.”

TYLER BAZE (Carlsbad) – “She heard him smooching (jockey David Flores on Oilgonewile, who raced for the lead alongside Carlsbad) and when she did she was gone. He was sending away from there and when he did my filly was going too. When we got over to the backside I got her to come back to me, but by then it was too late. She’d already gone :21 (:21.57). It was suicide.”

PATRICK GALLAGHER (Starlarks) -- “When I saw the early fractions, I was feeling good, but I’m sure the others were, too. Alex [Solis] thought she could do this. She’s been in a lot of trouble in her races, but today he got her in the clear and she finished strong. She’s been improving little by little over the past time, and she really worked well on the grass the other day.”

NEXT START? “She’s eligible for the [Del Mar] Oaks. It would be quite a step up for her, but maybe she can do it.”

(The Grade I Del Mar Oaks will be run Saturday, August 22.)

FRACTIONS:  :21.57  :45.14  1:09.60  1:21.84  1:33.82

The stakes win was the first of the meet for Alex Solis and his third in the San Clemente. It is his 92nd stakes victory at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for Paddy Gallagher and his first in the San Clemente. He now has seven stakes wins at Del Mar.

The owner of Starlarks – Dolantori Racing – is the nom de course for Dolan Mueller of Visalia, California.

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