DEL MAR NOTES

AMERICAN PHAROAH BREEZES FOUR FURLONGS IN :47.60

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah breezed a half-mile in :47.60 under rider Martin Garcia Sunday morning at Del Mar with an estimated 800 people looking on from the grandstand.

Trainer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat and his family also monitored the work from the grandstand and came away pleased.

“He went nice; like he always does,” Baffert said.  “I think this empty track today (Del Mar closed the track for training between 7:45 and 7:55 to all except Pacific Classic horses and Triple Crown winners) allowed him to relax some. When he’s got horses all around him, he gets keyed up.”

American Pharoah came onto the track at approximately 7:45 with Baffert assistant Jim Barnes alongside on his stable pony. They backtracked to the finish line, then jogged to just past the six-furlong pole. American Pharoah galloped up to the half mile marker, then went into work mode, coming down the stretch to applause and cheers from the crowd.

Official split times from the clockers were: 12.40, :24.60, :35.80, and :59.80  and 1:13.60 for six furlongs on the gallop out.

“It went super good,” Garcia said back at the stable area. “Bob just told me to work him like we usually do and make sure we get a little bit out of it. He was just cruising. It’s like he’s still getting better and better. This horse is unbelievable.”

Head clocker John Malone noted the horse was well within himself for the move. American Pharoah’s work was categorized as “breezing” (without urging), a sparingly-used designation by Southern California circuit clockers.

“I think he’s doing fine,” Baffert said.  “I’m always checking with his riders – George (Alvarez), Manny (Avila) who gets on him on his (George’s) day off, Martin (Garcia) and asking if they feel anything different; asking if he’s done anything that is a change. But all the reports are good. Everything they’ve said so far has been positive. Actually, it’s amazing how this horse has held his form for so long.”

Baffert reflected briefly on the overall American Pharoah experience.

“The ride (with the horse) has been good, but I can feel the pressure,” Baffert said.  “I’ve got a lot of responsibility with him – to the racing industry, to everyone. I’ve got to make sure he’s 100%. I’ve got to focus on the horse from here on out, make sure everything is right for him.

“Today (in his work) he looked like the ‘Pharoah’ we know. His ears were up and forward, he was looking around checking things out; doing it easy. It’s what we want to see.

“I’ll work him again next week. We’ll see when. Then we’ll probably know what we’re going to do next.”

The most likely next start for American Pharoah would be the Grade I $1.6 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, August 29. The $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, the signature event of the Del Mar summer meeting, is next Saturday, August 22. Baffert was asked about the possibility of parading American Pharoah for the crowd on Pacific Classic Day.

“If I was sure that we weren’t going to the Travers, then it would be a no-brainer,” Baffert said. “But when you put them in front of a crowd it can take something out of them. I’m just not sure about that yet.”


HARD ACES WORKS SIX FURLONGS IN 1:13.60 FOR  PACIFIC CLASSIC

Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner Hard Aces worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 Sunday morning under exercise rider Julio Vera for trainer John Sadler. It was the final serious exercise for the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun before Saturday’s $1 million TVG Pacific Classic.

“Last work, we’re ready,” Sadler said.

Hard Aces worked in company with stablemate Scooter Bird*, as had been the case for his penultimate work a week earlier when he covered seven furlongs in 1:26.60. Clockers commented that Hard Aces was “best of the team.”
“He’s never been a good work horse, he doesn’t ever work fast,” Sadler said. “But this was a good work for him and he’ll be fine for the race.”

Sadler’s other Pacific Classic entrant, Class Leader, worked seven furlongs on Saturday in 1:26.40. Mike Smith has been named to ride the son of Smart Strike.

In other Pacific Classic news: Trainer Bob Baffert said the race was still the preferred option, over the Grade II $250,000 Pat O’Brien on Pacific Classic Day, for Bayern. A decision will be made based on the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner’s work scheduled for Monday.


O’NEILL’S ON A HOT STREAK AND SMOOVE IT COULD MOVE IT ALONG

Sharla Rae came out of her victory in Saturday’s  Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks in “excellent” condition, Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill said Sunday morning. “She ate well and she’s as happy as can be,” Mora said.

The upset  ($14.40) win by the 3-year-old daughter of Afleet Alex was her first in a graded stakes. It was the first stakes victory at Del Mar for veteran jockey James Graham, who has ventured West after many Midwest-based years.

“My first stakes win at Del Mar and it’s a Grade I. I don’t do things by half measure, do I?” Graham said afterward.

It was the fourth stakes victory of the meeting for O’Neill, tops among trainers. O’Neill also leads the overall trainer standings with 13 victories, three more than Jerry Hollendorfer.

Team O’Neill will send out three representatives today and the last of them, Smoove It, could advance O’Neill’s totals in both the overall and stakes categories. The 4-year-old daughter of Square Eddie is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap, the ninth on a 10-race card.

Smoove It will face eight rivals. Majestic Heat, entered in both the Oaks and the Solana Beach, finished fifth in Saturday’s Oaks in what was her fourth start of the meeting.


WHAT’S IN A NAME – SOLANA BEACH HANDICAP

The Solana Beach Handicap acknowledges the city just to the north of the track and has been contested annually since 1997. It was on the schedule for Halo Dolly, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, every year from 2011-2013 and she produced three straight wins.


AT LONG LAST, TARIS-SAM’S SISTER MEET AGAIN

Four-year-old fillies Sam’s Sister and Taris met last December 26, Opening Day of the Santa Anita Winter Meeting, and finished 1-2 respectively, a half-length apart, in the Grade I LaBrea Stakes.

Sam’s Sister, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, continued on to a 2015 campaign that opened with a victory in the Grade II Santa Monica Stakes in January and competitive efforts in stakes at Laurel Park, Keeneland and back to Santa Anita from February to June.

Taris, a $2.35 million purchase for Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier at auction last November, incurred an ankle injury that required surgery. The return to racing for the daughter of Flatter trained by Simon Callaghan is set for today in the Grade III $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.

Taris, to be ridden by Gary Stevens, is the 2-1 favorite on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line. Sam’s Sister, with Rafael Bejarano in the irons, is the 5-2 second choice.


WHAT’S IN A NAME – RANCHO BERNARDO  HANDICAP

The Rancho Bernardo Handicap is a nod to the city north and east of Del Mar. It has been contested annually since 1973. It was won in 2014 by Judy the Beauty, who went on to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, taking both races under Mike Smith.


CLOSERS – DMTC Executive Vice President Tom Robbins announced that, as was the case Sunday, the track will be closed for training for all except Pacific Classic horses from 7:45 – 7:55 a.m. Monday and Tuesday … X-rays taken Saturday evening showed no serious injuries to jockey Corey Nakatani, according to his agent, Jim Pegram. Nakatani was spilled in the paddock by Run for Retts before Saturday’s seventh race, but got back aboard and rode the 27-1 shot to victory. Aftereffects of the spill caused Nakatani to take off his mount, Majestic Heat, in the next race, the Grade I Del Mar Oaks, and Sweet  Promises in the 10th-race finale. Nakatani is reportedly “body sore” and has been excused from his scheduled mounts Sunday on Guns Loaded for Mike Puype in the third race and She’s Flush for Ed Moger, Jr. in the Solana Beach Handicap. Pegram said Nakatani will be fine and return to riding when racing resumes Wednesday … Selected workouts from 186 officially timed on dirt and 28 on turf Sunday morning: Dirt – Hard Aces (6f, 1:13.60), Big Cazanova (6f, 1:13.60), Wild Dude (5f, 1:01.20), Stellar Wind (5f, :59.80), Midnight Storm (5f, :58.40), Ralis (4f, :51.60), Mrazek (4f, :49.60), Gimme Da Lute (4f, :48.60), American Pharoah (4f, :47.60 breezing); Turf – Ganesh (1m 1:42.00), Soul Driver (6f, 1:14.40), Istanford (6f, 1:15.60), Obviously (5f, 1:01.40), Kulik Lodge (5f, 1:02.60), Big John B (5f, 1:02.60), Ashleyluvssugar (5f, 1:03.00), and Soi Phet (4f, :49.80)


DEL MAR STATISTICS

Jockey Standings
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% Money Won
Rafael Bejarano 123 24 22 18 20% $1,409,052
Tyler Baze 133 19 21 20 14% $1,163,154
Joseph Talamo 118 18 10 9 15% $1,011,706
Flavien Prat 105 14 10 17 13% $1,043,122
Mario Gutierrez 74 13 9 7 18% $814,166
Santiago Gonzalez 99 12 10 9 12% $725,116
Martin Garcia 82 10 8 11 12% $710,730
Corey Nakatani 53 10 6 4 19% $489,376
Kent Desormeaux 59 9 8 9 15% $530,464
Martin Pedroza 86 9 6 9 10% $389,798

Trainer Standings
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% Money Won
Doug F. O'Neill 63 13 12 8 21% $958,850
Jerry Hollendorfer 51 10 5 6 20% $697,192
Peter Miller 76 9 11 11 12% $656,506
Philip D'Amato 48 9 7 7 19% $602,692
John W. Sadler 32 9 2 4 28% $412,662
Richard Baltas 44 8 5 11 18% $412,372
Mike Puype 47 7 3 7 15% $393,140
Bob Baffert 33 7 3 6 21% $541,190
Robert B. Hess, Jr. 33 6 0 6 18% $178,570
Adam Kitchingman 17 5 5 1 29% $131,890

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Winning favorites 57 202 28.22%
Winning favorites on dirt 42 139 30.22%
Winning favorites on turf 15 63 23.81%
Winning odds-on favorites 12 22 54.55%
In-the-Money favorites 116 202 57.43%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites 20 22 90.91%