Net Par (right) defeats King Kameha | Benoit Photo
Reddam Racing’s homebred Net Par found an extra gear inside the sixteenth pole, then hung tough late to capture Friday’s 75th running of the Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds by the slimmest of margins.
The gray son of Pavel ran the five and one-half furlongs in 1:04.83 in nipping Griffin Stables, Lovingier and Moroney’s King Kameha by a nose. Finishing third another length and a quarter back was race favorite Early Encore, who wears the silks of Desert Sun Stables, Saints or Sinners and partners.
Net Par was ridden by Del Mar’s leading rider, Juan Hernandez, who was capturing his third edition of the dash. He is trained by Antonio Garcia, who registered his first victory in the Graduation. The winner paid $11.80 and picked up a check from the $100,500 purse for $57,000.
In the day’s eighth and final test on the card. Rafael Martinez’s Grandisimo came home on top and paid his backers a whopping $116.20 for $2. The gelding also ensured another Pick Six carryover at the session, this one amounting to $148,537.
That amount will be in the pot to start off Saturday’s Pick Six, which begins on Race 5 of the 10-race card. First post is the usual 2 p.m. and the initial Pick Six race should go off at approximately 4:30 p.m.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Net Par, winner) – “We had a good trip. Coming through the lane he was running on the wrong lead. But then that other horse (King Kameha) came up outside him and he dug in and switched back to the other lead. He ran hard and finished up well.”
ANTONIO GARCIA (Net Par, winner) – “We thought the Sadler horse (Early Encore) was tough and had some speed and we knew the seven (Fumano’s Fire) was probably wanting to go out there and take his chance. He’s still a little green. Juan was telling me he was stubborn in the gate then it took him a little bit to switch leads and he was waiting on the horses. But when that horse came to him on the outside he dug in and got it done.”
FRACTIONS: :21.68 :45.51 :58.38 1:04.82
The stakes win was the third of the meet for rider Hernandez and his third in the Graduation. The stakes win the first of the meet and first in the Graduation for Garcia.
Hernandez now has 68 sakes wins at Del Mar.
Garcia now has two stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner – and breeder – was J. Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing.