DEL MAR MILE STAKES

Returning from a layoff of almost seven months, Avanzare showed no effects of his inactivity as he combined with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens to win the Grade II $200,000 Del Mar Mile Sunday in courageous fashion.

Avanzare, unraced since winning the Arcadia Stakes Jan. 31 at Santa Anita, rallied from far back under Stevens who guided the bay gelding to the outside turning into the stretch and then outran well-supported Talco, who was a path farther outside, to win by a half-length. Time was 1:35.22 for the once-around Del Mar’s infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Longshot Di Giorgio was third, a length back of the runner-up and a head in front of fourth-place Kulik Lodge in the field of ten grass milers. Fifth was the lukewarm 5-2 favored Bal a Bali. Withdrawn from the original line-up was Obviously.

Avanzare, owned by the partnership of Donato Lanni and John Youngblood and conditioned by Tom Proctor, was scoring his seventh win in 13 starts. The consistent Grand Reward gelding has been worse than third only once in his career,  beaten less than a length when fourth in the Arlington Handicap in July of 2014. First money of $120,000 boosted the five-year-old’s earnings to $505,180.

Avanzare returned $15.40, $7.20 and $5, Talco paid $3.20 and $3 and Di Giorgio returned $10.60 to show.

Stevens was fresh from a memorable triumph aboard star five-year-old mare Beholder in Saturday’s Grade I $1 million TVG Pacific Classic. In 25 years of the Pacific Classic, Beholder became the first female to win the mile and one-quarter race.

Attendance Sunday was 13,067.


GARY STEVENS (Avanzare, winner) – “It was a good run for him. I had to give up some ground to keep him in a good spot, but he’s a big, strong horse and he got it done today. I think he’s a Breeders’ Cup horse.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO (Talco, second) – “I got pushed out and couldn’t do anything about saving ground. He ran a good race, but I had to give up too much.”

FELIPE VALDEZ (Di Giorgio, third) – “I had to go wide in the first turn and that cost me some. But I got down inside and saved ground from there. He ran a good race.”

Trainer Tom Proctor had no comment. He said he refused to talk to anyone involved with the press.


FRACTIONS:  :23.38  :47.77 1:11.52  1:23.56  1:35.22


The stakes win was rider Stevens fifth of the meeting and his second (Hollycomb 1999) in the Del Mar Mile. He now has 87 stakes wins at Del Mar, seventh most of all time.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Proctor and his first in the Del Mar Mile. He now has 11 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Avanzare is owned by John Youngblood of Springfield, MO, and Donato Lanni.