Reddam Racing’s More Complexity, the 7-2 second choice under jockey Mario Gutierrez, collared Sweet Marini with less than a sixteenth of a mile remaining and went on to score a half-length victory in Sunday’s featured $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for older California-bred fillies and mares.
More Complexity, well-placed in mid-pack in a field of nine distaff sprinters in the early stages of the seven-furlong race, responded gamely to overtake Sweet Marini who had swept to the lead in the upper stretch under jockey Martin Garcia but then was unable to withstand the winner’s challenge.
Sweet Marini held on to nose out Warren’s Veneda for runner-up honors, with Meinertzhageni another half-length back in fourth.
More Complexity, a three-year-old daughter of Square Eddie trained by Edward Freeman, ran the distance in 1:22.51 and returned $9.20, $5.80 and 4.20. First money of $57,000 after the filly’s fourth win in ten starts increased her earnings to $214,970.
Sweet Marini paid $7 and $5.20, while Warren’s Veneda returned $3.80 for third.
Forty-nine-year-old Kieren Fallon, a six-time British riding champion competing at Del Mar for the first time in his brilliant career, scored his initial victory at the seaside track, guiding Colonel Joan to a $20.40 upset in the seventh race at a mile and one-sixteenth on the grass.
In Sunday’s Pick Six, there were seven perfect tickets, each worth $56,855. With a carryover of $84,414 from Saturday and $594,462 in “new” money Sunday, the Pick Six pool totaled $678,876.
Sunday’s attendance was 7,546.
Racing resumes Thursday at Del Mar with the first race scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
MARIO GUTIERREZ (More Complexity, winner) – “She broke just a little slow, but that turned out to be good. I took a hold and tried to save all the ground I could. She’s going to come from the back and with this short stretch, I needed to save all I could. It worked out for the best.”
MARTIN GARCIA (Sweet Marini, second) – “She wanted to go; she was on it. I got banged at the start when the nine (Tribal Gal) came over. And my filly didn’t like that kickback too much. She was throwing her head. Maybe she should try the grass.”
TYLER BAZE (Warren’s Veneda, third) – “I was on the best horse. The winner (More Complexity) mucked me and Mike Smith (on Qiaona) out on the turn. I went from three wide to eight wide. My horse was best today, but didn’t get to show it.”
EDWARD FREEMAN (More Complexity, winner) – “She was here this summer and she has always loved this track. She’s been off since September, only because we were pointing for this race. Rather than rush her into something, we decided to take our time and try to win this. If we had gotten beat it would have been a silly idea, but now it looks all right. The whole race was a bit rough; she was never where I wanted her to be. But the good ones overcome it.”
FRACTIONS: :22.35 :45.35 1:09.89 1:22.51
This is the first running of the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar. Previously, it was run 17 times at Hollywood Park as the Cat’s Cradle Stakes.
This is Mario Gutierrez’s first stakes win of the meeting. He now has a total of five stakes wins at Del Mar.
This is Edward Freeman’s first stakes win of the meeting. He now has two stakes wins (2013 CTBA Stakes with Sprouts) at Del Mar.
The winning owner and breeder is J. Paul Reddam of Laguna Beach, CA.