Catapult © Benoit Photo
CATAPULT FACES FIVE RIVALS IN EDDIE READ DEFENSE SUNDAY
Woodford Racing’s Catapult, whose victory in the Grade II $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes secured the 2018 Top Grass Horse of the Meeting title, will take on five rivals in defense of the title Sunday.
“He’s trained very well for it and we’re excited about having him back down here and his chances in the race,” trainer John Sadler said Thursday morning.
Sadler, a major force at Del Mar in recent years, got off to a fine start with a victory by Irish import Jasikan in the Runhappy Oceanside Stakes on the opening day program. He’ll send out heavily favored Catalina Cruiser in Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap, the major prep for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on August 17.
Catapult followed the Eddie Read with a victory in the Grade II Del Mar Mile at the summer meeting and ended his 2018 campaign with a runner-up finish to Expert Eye in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile that raised his earnings for the year to $623,800.
The 6-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy is winless in three Grade I starts in 2019, losing by a nose to Eddie Read entrant Ohio in the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in the one start on turf rated “firm” as it will be for the Read. Purse earnings of $576,975 from his three 2019 starts increased Catapult’s career total to more than $1.5 million.
Post positions were to be drawn later Thursday for the 1 1/8-mile event, but the field in addition to Catapult, with regular rider Drayden Van Dyke, in alphabetical order is: Bowies Hero (Flavien Prat), Marckie’s Water (Tiago Pereira), Ohio (Ruben Fuentes), Ritzy A.P. (Martin Garcia) and Sharp Samurai (Victor Espinoza).
OPENING DAY WINNERS – A RANDOM SAMPLER
True to the words sung live by track founder Bing Crosby in 1938 that are heard by recording every day, there was “a winner in each race” on opening day Wednesday.
Reactions and thoughts from some of them:
Trainer Doug O’Neill -- For the second year in a row, O’Neill won the first race of the meeting for an ownership group that includes the Great Friends Stable headed by San Diego radio personality Scott Kaplan and Del Mar Executive Vice President and Marketing Officer Craig Dado. It was the only win of the day for Team O’Neill – which kicked off the 2018 season winning four of the first five races. But far be it from O’Neill to complain.
“It’s special to start it off with a win for them,” O’Neill said of Great Friends, who filled the winner’s circle nearly to overflowing. “They bring a lot of people who love racing. They have parties before the meeting starts and they come out and support their horses, love to meet the jockeys and just be a part of everything.”
Julius, a recent purchase brought in from the Midwest as a “Ship and Win” program prospect, won by 11 ¼ lengths as the favorite under Rafael Bejarano, paying $3.60. Julius is one of a dozen or so horses O’Neill has for Great Friends.
“We had friends back east who told us about him and we liked what we saw and got Great Friends and some others involved,” O’Neill said. “We think (Julius) might have a bright future. We’ll look for a first-condition allowance for him next.”
Trainer Dan Ward – The assistant to Jerry Hollendorfer took out his trainer’s license in the wake of the Hall of Famer’s suspension and won with his second starter. King Jack ($4.80) prevailed by 1 ¼ lengths under Mike Smith as the favorite in the ninth race. King Jack is owned by longtime Hollendorfer client Michael C. Stinson.
“It was pretty emotional with the situation being what it is,” Ward said Thursday morning. “Glad to have Mike Smith to ride and the support from others. I was anxious, but I got more confident when I watched Mike in the stretch because he looked like he was confident.”
Stinson said the experience was “perfect” for him. “Mixed emotions with Jerry’s situation, obviously, but really proud of the horse.”
Hall of Fame Jockey Victor Espinoza -- Espinoza put an exclamation point on his return to Del Mar from the serious injury incurred here last year with a victory aboard Storming Lady ($14.60) in the fifth race.
It was win No. 611 at Del Mar for Espinoza, who ranks No. 10 on the track’s all-time list. Win No. 610 was accomplished in the first race on July 21, 2018 aboard Chasin Lucas for trainer Mark Glatt. The following morning Espinoza incurred spinal injuries when Bobby Abu Dhabi broke down in a morning workout. Despite the career-threatening nature of the injuries, a rigorous rehabilitation program led to Espinoza returning to riding on February 18 at Santa Anita.
“It feels great to get the first one out of the way,” Espinoza said Thursday morning. “I didn’t think about what happened a year ago. I always try to think positive and just go forward.”
Trainer Craig Lewis – Freedom Ride ($8.60) was a wire-to-wire winner under Jorge Velez for the veteran conditioner in the sixth race. In the seventh, Lewis and Velez combined on a third-place finish with Warren’s Showtime.
“I wasn’t surprised (with the win),” Lewis said Thursday morning. “I was kind of surprised I didn’t win two because I loved (Warren’s Showtime) and couldn’t see why she was 30-1. I guess the race (five furlongs) was a little too short for her.”
CATALINA CRUISER 1-2 AS MORNING LINE FAVORITE FOR SAN DIEGO
Oddsmaker Russ Hudak made Catalina Cruiser the 1-2 morning line favorite in the field of six entered for Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap.
“I’ve started horses lower on the morning line,” Hudak said, citing Zenyatta in the glory days of her career as an example. “I expect there will be some scratches and he (Catalina Cruiser) will go lower when the betting starts.”
The field from the rail: Catalina Cruiser (Joel Rosario, 1-2), Core Beliefs (Flavien Prat, 5-1), Higher Power (Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1), Draft Pick (Martin Garcia, 8-1), Mongolian Groom (Abel Cedillo, 15-1) and Dr. Dorr (Rafael Bejarano, 4-1).
The San Diego goes as the fourth on a 10-race card.
EASTERN INVADER STILLWATER COVE TABBED IN SALTY SAN CLEMENTE
The extensive racetrack tour of Stillwater Cove will make Del Mar its seventh stop when the daughter of Quality Road runs Saturday in the $200,000 Grade II San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Owned by Marcus Stables and trained by Wesley Ward, Stillwater Cove has already raced at Keeneland (twice), Ascot (England), Saratoga, Woodbine (Canada), Churchill Downs and most recently Belmont Park where she finished fourth in a Grade III stakes on May 18. She has two wins from seven starts and compiled $120,834 in earnings.
A recent arrival on the Del Mar grounds after completing the last of a series of workouts at Keeneland on Sunday, Stillwater Cove was made the 5-2 morning line choice in a field of 10.
The field from the rail: Keeper Ofthe Stars (Rafael Bejarano, 12-1), Seranitsa (Ruben Fuentes, 8-1), Mucho Unusual (Joel Rosario, 7-2), Devils Dance (Jorge Velez, 20-1), Apache Princess (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1), Over Emphasize (Alonso Quinonez, 8-1), Harmless (Abel Cedillo, 20-1), Stillwater Cove (Victor Espinoza, 5-2), Maxim Rate (Drayden Van Dyke, 3-1) and Kalliniki (Flavien Prat, 20-1).
POWELL, MEADOW KICK OFF WEEKEND HANDICAPPING SEMINARS
Trainer Leonard Powell and author Barry Meadow will be the guest experts on the first weekend of handicapping seminars of the summer meeting.
Powell is coming off a 2018 season in which he saddled Beach View to win the Cougar II Handicap and Fatale Bere to win the Del Mar Oaks. His claim-to-fame standout Soi Phet was recently retired.
Powell’s selections and comments will be part of the Saturday program. On Sunday, Meadow, whose latest book is titled “The Skeptical Handicapper,” will join host Frank Scatoni.
The seminars are from 12:45-1:30 at the Seaside Terrace near the top of the stretch.
CLOSERS – Tom Whayne, 94, was in attendance on opening day for the 69th year in a row. Whayne’s first was 1950 and, looking at the record book (from 1970 onward) can claim to be part of crowds that range from 11,998 in 1970 to 47,339 in 2012 with Wednesday’s 31,276 fitting nicely in the upper levels … Selected works from 125 on dirt and 13 on turf Thursday morning: Dirt – Ashleyluvssugar (5f, 1:01.60), Eight Rings (5f, :49.40), Garth (5f, :59.40), Turf – Fahan Mura (4f, :49.40), Betty F (5f, :58.00), Lemoona (5f, 1:02.60), Pantsonfire (5f, 1:02.60) … Among the sports celebrities on hand for Opening Day at Del Mar were baseball’s Adrian Beltre and basketball’s Kawhi Leonard. Beltre, the recently retired multiple All-Star who played 21 big league seasons for four different clubs, gave away the trophy to the winner of Wednesday’s 6th Race. Leonard, who last month won his second NBA championship (and second NBA Finals MVP), this time with Toronto (previously he did so in 2014 with San Antonio), enjoyed the races in the Bob Hope Suite on the track’s 5th floor. He was joined by his uncle, two buddies and his lady. The man who many now are saying might be the best basketball player on the planet, recently signed with the Los Angeles Clippers and has bought a sizeable homestead in nearby Rancho Santa Fe.