For the second consecutive racing day, there were no perfect tickets in the Pick Six Friday at Del Mar. Thus, Saturday’s nine-race program at the seaside oval will feature a Pick Six carryover of $147,102, beginning with race number four.
The afternoon began with a carryover of $39,638 from Thursday’s races. “New” money bet Friday was $201,157 for a grand total of $240,795. However, upsets dominated the card with only a single favorite, Practising at $6.60 in the seventh, finding the winner’s circle in the Pick Six races.
Post time for the first race Saturday will be 12:30 p.m.
Friday’s headliner was a five-furlong sprint for a purse of $65,000 on the infield turf course and it was won in wire-to-wire fashion by Distinctiv Passion under jockey Edwin Maldonado. Distinctiv Passion, the 2-1 second choice in a field of five older runners, scored by 1 ¾ lengths over Sweet Swap, the even-money favorite. Ankeny Hill was third.
Distinctiv Passion, a four-year-old son of With Distinction owned by Brown, Klein and Lebherz and trained by Jeff Bonde, ran the distance in a quick 55.60 and paid $6.40. It was his fifth victory in a dozen career starts.
Tyler Baze was the day’s riding star as he booted in three winners to move into the top spot in the jockey standings after five days of Del Mar’s fall Bing Crosby Season.
Baze won the third aboard Aquacita at $10, the fourth on Nextdoorneighbor at $20.20 and the eighth astride Dr. Vincentstein for a $16 payoff. Baze now has six winners, one more than Elvis Trujillo.
Friday’s attendance was 4,595.