Medoro © Benoit Photo
Top rider Juan Hernandez did what he does best on closing day at Del Mar Monday, capturing the main stakes race on the card for his 14th added money score of the session. He handled C R K Stable’s Medoro perfectly and allowed the 5-year-old bay mare to come away a one-length winner in the nine furlong turf test that was the John C. Mabee Stakes, a $250,000, grade II offering.
Hernandez’s stakes compilation fell just one shy of the track’s record for a single meet behind the 15 by Flavien Prat in 2020.
Medoro earned a first prize of $150,000 in the feature pushing her career earnings to $828,278. This was her seventh win for trainer Peter Eurton. She paid $8.60 for the victory after covering the distance in 1:47.61.
Finishing second in the Mabee was the race favorite in Thought Process, owned by The Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables. She was a length and three quarters better than the show horse, P and G Stables’ Bojaca Blessing.
Earlier on the card, Desert Sun Stables and partners’ Early Encore went favored at 9/10 and got the job done by six and a quarter lengths in the $100,500 I’m Smokin Stakes for juvenile Cal-breds. The winner returned $3.80 to his backers in the closing-day crowd.
Finishing second in the six-panel dash accomplished in 1:11.32 was Reddam Racing’s Net Par, who was a length and a quarter better than Flores, Lovingier and Moroney’s Cupid Cowboy.
Del Mar now goes on hiatus until it returns for its 13th Bing Crosby Season starting on November 6.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Medoro, winner) – “I was tracking Hector’s mare (Hector I. Berrios on favored Thought Process). My mare was running really well. When it was time to go, she really went. It’s been a good meet for me. This is my 14 stakes win. The trainers who ride me do right by me.”
PETER EURTON (Medoro, winner) – “Juan (Hernandez) had her in such a good spot. He said down the backside he thought he had to go get the filly (Thought Process) early and what a kick she had today. Anytime she wins it’s nice especially here back home in a Grade II. It feels good. I thought she would do better back east but I think the soft going got her. That’s what I told Lee (Searing) and that’s why he let me bring her out here. The firm grass sure helped.”
FRACTIONS: :24.14:47.90 1:12.17 1:35.99 1:47.61
The stakes win was the 14th of the meet for rider Hernandez and his third in the John C. Mabee. He now has 79 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Eurton and his first in the Mabee. He now has 14 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing of Arcadia, CA.