Restrainedvengence © Benoit Photo
Restrainedvengence, an 11-1 longshot ridden by Evin Roman, forged to the lead in the final strides to win the featured $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for three-year-olds on opening-day of the 2018 summer Thoroughbred racing season.
Always well-placed in the one-mile contest over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course, Restrainedvengence was swung to the outside for the stretch drive by Roman and responded generously to overhaul another 11-1 outsider, Afleet Ascent, and win by three-quarters of a length in 1:35.37 for the distance.
Calexman, who set the early pace, was third, a half-length behind the runner-up and the same margin in front of fourth-place Desert Stone in the field of 14 runners. Texas Wedge, the 5-2 favorite in a wide-open betting contest, was seventh. Withdrawn from the race were Soltero and Risky Proposition.
Restrainedvengence, trained by Val Brinkerhoff and owned by Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bobby Grayson, Jr., is a Kentucky-bred son of Hold Me Back. The victory was his third in eight starts and first money of $60,000 increased the gelding’s earnings to $143,670.
The winner paid $24.80, $14.20 and $8.80. Runner-up Afleet Ascent returned $12.60 and $8.40, while Calexman paid $5.40 to show.
Trainers Doug O’Neill and Jerry Hollendorfer dominated the program through the first seven races. O’Neill, a three-time leading conditioner at Del Mar who holds the record most wins in a day, five, at the seaside track, won four races – the first, second, fourth and fifth, while Hollendorfer-trained horses accounted for the third, sixth and seventh.
Mario Gutierrez and J. Paul Reddam were jockey and owner, respectively, for three of O’Neill’s winners – Jimmy Chila in the second, Dichotomy in the fourth and Ann Arbor Eddie in the fifth.
Hollendorfer unveiled a talented filly, Brill, a $1 million purchase as a yearling, in the seventh race which the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro won in a fast 57.86 for five furlongs as the 3-5 favorite in her debut under silks.
Today’s attendance was 33,112 and pari mutuel handle totaled $16,131,880, up 14 per cent from opening-day in 2017.
EVIN ROMAN (Restrainedvengence, winner) – “I’m lucky I got the opportunity to ride this horse. I appreciate it. He was in a good spot; all the way. Then he finished strong. He felt good at the finish; like he could run farther.”
KENT DESORMEAUX (Afleet Ascent, second) -- “Oh, man, he did everything but win. Ran beautifully; ran right to my fingertips. Perfect. There was just one that was a little better today.”
GEOVANNI FRANCO (Calexman, third) – “We got a good trip and he gave it a good try. He finished fine. If we can get them to slow down some, he’ll run on from here.”
VAL BRINKERHOFF (Restrainedvengence, winner) -- “It’s very uplifting because my partner Bob Grayson had two kinds of cancer, he’s been taking chemotherapy all winter and I think this horse saved his life. We knew this horse had some talent. This is the race we’ve been looking forward to all year and we got it.”
FRACTIONS: :22.87 :47.22 1:11.29 1:23.30 1:35.37
The stakes win was the first ever in the Oceanside for Roman and his second ever at Del Mar. It’s his first as a journeyman rider. (Previous Del Mar stakes score: CTBA Stakes on Show It N Moe It in 2017)
The stakes win was the first in the Oceanside for Brinkerhoff and his second ever at Del Mar. (Green Flash with Raetodandty in 2011)