By Hank Wesch

DESORMEAUX EXPERIENCING A REIN-AISSANCE ON RETURN TO DEL MAR

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux is Southern California and Del Mar based for the first time since 2005. And look who’s at the top of the rider standings going into Sunday’s racing program.

It’s the 44-year-old Desormeaux, with 12 wins from 54 mounts, two more than Tyler Baze and Elvis Trujillo. Desormeaux’s 22 percent win rate also is the best among the colony’s top riders, two points higher than Mike Smith.

“I feel like I’ve been getting some extraordinary support from the California horsemen,” Desormeaux said  Saturday morning. “It has been wonderful. I think I’m getting ample opportunities and I’m very fortunate so far.”

A Southern California circuit staple from 1990-2005, Desormeaux went East for the greater number of tracks, races and earnings potential than was available in California. According to Equibase statistics he averaged 725 mounts, 123 wins and $8.3 million in purse earnings annually from 2006-2013.

The highs were 2008, when victories aboard Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness triggered $15.6 million in earnings and 2009 when a Belmont Stakes win on Summer Bird contributed to $13.2 million. The numbers in most categories had dipped significantly from 2010 to 2013, however.

“I added some notches in the belt including a Kentucky Derby (his third) so,  of course it was a good venture,” Desormeaux said. “But it’s a lot more demanding on a person. I was moving, personally, with everything I owned, nine times a year. You come to appreciate the California way of racing life in that you can live in one home and treat Del Mar as a working vacation.”

Desormeaux won Del Mar riding titles in 1993, ’94 and ’97. In 1993 he was a heavy contributor to the second straight training title for his longtime friend and supporter Bob Hess, Jr.

“As a friend and a business partner, I see a win-win for horse racing, for Kent and for me to have him back,” said Hess, who is tied for seventh in the trainer standing. “He’s a great rider but his biggest asset as relates to me is that he tells me what I need to hear about a horse, not what I want to hear. That helps me to do the best thing for my clients and their horses.”

Should Desormeaux win a meet title, the 17-year gap between such accomplishments would be the largest in track history.

“I’m just going to enjoy what’s going on.” Desormeaux said. “Hopefully I’ll have a chance to do such a thing.  If it happens it would be great. I just want to keep all the horsemen happy and the talk as it is.

“It would be incredible at this stage of my career. I’m not going to say I can or can’t do it, but I would need a lot more business. I’m riding three and four a day and the riders that I’m (atop the standings) with are riding the card. I’d like to ride eight a day, but that’s currently not the case.

“I’m hoping that after these first few weeks the numbers will increase.”

TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC WATCH, THIRD EDITION, THREE WEEKS OUT

Gold Cup winner Majestic Harbor continued his every seventh day work pattern, going six furlongs in 1:13.20 Sunday morning.

“Just a maintenance move but it went well and we were pleased with it,” said trainer Sean McCarthy. Exercise rider Jack Stack was aboard in relief of regular jockey and new father Tyler Baze.

“Jack’s my regular rider at home (Santa Anita) so he knows the horse well,” McCarthy said. “With Tyler with the baby coming and everything I told Tyler not to hustle back here. Jack came down to fill in and it worked out fine.”

Other Pacific Classic candidates also stayed on schedule. Defending champion Game On Dude went 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 on Thursday. Unbeaten Shared Belief covered five furlongs in 1:01.60 at Golden Gate Fields on Tuesday.  And Gold Cup runner-up Clubhouse Ride went a mile in 1:41.00 on Saturday.

Candy Boy, who has been listed as a Pacific Classic “possible,” was narrowly edged by Tapiture in the West Virginia Derby on Saturday.

European-based horses Toast of New York and Cat O’Mountain remain in the picture.  Plans for Cat O’Mountain are to  ship after a workout at Kempton, England on Wednesday. Toast of New York’s journey from England is scheduled to commence on August 16 with his track arrival on August 18, the Monday before Del Mar’s $1 million signature event.                   

HIRSCH TOP THREE EXIT RACE IN GOOD ORDER

Iotapa was fine following her half-length victory in Saturday’s Grade I $300,250 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. And after reviewing the videotape, Larry Benavidez, assistant to trainer John Sadler, had an answer to questions regarding her somewhat swerving course in the stretch.

“Joe (Talamo) makes her switch leads, and that’s all it is,” Benavidez said. “He knows when she switches leads she takes off again and has a better gear. When most horses switch leads there’s more (energy) left. When she switches leads, she just explodes again.”

The Clement L. Hirsch being a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff, plans are for Iotapa to use the Zenyatta Stakes in October at Santa Anita as Distaff prep.

Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Broken Sword and Parranda, the 2-3 finishers in the Hirsch also returned well. Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward said Broken Sword could conceivably run again in the Yellow Ribbon on Labor Day.

“It was a terrific effort (by Broken Sword),” Ward said. “We had two wins, two seconds and a third (Saturday). It was a good day. We’re very happy.”

O’NEILL TAKES DOUBLE-BARREL APPROACH IN BEST PAL

Trainer Doug O’Neill will saddle Bad Read Sanchez, the 3-1 second choice behind 5-2 Story to Tell, and 10-1 Henry’s Holiday in Sunday’s $200,000 Grade II Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Bad Read Sanchez finshed 1 ¼ lengths behind Story to Tell in the Willard Proctor Memorial at Los Alamitos on July 13. Henry’s Holiday was fourth behind O’Neill’s Wake Up Nick in the Santa Anita Juvenile on June 22. Wake Up Nick went on to win the Graduation Stakes here last Wednesday.

“(Bad Read Sanchez) is such a solid, honest horse and he came out of his Los Al race in good order.” O’Neill said. “ He drew a good post and we’re looking for big things out of him. (Henry’s Holiday) is a trier and he’ll be running through the lane. He’s not without a chance.”

Trainer Mark Casse scratched Conquest Bigluck E from the Best Pal on Saturday morning and will saddle Skyway.

“Skyway broke his maiden at Keeneland and I think he’s run better on the synthetic than he did on the dirt (third in Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs on June 28).”

Casse was the underbidder on Bad Read Sanchez when the Warrior’s Reward colt sold for $130,000 at the Keeneland September Sale in 2013 and was unsuccessful in an attempt to purchase him privately from owner J. Paul Reddam.

“Now I’ve got to run against him,” Casse noted.

WHAT’S IN A NAME -- In 1990, Best Pal won the Balboa Stakes, later named in his honor, and Del Mar Futurity. In 1991 he won the first Pacific Classic. Best Pal was the harbinger and preeminent among a string of standouts for the Golden Eagle Farm of John and Betty Mabee.

BAZE WATCH: NEW DAD RESUMES HUNT FOR 2,000

Jockey Tyler Baze’s wife Christina gave birth to a 7 pound 3-ounce girl, Emilia Saturday afternoon. The new father was back working horses Sunday morning and, after two days away attending the birth of the couple’s first child, Baze will be looking for the one victory he needs to reach the 2,000 career milestone.

Baze’s seven mounts on the nine-race card are: Midnight Roar (1st, 8-1), Bee Brave (2nd, 5-2), Stylistic (4th, 6-1), Zendal (6th, 20-1), Friendswith K Mill (7th, 5-1), Henry’s Holiday (8th, 10-1) and J Serino (9th, 6-1).

TRAKUS FACTS FOR SATURDAY

Parranda, third in the Clement Hirsch Stakes, covered the widest trip, going 28 feet more than winner Iotapa. That distance equates to approximately 3 ¼ lengths, just slightly more than her  margin of defeat.

THIRD CONDITION BOOK AVAILABLE TUESDAY

Del Mar’s executive vice president for racing Tom Robbins alerts horsemen that the racing office’s Condition Book No. 3 will be available on-line this Tuesday at midday on the track’s website --- delmarracing.com

The book, which covers the period from Wednesday, August 13 to Sunday, August 24, will be in hand in the racing office Wednesday morning. One final condition book remains following book No. 3. That book will  cover racing from Wednesday, August 27 to closing day, Wednesday, September 3.

CLOSERS – Employees of Del Mar, Premier and Sportech, along with families and friends, are invited to a night at Harrah’s Resort Southern California immediately following the races on Sunday. Buses will be waiting outside the Del Mar executive offices at 6:30 and 6:45. There will be a $40 buy-in poker tournament which supports the “Relay for Life” fight against cancer. Departure buses from Harrah’s will leave at 10:30 p.m. and midnight … Ship and Win eligible horses on the Sunday card are: Bunairgead (2nd, Jim Cassidy trainer), Love Blind (2nd, Art Sherman), Lirica Heat (4th, Barry Abrams), Prime Agenda (5th, Peter Miller), Dallon’s Gold (5th, Val Brinkerhoff), Finallygotabentley (7th, Carla Gaines), Patrioticandproud (7th, Mark Casse), Winning Machine (7th, Gary Mandella), Skyway (8th, Mark Casse, no bonus, stakes) and Noble Bird (9th, Mark Casse) … Selected workouts from 230 timed Sunday – Educating (4f, :47.60), Mr. Commons (4f, :48.80), Enterprising (5f, 1:02.00), Majestic Harbor (6f, 1:13.20), Obviously (6f, 1:12.60).

DEL MAR STATISTICS

 Jockey Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 2, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Saturday, August 2, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Saturday, August 2, 2014 Inclusive)

 Winning favorites -- 33 out of 120 -- 27.50%

 Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 27 out of 90 -- 30.00%

 Winning favorites on turf -- 6 out of 30 -- 20.00%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 10 -- 50.00%

 In-the-Money favorites -- 73 out of 120 -- 60.83%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 10 -- 80.00%

Sunday, August 3, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793