By Jim Charvat

Umberto Rispoli © Benoit Photo

RISPOLI BACK HOME, ‘NOTHING BROKEN’ AFTER NASTY SPILL THURSDAY

Jockey Umberto Rispoli is back home, resting comfortably after a harrowing spill in the first race Thursday at Del Mar. Rispoli was released from the hospital Thursday night and posted a video online thanking everyone who reached out to him, his wife and his agent with well wishes.

“I’m doing fine, nothing broken,” Rispoli says on the post on Twitter. “The scan came out clean and the X-ray came out clean so I’ll try to be back as fast as I can.”

Rispoli was at the track Friday morning. He says his right leg, which got stepped on in the spill, is sore but he packed it in ice and it’s feeling a lot better.

Rispoli was riding Single Track Mind in amongst traffic on the turn for home when he was bumped by Turn and Jazzy and rider Abdul Aguilar. The contact unseated Rispoli, who fell hard to the ground. He then was kicked by a trailing horse. Another horse, Themainprotagonist and rider Edwin Maldonado, avoided further contact as Rispoli scrambled to get out of the way.

Rispoli remained under the rail near the eighth pole for several minutes while paramedics attended to him. He was placed on a stretcher and carried across the turf course to a waiting ambulance.

Single Track Mind was unhurt in the incident. He was corralled by the outriders after the race and returned to the Mark Glatt barn. Turn and Jazzy, who finished second, was disqualified and placed last of the nine horses.

Rispoli is named on four mounts Friday, but will not ride. He says he will make the call tomorrow morning as to whether or not he will ride the Pacific Classic Day card. He’s named on all 11 races including Piroli in the Classic.

Thursday was Rispoli’s first day back riding at Del Mar after spending the previous week representing the U.S. in a World All-Star Jockey event in Japan. Coincidentally, Thursday was Rispoli’s 35^th birthday.

DEFUNDED LOOKING TO REBOUND IN SATURDAY’S G1 “CLASSIC”

There’s a common phrase amongst horse players that refers to trainer Bob Baffert’s higher-priced entry in a race when he has two or more horses. ‘Baffert’s Other Horse’ may not be the big name horse Baffert brings to a race, but it sometimes winds up being the better of the two.

When they pop the gates for the 33^rd running of the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic on Saturday, ‘Baffert’s Other Horse’ may be the one that some believe is the best handicap horse on the West Coast.

Defunded has made all of the races in the handicap division this year. He’s won some and come close in others. Had he performed up to expectations last month in the G2 San Diego, he might have been the favorite in this year’s Pacific Classic.

But instead, he ran a non-interested fourth behind Senor Buscador, Slow Down Andy and Brickyard Ride. Out of character for a horse that had just won the G1 Gold Cup on Memorial Day, won the G2 Californian before that and ran a close third behind Stilleto Boy and Proxy in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap.

“He just never ran his race,” Baffert says of the effort in the San Diego. “He never looked comfortable in the race. He didn’t break as sharp and I could tell right away he wasn’t going to run his race.”

Baffert had mentioned some past behavior issues Defunded had exhibited in the paddock before prior races at Del Mar but those didn’t seem to manifest themselves before the San Diego.

Defunded has worked brilliantly in the mornings leading up to the Pacific Classic, posting three bullet works including Tuesday when he cut out four furlongs in :47.

“He’s been doing well,” Baffert adds. “He looks good coming into it. He has to break well. There’s a lot of speed in the race and he’s got to get into a good rhythm. He never got into a good rhythm (in the San Diego).”

The horse coming out of the Baffert barn that has been grabbing all of the attention has been Arabian Knight, a handsome 3-year old colt by Uncle Mo. He’s the second choice on the morning line at 3-1 behind Geaux Rocket Ride, another 3-year-old who’s the morning line favorite at 5/2. Defunded is not exactly being ignored. He’s at 4-1 on Jon White’s morning line. 

The runner-up to Defunded in the Gold Cup is also running in the Pacific Classic. Piroli missed by just a length to Defunded that day and trainer Michael McCarthy is hoping for a repeat effort Saturday.

“Big effort in the Gold Cup,” McCarthy says. “Just came up short. He looks like a horse that shouldn’t have a problem getting the mile and a quarter. The prep race didn’t go quite as planned but these things happen. We’ll look for a cleaner trip here Saturday.”

Piroli finished fourth in that prep race, a second level allowance race at Del Mar in July.

The G3 Cougar II winner is back for the Pacific Classic. Order and Law won the marathon dirt race at Del Mar on opening weekend. He was a longshot that day. He’ll be a longshot again this Saturday.

“He’s been happy and real enthusiastic in his training,” trainer Bob Hess, Jr. says. “His eyes are good, his coat’s good, and his color’s good. He loves this surface and he’ll like the distance. I think everything’s perfect except it’s a Grade I, a tough race.”

Hess’ perfect scenario for Order and Law is quite simple. Keep his face clean.

“In other words he doesn’t want to get much kick back,” Hess says. “So either be in front or in the clear. Maybe fourth or fifth early, if you go wide you go wide. That’s the key to the horse, the Del Mar dirt and stay in the clear.”

Trainer John Sadler has won four out of the last five Pacific Classics. He brings Tripoli back for another run in Del Mar’s marquee race, the horse who won it two years ago. So what’s his secret to winning the Pacific Classic?

“I’m a veteran on this track,” Sadler says. “I’ve trained here for a lot of years. I’ve been fortunate to have some good long-distance dirt horses and really should have won one more. Twirling Candy was an unlucky loser to Acclamation one year (2011).

“It’s a race we’ve always run well in,” Sadler continues. “Just me knowing this racetrack, what needs to go into those horses to have them ready to run that distance and everything coming together at the right time.”

Trainer Doug O’Neill has scratched one of his two entries in the race. Pleasanton Mile winner Katonah will not run Saturday. O’Neill says they will wait until Santa Anita, feeling “it’s in the best interest of the horse.”

The G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic is the 10th race on the 11-race Saturday card. Approximate post time is 6 p.m. First post on Saturday is 1:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Geaux Rocket Ride (Mike Smith); Katonah (Scratched); Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1); Tripoli (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Defunded (Juan Hernandez); Order and Law (Edwin Maldonado, 30-1); Slow Down Andy (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1); Senor Buscador (Geovanni Franco, 10-1); Arabian Knight (Flavien Prat); Piroli (Umberto Rispoli, 20-1), and Skinner (Hector Berrios, 10-1).

GOLD PHOENIX TO DEFEND HIS CROWN IN THE G2 DEL MAR HANDICAP

It’s hard to keep a horse in form for any extended length of time. Trainers will build a horse up for a specific event in hopes they peak the day of the race. Keeping them at the top form over time is a situation that has challenged horsemen for generations.

So when trainer Philip D’Amato enters Gold Phoenix in Saturday’s G2 Del Mar Handicap and the defending champion is the morning line favorite, it’s quite a training feat, even for one of the top trainers in the country.

It was one year ago that Gold Phoenix nipped Master Piece on the wire to win the mile and three-eighths turf event. He’s back to try again in this year’s race that closes out Saturday’s stakes action.

“The key is spacing the races out, that’s number one,” D’Amato says. “I don’t think you can run a good quality horse once a month. They put so much into their races. They’re the kind of horses you run six or seven times a year. You space them when appropriate and they’ll do right by you.”

Gold Phoenix has done everything right for D’Amato since coming to his barn in January of last year. He’s won five of his 14 career starts with three seconds and three thirds. The gelding has won two of his three races at Del Mar.

“The good thing about Gold Phoenix is he’s so versatile,” D’Amato says. “He won a Grade I mile earlier in the year (the Kilroe Mile), he won the mile and an eighth Eddie Read. He won the Del Mar Handicap last year at a mile and three-eighths. In a big field like that it goes a long way.”

Eleven horses are expected to go post ward in the Del Mar Handicap, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“I’ll leave it up to Juan (Hernandez) to figure out the trip,” D’Amato says, “so he’s not handcuffed to ride him in a certain style. I think he (Gold Phoenix) is a horse who can stalk, he can lay back, he can come from last. It’s just up to Juan to see how the race develops and then he’ll come up with a game plan.”

That game plan will have to include how to handle Offlee Naughty and Planetario, two talented horses who already traded placings this year. Offlee Naughty beat Planetario in the G3 San Luis Rey at Santa Anita in May only to have the tables turned in the San Juan Capistrano one month later.

“He had a lot of furlongs in a short amount of time,” trainer Michael McCarthy says of Offlee Naughty’s effort in the Capistrano. “The mile and three-quarters might have been a bit too much for him after two very solid efforts.”

Offlee Naughty had won three straight going into the San Juan Capistrano including the G2 Charles Whittingham prior to the San Luis Rey win. It’s been quite a dramatic turnaround this year marked by his moving to the west coast.

“I think the firmer turf certainly helped him here in California,“ McCarthy says. “He likes this turf course. The horse is extremely game and gives it his best every time.”

Planetario is another one who has bloomed in 2023. He’s a Brazilian-bred who only ran once in 2022.

“He needed time off,” trainer Richard Mandella notes. “When he came back he was in good shape.”

After going toe-to-toe with Offlee Naughty, Mandella sent Planetario on the road. He finished fifth in the G1 United Nations on Haskell Day at Monmouth Park but Mandella isn’t so quick to draw a line through that race.

“I don’t know if you do that,” Mandella says, “but it wasn’t the race we were looking for.”

In addition to Gold Phoenix, D’Amato has two other entries, Cash Equity and Cathkin Peak. McCarthy also will run Crosby Beach and Bob Baffert will try Azul Coast on the grass for the first time.

“I worked him on the grass,” Baffert says. “He seems like he liked it. He’s in a tough spot. I had nowhere else to run him and he’s in a position where he’s just not quite good enough to run in the Pacific Classic. If he doesn’t like the grass we’ll know down the backside.”

The G2 Del Mar Handicap is the 11th and last race on the Saturday card. Approximate post time is 6:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning odds: Win the Day (Tiago Pereira, 50-1); Crosby Beach (Geovanni Franco, 15-1); None Above the Law (Joe Bravo, 15-1); Missed the Cut (Jose Valdivia, Jr. 6-1); Cathkin Peak (Antonio Fresu, 6-1); Offlee Naughty (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Nineeleventurbo (Ramon Vasquez, 10-1); Azul Coast (Flavien Prat, 8-1); Planetario (Hector Berrios, 4-1); Gold Phoenix (3-1), and Cash Equity (Kent Desormeaux, 15-1).

TRIO OF HANDICAPPERS SET FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Three veteran handicappers are set to deliver their picks this coming weekend at Del Mar’s free handicapping seminar which is presented at 1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday – as well as Monday this weekend. The seminars are held in the Plaza de Mexico near the large fountain in the middle.

Frank Scatoni leads the Saturday seminars and his guest this week will be the savvy TV racing commentator Michelle Yu. 

Dan Smith will lead both the Sunday and Monday seminars and his two guests will be professional newspaper handicapper Ed Wilson on Sunday, then clocker and handicapper Toby Turrell will be the guy on Labor Day Monday.

COOLING OUT: Jockey Drayden Van Dyke notched his first victory of the 2023 Del Mar summer meet, guiding Southern Slang to victory in Thursday’s second race for trainer Todd Fincher. Van Dyke had been oh-for-39 prior to yesterday’s win…Hong Kong Harry had been pointing to a defense of his title in the G2 Del Mar Mile this year but trainer Phil D’Amato called a late audible. “The timing of it, coming back off of a layoff,” D’Amato says, “and that tropical storm that came in and closed the track for a couple of days. It was a little too much for him to overcome. Instead of pushing him to try and make a race I don’t think he’s 100% for, we’ll wait for the City of Hope at Santa Anita (Sept. 30).”…Two bonuses for Pick 6 players this weekend at Del Mar starting with Friday’s card. If the winner is the only one to hit all six races, Del Mar will kick in whatever monies are needed to make it a $1 million payout. Then Saturday, there will be no carryovers so all the money in the Pick 6 pool will be paid out to the ones with the most winners…Notable works for Friday: Dirt – Hit the Road (4f, :49.40); Greenbow (4f, :47.00), and Chay’s Tornado (5f, :59.60). 

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current Through August 28, 2023 Inclusive) 

Trainer Standings
(Current Through August 28, 2023 Inclusive)  

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 28, 2023 Inclusive) 

Winning favorites -- 81 out of 215 -- 37.67%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 47 out of 119 -- 39.50%
Winning favorites on turf -- 34 out of 96 -- 35.42%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 19 out of 34 -- 55.88%
In-the-Money favorites -- 141 out of 215 -- 65.58%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 27 out of 34 -- 79.41%