Richard Baltas © Benoit
MABEE AND DERBY-WINNING TRAINERS END MEETING ON HIGH NOTE
In the winner’s circle after Free Rose’s victory in the Grade II $250,000 Del Mar Derby on Sunday, trainer Richard Baltas looked at the replay on the big infield screen and reflected on his Del Mar summer.
“Twenty wins and over $1 million (in earnings) for the meeting, it’s been great,” Baltas said. “It’s been a long time coming and it’s taken a lot of hard work, but now I’m getting some real good opportunities.
“I love the game. That’s why I’ve stuck with it through the good and the bad. It’s a great game.”
Baltas, 55, totaled 17 wins and $932,956 in earnings in 2015 and finished tied for third, with Doug O’Neill, behind Jerry Hollendorfer in the trainer standings. He enters the final day of the 2016 meeting with 20 wins from 91 starters and earnings of $1,212,976, tied for second with Peter Miller, three wins behind leader Phil D’Amato.
Baltas has three horses entered on today’s closing-day card, most notably All Run (7-2) in the $75,000 Pirate’s Bounty Stakes, the first of three stakes on the 10-race program. Equibase statistics entering the day show Baltas as the No. 20 trainer in North America for 2016 with 53 wins and more than $3.3 million in earnings.
It was mentioned to Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella after Avenge’s victory in the Grade II $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes that it was a “good way to end the meeting.” Mandella’s quick response was “I’m not done yet.”
Mandella has two horses entered today, Blame It On Alphie (9-2) in the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf and Antioch (7-2) in the ninth.
It didn’t meet the best-case scenario Mandella envisioned, but Monday morning he applied the “good” tag to a meeting in which he enters the final day with seven wins, five seconds and a third from 31 starters, 10th in the overall standings, with earnings of $761,592.
“I’d have loved to have won the Clement L. Hirsch and Pacific Classic like last year (with Beholder),” Mandella said. “She ran good races but just got beat.”
BAFFERT HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR THE FUTURITY FIELD
“On paper, this is the toughest Futurity field I’ve ever seen here,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Monday morning of the afternoon’s featured Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Futurity.
Baffert has seen dozens of Futurities and won a dozen of them, starting with a seven-in-a-row streak from 1996-2001. But he’s impressed with the rivals, few as they may be, that his Best Pal Stakes-winning Klimt will be running against.
“You look at the (speed figure) numbers they’re running and it’s ridiculous,” Baffert said. “Those numbers you usually don’t see run until six months from now.”
His reference was to Chasing Aces, who broke a 52-year-old track record for five furlongs clocking :56.21, And Straight Fire’s 1:14.80 for 6 ½ furlongs in a 10 ½-length victory that was accorded a 98 Beyer speed figure.
PRAT, BEJARANO WILL FIGHT IT OUT FOR JOCKEY TITLE TO LAST RACE
Entering the final day, the race for the meeting’s jockey title is as close, and with as much dramatic potential, as any on the track.
Flavien Prat, the leader throughout, had his lead cut to one (37-36) when Rafael Bejarano had three wins on Sunday to Prat’s one.
Prat is booked on seven mounts for closing day, Bejarano six. Here’s the lineups with morning line odds:
Prat (Iron Rob, 3rd, 15-1), Dynamic Ruler (5th, 20-1), Uncork the York (6th, 5-1), Ain’t Misbehavin (7th, 7-2), With Honors (8th, 5-2), Antioch (9th, 7-2), Bronzino (10th, 7-2).
Bejarano All Run (3rd, 7-2), Klimt (5th, 2-1), Uber Star (6th, 5-1), Bollywood (7th, 8-1), Noble Dancer (8th, 12-1), Big Gray Rocket (9th, 9-5).
It would be a first riding title for Prat and his agent Derek Lawson. Bejarano is the four-time defending champion at Del Mar and has 26 riding titles in Southern California since moving from Kentucky in 2007. Tora Yamaguchi is in his second year as Bejarano’s agent.
D’AMATO ON THE THRESHOLD OF FIRST DEL MAR TRAINING TITLE
It’s not a complete lock, but Phil D’Amato is strongly positioned to secure his first Del Mar training title and his third straight on the Southern California circuit.
D’Amato enters closing day with a 23-20 lead in wins over Richard Baltas and Peter Miller. D’Amato has representatives in two races on the closing day card, Miller four and Baltas three. The lineups:
D’Amato -- Warrioress (2nd, 5-2) and Uncork the York (6th, 5-1),
Baltas – All Run (3rd, 7-2), Cynthiana (4th, 9-2), Street Moxie (7th, 15-1),
Miller – Celebrity Status (1st, 15-1), Oh Scatty Oh (4th, 6-1), Ciao Bella Rose (4th, 3-1), Chasing Aces (5th, 9-5), Banze No Oeste (7th, 15-1), St. Joe Bay (7th, 6-1).
D’Amato is early in his third year since taking over the stable of Mike Mitchell, a six-time training champion and Del Mar’s all-time wins leader.
SONGBIRD, BAFFERT ACES PUT IN FINAL DEL MAR WORKOUTS
Undefeated champion filly Songbird went five furlongs in 1:00.20 breezing under exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez Monday morning, her final Del Mar workout before shipping to Santa Anita.
Del Mar clockers had splits of :24.40, :36.80, :48.40 with gallop-outs of 1:12.60 for six furlongs and 1:25.80 for seven.
“She went real nice. We’re pleased with the progress she’s been making here,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. Songbird will be vanned to Santa Anita on Thursday.
Dortmund, Hoppertunity, Lord Nelson and Toews On Ice all hit the work tab for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Dortmund, working in company with Hoppertunity, went five furlongs in :58.80 under Rafael Bejarano. Hoppertunity was given :59.00. Dortmund went :46.60 to the half and galloped out to six furlongs in 1:11.80.
Bing Crosby stakes winner Lord Nelson and Toews On Ice both covered five furlongs in :59.20.
MEL STUTE AT DEL MAR: FROM SEABISCUIT TO CALIFORNIA CHROME
The 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti, widely considered the event that “put Del Mar on the map,” was in the week of Mel Stute’s 11th birthday. It was Stute’s birthday wish to come see it, one that was granted.
Sunday, as Del Mar honored the 89-year-old trainer on his retirement, Stute recalled that event and several others here in a career of more than 2,000 wins, highlighted by developing champions Snow Chief and Brave Raj in 1986. Stute registered 292 wins, 26 in stakes, at Del Mar.
“Seventy-nine years (since) and I’ve seen them all, Citation, all of them, and I’ve got a tape where I rate them all,” Stute said. Who’s No. 1? On Stute’s list, it’s California Chrome.
“I’m offering to anyone that buys the tape and doesn’t agree to come to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. I’ll be there at Clockers’ Corner and we can argue it out,” Stute continued.
In addition to Preakness winner Snow Chief and Brave Raj, Stute trained such stars as First Balcony, Telly’s Pop, Very Subtle and Double Discount.
He was joined in the winner’s circle ceremony by his wife of 66 years, Annabelle, his son Gary, also a trainer, and many family and friends.
CLOSERS – Racing returns to Del Mar with the Bing Crosby fall meeting November 11-December 4. Racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday basis with a 12:30 first post except for Thanksgiving Day, November 24. Fourteen stakes races with purses ranging from $75,000-$300,000 are planned highlighted by the Grade I $300,000 Hollywood Derby and Grade I $300,000 Matriarch on closing weekend, December 3-4 … Selected works from 73 officially timed Monday morning: Om (4f, :48.80), Dortmund (5f, :58.80), Hoppertunity (5f, :59.00), Lord Nelson (5f, :59.20), Songbird (5f, 1:00.20), Toews On Ice (5f, :59.20) and Rockport Kat (6f, 1:11.80) … Reminder to media: Please hand in all Horse of the Meeting ballots to Hank Wesch … Thanks to all Stable Notes readers. See you in November.
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Sunday, September 4, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Flavien Prat |
208 |
37 |
31 |
29 |
18% |
47% |
$2,339,636 |
|
Rafael Bejarano |
169 |
36 |
34 |
23 |
21% |
55% |
$2,325,932 |
|
Santiago Gonzalez |
216 |
31 |
33 |
21 |
14% |
39% |
$1,494,607 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
139 |
24 |
26 |
21 |
17% |
51% |
$1,587,700 |
|
Tyler Baze |
188 |
23 |
25 |
34 |
12% |
44% |
$1,433,578 |
|
Norberto Arroyo, Jr. |
122 |
19 |
13 |
16 |
16% |
39% |
$1,025,292 |
|
Stewart Elliott |
105 |
16 |
9 |
8 |
15% |
31% |
$598,445 |
|
Victor Espinoza |
73 |
15 |
9 |
11 |
21% |
48% |
$1,619,290 |
|
Tiago Pereira |
104 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
13% |
34% |
$664,490 |
|
Mario Gutierrez |
110 |
11 |
13 |
18 |
10% |
38% |
$964,555 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Sunday, September 4, 2016 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
In-money% |
Money Won |
|
Philip D'Amato |
106 |
23 |
13 |
13 |
22% |
46% |
$1,499,209 |
|
Richard Baltas |
91 |
20 |
18 |
10 |
22% |
53% |
$1,212,976 |
|
Peter Miller |
109 |
20 |
16 |
15 |
18% |
47% |
$1,021,386 |
|
Bob Baffert |
73 |
16 |
17 |
8 |
22% |
56% |
$1,428,270 |
|
Doug F. O'Neill |
129 |
11 |
17 |
23 |
9% |
40% |
$857,671 |
|
Mark Glatt |
59 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
19% |
53% |
$466,181 |
|
John W. Sadler |
59 |
11 |
8 |
11 |
19% |
51% |
$804,095 |
|
James M. Cassidy |
51 |
10 |
4 |
8 |
20% |
43% |
$523,734 |
|
Michael Machowsky |
23 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
39% |
52% |
$278,777 |
|
Chris A. Hartman |
35 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
20% |
46% |
$247,205 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Sunday, September 4, 2016 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 113 out of 337 -- 33.53%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 82 out of 220 -- 37.27%
Winning favorites on turf -- 31 out of 117 -- 26.50%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 25 out of 51 -- 49.02%
In-the-Money favorites -- 236 out of 337 -- 70.03%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 43 out of 51 -- 84.31%
Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793