Eight Rings © Benoit Photo
QUICK RETURN FOR EIGHT RINGS AS NATIVE DIVER MORNING LINE PICK
Bob Baffert-trained Eight Rings, fourth in the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here on November 6, makes a quick return while stretching out on the same Del Mar main track in Saturday’s featured Grade III, $100,000 Native Diver Stakes.
The 4-year-old son of Empire Maker was dispatched at odds of 15-1 in the Dirt Mile and chased dominating winner Life Is Good through sizzling early fractions before settling for fourth, beaten 6 ¾ lengths. Oddsmaker Jon White established Eight Rings as the 7/2 morning line favorite in a field of eight for the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up.
“I think he ran creditable in the Breeders’ Cup race, he was just up against one of the fastest horses in the country,” Baffert said. “He’s going through a form change and we want to see how far he really wants to go.”
Baffert will also be sending out Ax Man and Azul Coast. Ax Man, a 6-year-old son of Misremembered owned by Patti and Hal Earnhardt, has been off since a fourth-place finish in the Grade III Kona Gold Stakes in April at Santa Anita.
Azul Coast, a 4-year-old Super Saver colt owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, won an optional claiming level event at Del Mar in August, but was no match for stablemate Medina Spirit in the Grade I Awesome Again in October at Santa Anita.
“Azul Coast ran really well down there (Del Mar) last summer, then flopped in the Awesome Again,” Baffert said. “He’s getting a class break (drop from Grade I) and if he runs back to his last race there, he could be right in it.”
Baffert will be seeking his second Native Diver victory since the stakes was replanted at Del Mar after 36 runnings at Hollywood Park before the demise of that track. Baffert won the 2015 edition at Del Mar with Kaleem Shah color bearer Dortmund.
John Shirreffs’ Midcourt will be making a third straight Native Diver start. The 6-year-old gelded son of Midnight Lute won the event wire-to-wire in 2019 and was the runner-up to Extra Hope last year.
The field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Established (Victor Espinoza, 6-1); Midcourt (Edwin Maldonado, 4-1); Wicked Trick (Umberto Rispoli, 8-1); Bal Harbour (Joe Bravo, 8-1); Azul Coast (Flavien Prat, 4-1); Eight Rings (Juan Hernandez, 7/2); Ax Man (Mike Smith, 6-1), and Kiss Today Goodbye (Kent Desormeaux, 5-1).
NONE ABOVE THE LAW AIMS TO EXTEND STREAK HERE IN CARY GRANT
None Above the Law won stakes on the dirt (Real Good Deal) and turf (Del Mar Derby) in his final two of three stakes starts during the summer meeting. On Sunday, it will be back to the main track and against California breds at seven furlongs – the conditions of the Real Good Deal – for the Peter Miller trainee owned by Downstream Racing in the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes.
“He’s an old school, throwback, very neat horse,” Miller said. “He’s good on any surface, always tries hard and we expect will give a good account of himself in the race.”
The field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parentheses: Fashionably Fast (Tiago Pereira, 3-1); None Above the Law (Joe Bravo, 3-1); Positivity (Juan Hernandez, 4-1); Colt Fiction (Giovanni Franco, 5/2); Peaceful Transfer (Edwin Maldonado, 8-1); Loud Mouth (Abel Cedillo, 8-1), and Principe Carlo (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1).
MILLER STEPS BACK FROM TRAINING, BUT NOT AWAY FROM RACING
Asked this morning if “congratulations” was the correct salutation regarding the Thursday announcement of his imminent step back from training, Peter Miller assured that it was.
“I’m doing it of my own volition and this is a good thing,” Miller said via phone from his San Luis Rey Downs base. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past six months or a year and the press release says it all.”
In a statement released Thursday, Miller said he would be turning the daily operations of his stable over to assistant Ruben Alvarado in order to “spend more time with family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests,” effective November 29, the day after the conclusion of the Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar.
“I still own a lot of horses, I have clients that are loyal and I’ll assist my assistants in any way I can,” Miller said this morning.
Thoroughbred training is often said to be a “24/7” occupation. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. For those with sizeable operations like Miller, “24/7” is only a slight exaggeration.
“It’s still a work in progress, I don’t know how much time I’ll be putting in, but maybe half as much,” Miller said. “I know I’ll be working a lot less and spending a lot more time with my family.” Miller, 55, is married with two young sons and has residences in Encinitas and Manhattan Beach.
The training championship Miller claimed at the recent summer meeting was his ninth overall at Del Mar. It went with summer crowns in 2020, 2018, 2014 and 2012, Bing Crosby titles in 2014 and 2016-18.
“TOYS FOR TOTS” DRIVE RETURNS TO DEL MAR THIS WEEKEND
Del Mar again will host the U.S. Marine Corps-backed charity “Toys for Tots” this weekend with anyone who brings a new, unwrapped toy to the track receiving free admission Friday through Sunday.
The nationally famous program, which distributes toys to underprivileged children at Christmas time, has found a San Diego home at Del Mar. Previously, it was conducted by the San Diego Chargers football team, but when they left town in 2017, Del Mar – its fans, personnel and horsemen – stepped in and stepped up to make the event even bigger and better. In 2019 at Del Mar, the Marines collected 3,962 toys and $18,587 in cash and checks for “Tots.”
The hometown Marines – many of whom will be onsite in their sharp dress blue uniforms – along with Navy sailors will be manning collection barrels at track gates and be ready to accept unwrapped toys or cash/check donations.
On Sunday, “Tots” will receive a special boost when hundreds of bikers and muscle car drivers – many of them ex-Marines – will come roaring into the Del Mar Fairgrounds as part of the program. Leading the “ride” will be members of the El Cajon Harley Owners (HOG), which is sponsored by El Cajon-Harley-Davidson. They’ll set up shop at the track’s Hacienda Lounge, Corona Beach House and 17 Hands.
The biker/car groups will conduct special gift drawings throughout the afternoon at the Hacienda Lounge with 100% of the proceeds earmarked for the Marines and their local “Tots” program.
The 1st Marine Division band also will come on board Sunday for renditions of the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” A “Toys for Tots” check presentation ceremony will take place in the winner’s circle following the 5th Race.
The Marine Corps is justly proud of “Toys for Tots,” which it calls its premier community action program and America’s most popular children’s Christmas charity. Their records indicate that currently they collect an average of 18 million toys for seven million children-in-need annually throughout 800 communities in the United States and U.S. Territories. Since its inception in 1947, they estimate they have assisted more than 250 million children by providing toys and hope at a special time of the year.
CLOSERS – Jockey Kyle Frey, one win away from milestone No. 1,000, is scheduled to have three shots at it today. Frey is booked to ride Mendham Mill (1st, 6-1); Tizlightning (3rd, 3-1) and Seeking Refuge (6th, 15-1).
Del Mar Statistics
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Friday, November 14, 2021 Inclusive)
| Jockey | Mts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | In-money% | Money Won |
| Flavien Prat | 54 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 20% | 56% | $1,730,750 |
| Juan Hernandez | 36 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 22% | 67% | $665,646 |
| Umberto Rispoli | 35 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 23% | 51% | $815,820 |
| Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 29% | 41% | $2,847,190 |
| Ricardo Gonzalez | 19 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 21% | 58% | $265,660 |
| Victor Espinoza | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27% | 33% | $667,980 |
| Jose Ortiz | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 27% | 64% | $2,398,850 |
| Joel Rosario | 22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14% | 27% | $4,716,020 |
| Diego Herrera | 19 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16% | 26% | $83,900 |
| Jessica Pyfer | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 18% | 35% | $130,339 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Friday, November 14, 2021 Inclusive)
| Trainer | Sts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | In-money% | Money Won |
| Bob Baffert | 21 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 29% | 57% | $2,618,100 |
| Doug F. O'Neill | 37 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 14% | 49% | $872,000 |
| Philip D'Amato | 21 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 24% | 52% | $527,970 |
| John W. Sadler | 20 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20% | 40% | $525,685 |
| Jonathan Wong | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 30% | 50% | $106,250 |
| Charles Appleby | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 75% | 75% | $3,680,000 |
| George Papaprodromou | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38% | 38% | $76,160 |
| Peter Miller | 27 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7% | 44% | $292,510 |
| Michael W. McCarthy | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 22% | 56% | $958,520 |
| Simon Callaghan | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 29% | 57% | $187,725 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, November 13, 2021 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 22 out of 73 -- 30.14%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 15 out of 36 -- 41.67%
Winning favorites on turf -- 7 out of 37 -- 18.92%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 10 out of 19 -- 52.63%
In-the-Money favorites -- 54 out of 73 -- 73.97%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 17 out of 19 -- 89.47%