Warrens Candy Girl © Benoit Photo
Benjamin & Sally Warren’s homebred filly Warrens Candy Girl won a stout stretch duel with Reddam Racing’s Eddie’s New Dream to score by a head in Sunday’s $151,000 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar.
The 4-year-old daughter of Clubhouse Ride outfooted seven California-bred rivals in the one mile turf test in 1:35.23 and earned a first prize of $85,500. She had run just a week earlier in an allowance race on the turf and was a winner there, too. The chestnut now has a record of four wins and five seconds in 16 starts for earnings of $337,916.
The winner was ridden by Umberto Rispoli and is trained by Craig Lewis.
Finishing third two and a quarter lengths behind Eddie’s New Dream was Devereaux or Gross’ Barrister’s Ride. Eddie New Dream had gone off the even money favorite.
Warrens Candy Girl paid $12.20, $4.00 and $3.00 across the board. Eddie’s New Dream returned $2.60 and $2.20, while Barrister’s Ride paid off at $5.20 to show.
The riding star for the afternoon was the track’s top jock, Juan Hernandez. He picked up four more winners and now has 35 after 19 days of racing to lead runner-up Umberto Rispoli by 16 firsts.
In the track’s Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot wager, there were no winning tickets so a carryover of $165,128 will be in play when Del Mar returns to action with an eight-race card on Thursday.
UMBERTO RISPOLI (Warrens Candy Girl, winner) -- “When you travel in hand with the horse your hands get itchy; you want to let your horse run and so once I gonna let her run, I wish that she is going to respond. Jesus, she did it. Just before the chute I knew I was going to get her (Eddie’s New Dream).”
CRAIG LEWIS (Warrens Candy Girl, winner) --“She really can finish; she was laying closer than we are used to seeing her, but the pace was slow and Umberto did a great job. Our future plans are to give her a rest because she came back in a week, so we’re gonna let her down a little bit now. She did what she had to do and we’re pleased with her performance.”
FRACTIONS: :23.31 :47.54 1:11.77 1:23.66 1:35.23
The stakes win was the fifth stakes win at the session for rider Rispoli, but his first in the Solana Beach. He now has 17 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Lewis and his first in the Solana Beach. He now has 10 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The owner and breeder of the winner are Benjamin & Sally Warren of Las Vegas, NV.