LOOK BACK ,LOOK AHEAD BY ED Z SAN DIEGO UNION

DEL MAR — Stakes: It was a week of upsetters as not one favorite won any of Del Mar’s six stakes races during Week Two. In fact, Richard Mandella’s Gas Total, who won the Osunitas Stakes on July 18, is the only favorite to win a stakes race through the first 10 stakes run in two weeks. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s Wild Dude, with co-leading rider Flavien Prat, was the big upsetter ($24.60) over Masochistic in the Grade I, $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, Weewinnin ($21.60) was a big price, too, in the California Dreamin’ Stakes as co-leading rider Joe Talamo stole it for trainer Brian Koriner.
Saturday’s big winners were Catch a Flight, third in the betting, taking the Grade II, $200,000 San Diego Handicap for trainer Richard Mandella and with jockey Gary Stevens. Big Book, fourth in the betting, won the $200,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for trainer Tim Yakteen and with jockey Rafael Bejarano aboard.
Big John B upset favorite Sky Kingdom Friday night to take the $100,000 Cougar Handicap for trainer Phil D’Amato. Bejarano rode. And Doug O’Neill’s Pure Tactics ($9.40) started it all with a mild upset in the $80,000 Wickerr Stakes, beating favorite Kulik Lodge on Wednesday.
Horses: Del Mar lost its first two horses of the race meeting. Fit to Rule, a 6-year-old, well-raced (23rd race) gelding trained by Gary Stute and ridden by Flavien Prat, suffered broken sesamoids mid-way through the second race Saturday in the 1 1/8th miles race.

On Sunday, Rush In, after some questionable activity before the fourth race and a delay in getting jockey Eswan Flores aboard, took a bad step after the finish line and broke a cannon bone in his left front leg. Like Fit to Rule, Rush In was well raced and making her 29th start.

Human failure: Starting gate mishap cost Del Mar $306,638. Starter John Lopez took full responsibility for opening gate early and catching his assistant starter and the No. 9 horse, Admiral Jaxon, not quite loaded. Horse was declared a non-starter.

Jockeys: Mario Gutierrez won five races Bejarano, Joe Talamo and Santiago Gonzalez won four races each. Talamo and Flavien Prat are tied at the top with nine wins.

Trainers: John Sadler and Hollendorfer won back-to-back races Sunday with Sadler taking the first two and Hollendorfer winning the sixth, the Bing Crosby, and following it by taking the seventh with his impressive filly Songbird. Hollendorfer’s horses went 1-2 twice last week, with Songbird and Tiz a Tommy Town in the seventh on Sunday and with Missing Groom and Chief of Staff in the second Friday night. Hollendorfer is tied with Peter Miller at the top of the trainer standings with six wins.

Look ahead to week two

Stakes: $100,000 CTBA Stakes Friday; Grade I, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Saturday; $200,000 Real Good Deal Stakes Sunday.

Pari-mutuel: Second Pick Six carryover of the meeting, with $562,765 to start the pool on Wednesday in what likely will be a nearly $2 million Pick Six pool by post time for the third race.

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