Acclimate © Benoit Photo
California-bred Acclimate, masterfully-rated on the lead by jockey Florent Geroux, went to the front shortly after the start and won the marathon Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Handicap presented by the Japan Racing Association from wire-to-wire Saturday.
The five-year-old son of Acclamation, owned by the Ellwood Johnston Trust and Timmy Time Racing, set a comfortable pace in the mile and three-eighths distance test on the grass and had enough in reserve to score by one length in 2:12.71 over Oscar Dominguez. Ritzy A.P. was third, a length behind the second-place runner and a neck in front of Blended Citizen.
The Great Day, the 9-5 favorite, was fifth, while 2-1 supported Marckie’s Water was seventh and last. Withdrawn from the Del Mar ‘Cap were United and Arizona Moon.
Acclimate, winner of the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita in June, qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November since the Del Mar Handicap is a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series event.
Sent postward at 7-1, Acclimate, who is trained by Phil D’Amato, returned $16.60, $8.00 and $6.00 while earning first prize of $150,000 to elevate his total earnings to $325,872. Oscar Dominguez paid $11.40 and $6.20, while Ritzy A.P. returned $6.20 to show.
In the $100,000 Green Flash Handicap, a supporting feature on TVG Pacific Classic Day, Jay Em Ess Stable’s razor-sharp Mr Vargas darted to the lead in the first few strides and cruised to an easy triumph under jockey Joe Talamo.
Mr Vargas, third choice in the betting at 3-1, tallied by two and one-quarter lengths over the 6-5 favorite, Eddie Haskell, with 2-1 Stormy Liberal another half-length back in third. Undrafted was fourth in the field of six grass course sprinters.
Mr Vargas, a gelded five-year-old son of Midshipman trained by Brian Koriner, ran the five furlongs on turf in :56.15 and returned $8.40, $3.80 and $2.40 after recording his fourth win in eleven starts. First prize of $60,000 increased his earnings to $198,185. It was Mr Vargas’ first success in a stakes and second victory at Del Mar this summer.
Eddie Haskell, who had a three-race win streak snapped in the Green Flash Handicap, paid $2.80 and $2.10, while Stormy Liberal, the two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, returned $2.20 after his first start since last March.
FLORENT GEROUX (Acclimate, winner) – “It worked out very well. The horse was sharp. He went to the front easily. And he ran relaxed all the way.”
JOE TALAMO (Oscar Dominguez, second) – “We had our trip. The leader just never came back to us.”
MARTIN GARCIA (Ritzy A.P., third) – “Too easy up front for the winner. I wanted to go get him, but I couldn’t move my horse too soon.”
PHIL D’AMATO (Acclimate, winner) – “He had been breezing up a storm, so I knew he was in good form. But you’re up against a lot of nice horses and it’s great that he proved the best today.”
FRACTIONS: :24.12 :47.70 1:11.97 1:36.15 2:00.28 2:12.71
The stakes win was the first of the meet and first in the Del Mar Handicap for rider Geroux. His only other stakes score at Del Mar came in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Gun Runner.
The stakes win was the second of the meet and fifth in the Del Mar Handicap for trainer D’Amato. (He has won five of the last six runnings of the race.) He now has 25 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The owners are Timmy Time Racing (the nom de course for Tim Henry of Fresno) and the Elwood Johnson Trust, the nom de course for Old English Rancho of Sanger, CA.