By Hank Wesch

CASSIDY HAS GREAT SUNDAY, ROOT CANAL MONDAY

Trainer Jim Cassidy saddled Tom’s Tribute to victory in the $300,000 Grade I Eddie Read Stakes  Sunday afternoon, then stuck around to purchase four horses at The Paddock Sale at Del Mar of race-ready horses in the evening.

Tom’s Tribute, a 4-year-old son of Lion Heart, is owned by the Braly Family Trust and named for Tom Braly, a longtime friend and client of Cassidy’s who passed away four years ago, two weeks after watching his Evening Jewel win the Del Mar Oaks.

“It was such a great day, such an emotional win for me and for the owners,” Cassidy said Wednesday morning. Tom’s tribute came out of the race well.

“We’ll see how he is the next few days, and in a couple weeks we’ll make a decision on what’s next,” Cassidy said.  The decision will be between the $250,000 Del Mar Mile on Pacific Classic Day, August 24, or wait for a stakes at Santa Anita in October.

Proceeding to the sale, Cassidy purchased, for clients, four horses for a total of $505,000. The highest price was $220,000 for the filly Please Hold.

“Then we went across the street and got something to eat,” Cassidy said. “I got about three hours sleep and Monday morning I was at my dentist in Los Angeles for a root canal. He said ‘You had a big weekend now you’ve got to get a root canal.’ I said ‘(stuff) happens.’”

TALAMO GRANTED STAY OF SUSPENSION

A request by jockey Joe Talamo for a stay of a three-day suspension levied by Del Mar stewards was granted Monday by the California Horse Racing Board.

On July 18, stewards ruled Talamo would be suspended from July 24-26 for failure to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch aboard Texas Ryano in the opening-day Oceanside Stakes causing interference which resulted in a disqualification from eighth to tenth place.

RECORD-SETTING FILLIES ARE DEBUTANTE BOUND

The track record for five furlongs was eclipsed twice, four races apart on Sunday. And the 2-year-old fillies, who broke the record in their racing debuts, appear headed for a showdown in the Grade I, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Saturday, August 30.

In Sunday’s fourth race, Tara’s Tango covered five furlongs on the Polytrack in :57.40, bettering the :57.83 of Bares Tripper on July 25, 2012.  In Sunday’s eighth race, Luminance was clocked in :57.39.

“Oh yeah, definitely the Debutante,” trainer Bob Baffert said of Luminance, a daughter of Tale of the Cat owned by Kaleem Shah.  Luminance was a $320,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale.

Tara’s  Tango, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song bred and owned by Stonestreet Stables, is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. “She looked very good. The Debutante’s next,” Hollandorfer assistant Dan Ward said.

ELEVEN ENTERED FOR SAN DIEGO

A  field of 11, topped by Blue Grass Stakes winner Dance With Fate, was entered Wednesday morning for Saturday’s $200,000, Grade II San Diego Handicap, the stepping stone to the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic.

The field, from the rail out: Battier (Victor Espinoza), Imperative (Kent Desormeaux), Frac Daddy (Joe Talamo), Soi Phet (Mike Smith), You Know I Know (Edwin Maldonado), Dance With Fate (Corey Nakatani), Honduran (Drayden Van Dyke), Summer Hit (Rafael Bejarano), Handsome Mike (Mario Gutierrez), Footbridge (Tyler Baze) and Fed Biz (Martin Garcia).

ART SHERMAN TO RECEIVE PINCAY AWARD

Art Sherman, a career racetracker who rose to the pinnacle of the sport this past spring when he guided the mercurial colt California Chrome to the edge of racing immortality in a thrilling Triple Crown run, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award.

Sherman will receive the award and its distinctive trophy Sunday, July 27, in winner’s circle ceremonies at Del Mar between the day’s fourth and fifth races.

The Pincay Award, given annually for the past 10 years to those who have served the sport “with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination and distinction,” will be presented at Del Mar for the first time. Previously, the ceremonies were held at Hollywood Park, but when the Los Angeles track closed in 2013, Del Mar invited Hall of Fame rider Pincay to continue his tradition at its shore location.

Sherman, who came to the racetrack as a teenager and has spent his entire career either riding – which he did for 23 years – or training – which he has done for the past 35 -- said he was honored and delighted to be receiving the award “from my old friend and one of my favorite riders.

“Laffit is a man of real class and it is an honor for me to be receiving an award named for him,” Sherman said. “I am aware how prestigious this is and of the list of previous winners. To be in that kind of company makes this very special.”

Pincay, who rode for 39 years and won a then world’s record 9,530 races, earned five Eclipse Awards as America’s top rider and led the nation in earnings on seven occasions. The now 67-year-old competed for 27 summers at Del Mar and is the track’s winningest rider with 1,011 victories prior to his retirement in 2003.

PADDOCK SALE NUMBERS UP OVERALL FROM 2013

Nineteen horses sold for a total of $2,147,000, an average of $113,000 and median of $40,000 at the Paddock Sale at Del Mar on Sunday.  By comparison, there were 17 sold for $1,257,000, an average of $73,941 and median of $50,000.

The sale toppers were Heir Kitty ($750,000, Narvick International purchaser), Sushi Empire ($275,000, Ron McCauley), Ciao Bella Luna ($250,000, SF Bloodstock), Please Hold ($220,000, James Cassidy), Shh She’s Ours ($145,000, James Cassidy).

BRIGHT THOUGHT FAVORED IN WICKERR

Bright Thought, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred  son of Hat Trick,  is the 3-1 morning line favorite for today’s featured $90,000-added Wickerr Stakes.

Trained by Jorge Gutierrez and ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Bright Thought has four wins in 12 career starts and earning of $183,821. Bright Thought’s last victory was in the Grade II San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita in March of 2013. He is 0-for-5 since.

WHAT’S IN A NAME – The Wickerr, being run for the 25^th time, is named for four-time Del Mar stakes winner Wickerr, hero of the Eddie Read Stakes in 1981 and 1982. He was owned by San Diegan Edmund Gann and trained by Robert Frankel.

THURSDAYS A GOOD DAY FOR SENIORS AT DEL MAR

Seniors get a tip of the cap and some nifty perks for their chronological excellence on Thursdays at Del Mar throughout the race meet.

All those aged 62 and up who are members of the track’s Diamond Club receive free Stretch Run admission and a fee program just for showing up. The Diamond Club is free to join and requires only some simple paper work.

On the closing Thursday of the meet – August 28 – all seniors who come on board not only receive free Stretch Run admission and program, but also a free reserved seat in the Stretch Run area.

Del Mar’s 36-day summer season runs until Wednesday, September 3.

CLOSERS – Ship and Win bonus-eligible horses on today’s card: Nicole Michelle (1^st, Tim McCanna, trainer), Danette (1^st, J. Keith Desormeaux), Pursuitofparadise (4^th, Andrew Harris), Mizzilli (4^th, Tevis McCauley), Format V. (9^th, R.B. Hess, Jr.), Proud Elias (9^th, Sal Gonzalez) … Selected workouts since Sunday:  Monday—Miss Super Quick (3f, :34.20), Bayern (5f, :59.80), Frac Daddy (5f, :59.80), Kathleen Rose (5f, :59.80), Kristo (6f, 1:12.40), You Know I Know (6f, 1:12.20);  Tuesday – Fiftyshadesofhay (6f, 1:12.00); Wednesday – Celebrity Status (4f, :45.80), Pablo Del Monte (4f, :49.20),  Conscience (5f, :59.00), More Chocolate (6f, 1:12.80) … Amazombie, winner of the 2012 Bing Crosby Stakes for trainer Bill Spawr, is being shipped in from Los Angeles to lead the post parade for Sunday’s  69^th running of the event … Jockey Tyler Baze enters the week needing eight wins to reach 2000 for his career and trainer Jack Carava is 10 shy of 1,000 career victories … Mike Smith, who guided Tom’s Tribute to victory in the Eddie Read, was named Jockey of the Week on the riders’ website JockeyTalk360.com … Preakness sixth-place finisher Pablo Del Monte has shipped in for a run in the Grade II, $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes on August 24.

DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings

(Current Through Sunday, July 20, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Sunday, July 20, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Sunday, July 20, 2014 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 12 out of 40 -- 30.00%

Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 8 out of 26 -- 30.77%

Winning favorites on turf -- 4 out of 14 -- 28.57%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 1 out of 3 -- 33.33%

In-the-Money favorites -- 25 out of 40 -- 62.50%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 2 out of 3 -- 66.67%

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793