Excellent Sunset (left) and Escape Clause © Benoit Photo
‘ANATOMY OF A KATHRYN CROSBY:’ FRESH CHARACTERS, WOW ENDING
Before she married Del Mar founder Bing Crosby, actress Kathryn Grant had several movie roles. Her most famous was in the 1959 Classic ‘Anatomy of a Murder,’ a film based on a Michigan trial and the intricate weaving of the lives of several interesting characters.
With that in mind, we present ‘Anatomy of a Kathryn Crosby’ a follow-up of Friday’s $83,170 Kathryn Crosby Stakes, the opening day feature of fall racing at Del Mar. It has the racing equivalent of a trial and several characters quite new to Del Mar that were thrust into starring roles and played them well.
It started with a finish.
Excellent Sunset, a 4-year-old Irish-bred filly owned by Abbondanza Racing LLC and partners and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, crossed under the wire first in the mile turf event, a half-length ahead of Escape Clause. Excellent Sunset appeared to have given 26-year-old Anna Meah her first victory in a training career started in October. It was accomplished with the first horse she had saddled at Del Mar and the third overall, the first two resulting in fourth and second place finishes at Santa Anita.
But wait. The inquiry sign flashed regarding an incident in the stretch where Excellent Sunset swerved and forced jockey Ruben Fuentes to pop up in the irons on Escape Clause. The Canadian filly, making her Del Mar debut for trainer Don Schnell, had a chance to extend an eight-race winning streak, forged mainly in tracks in Manitoba and Alberta, Canada, even if No. 9 would be by disqualification.
Fuentes dismounted from Escape Clause and told Schnell: “Don’t take the saddle off, we’re going to win this.”
While the decision was pending, TVG reporter Britney Eurton interviewed both Meah and Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino, who is a part owner of Excellent Sunset and, of course, got a different opinion.
“I thought we won fair and square,” Pitino said – albeit with a bit of wry grin.
The unanimous ruling from the stewards: a disqualification and reversal of the first two placings.
“I wasn’t sure at all that they would put us up, but the right people (stewards) agreed with him (Fuentes)” Schnell, 66, said afterward. “She’s just a win machine. She does nothing but run.”
The horses and their trainers were off the grounds by early Saturday morning.
Schnell, with Escape Clause in a trailer behind, pulled out of the stable gate around 5 a.m. and a few hours later answered a call as they were approaching the Arizona border and their base at the Turf Paradise track in Phoenix. The word had spread and he’d gotten plenty of responses, especially from those who backed the filly, purchased for $3,200 and now a winner of $345,500, at odds of nearly 19-1.
“Some of the people up there (Canada) made thousands and thousands of dollars,” Schnell said.
Whether Escape Clause returns to Del Mar to put the streak on the line another time remains to be seen. “I’ve got to talk to some people,” Schnell said. “There’s a $100,000 race at a mile and three-eighths on the turf (Red Carpet Stakes, November 22) and I’m a firm believer that she can get the distance, but that’s a little too soon to come back.
“There’s the Grade I ($300,00 Matriarch, one mile, December 2) but all the big guns (in training) will be out for that one.”
Excellent Sunset was back in her stall at Santa Anita by around 9 p.m. Friday, Meah said. A former exercise rider for Art Sherman and Richard Baltas, Anna is married to bloodstock agent David Meah. She’s been around the business for awhile, knows well of its highs and lows and by Saturday morning was refocused on the eight horses she trains while awaiting two scheduled in from England and another from Kentucky.
“You always expect things like that are going to happen in racing and you never really are surprised,” Meah said. “We did the best we could, the filly was ready but it was an unfortunate event and hopefully next time we get a little luckier.”
FUENTES BROTHERS OFF TO A GOOD START TO THE MEETING
Brothers Ruben and Luis Fuentes both had reason to celebrate after the opening day of fall racing at Del Mar.
Luis, 18, won the meet’s opening race, his first Del Mar start, aboard Clear the Mine for trainer Steve Knapp. In the second race, Fuentes, who has a seven-pound apprentice allowance, got 17-1 shot Heloise, trained by Vladimir Cerin, up for second and a $10.00 payoff to place backers.
Ruben, 21, finished second in the $75,000 Kathryn Crosby Stakes on Escape Clause, but was moved up to first as the result of a stewards’ inquiry.
Saul Marquez has been the agent for Ruben Fuentes for about 18 months. An alert Marquez secured the mount for Ruben on Escape Clause at the draw for the race last Tuesday.
“The trainers’ number was on the entry sheet, so I called him and got lucky,” Marquez said Saturday morning. “Ruben had ridden for him at Turf Paradise (in Phoenix), so he knew he is a hard-working kid and a very good rider.”
It was the second Del Mar Stakes victory for Reuben. He won the CTBA last summer aboard Naughty Tiger for trainer Ed Freeman.
MILLER BY NUMBERS; 2 TO GO FOR 1,000 AND 7 ENTRIES THE NEXT 3 DAYS
Career wins Nos. 997 and 998 on Friday, moved trainer Peter Miller closer to the milestone 1,000 inevitably on the near horizon.
Miller has two horses on today’s program, three on Sunday and two more on the special Veterans Day program on Monday.
Miller has two entered, both owned by Rockingham Ranch, in Sunday’s featured $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for older California-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs on the main track. Mo See Cal, a 3-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, drew the No. 1 post in the field of nine and Love a Honeybadger will break from No. 2.
That is, if both start.
“I might scratch Mo See Cal for another race,” Miller said Saturday. “Love a Honeybadger is doing great and she’s good to go.”
Love a Honeybadger, a 4-year-old daughter of Bushwacker, comes in off a wire-to-wire win in the five-furlong California Distaff Handicap on October 13 at Santa Anita after that race, scheduled on the turf, was switched to the main track. She has five wins in 11 career starts and earnings of $246,225.
The field from the rail: Mo See Cal (Martin Pedroza, 12-1), Love a Honeybadger (Tiago Pereira, 5-1), Just Grazed Me (Tyler Baze, 5-2), Spiced Perfection (Flavien Prat, 3-1), Show It N Moe It (Rafael Bejarano, 8-1), Meet and Greet (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1), One Fast Broad (Ruben Fuentes, 8-1), S Y Sky (Joe Talamo, 5-1) and Gorgeous Ginny (Geovanni Franco, 15-1).
CHASING YESTERDAY, IT’SJUSTANILLUSION TOP DESI ARNAZ FIELD OF 5
Chasing Yesterday and It’sjustanillusion were separated by a half-length at the finish of the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita on October 14. They’re scheduled to square off again, this time at seven furlongs, in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, the feature event of Monday’s special Veteran’s Day program.
Chasing Yesterday, a half-sister to Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, has two wins in three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. It’sjustanillusion, trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, was a maiden winner on September 30 at Santa Anita before being overtaken late by Chasing Yesterday in the Anoakia.
The field from the rail: Der Lu (Joe Talamo, 6-1), Andyoushallreceive (Tiago Pereira, 8-1), It’sjustanillusion (Flavien Prat, 7-5), Chasing Yesterday (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-5) and Boujie Girl (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1).
CLOSERS – Geovanni Franco was the only rider to double in wins on opening day. Franco scored aboard Manhattan Up ($13.40) in the fourth race and Clyde’s Pride ($6.60) in the sixth.