Mon, 08/29/2022 - 11:06

Ellingwood loses apprentice status after riding double

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Emily Ellingwood lost her apprentice status Saturday with a two-win day at Del Mar.

Sunday, Ellingwood turned 28.

Ellingwood’s apprentice term ended when she won the 40th race of her career aboard Damazio ($10.20) in the sixth race, the second of her two wins Saturday. Through Sunday, Ellingwood had six wins at the current Del Mar meeting.

“I’m excited to be a journeywoman,” Ellingwood said on Saturday afternoon. “My career is just beginning.”

Ellingwood had one mount on Sunday, finishing 10th on 11-1 Kuora in the ninth race.

Sun, 08/28/2022 - 19:45

Fashionably Fast surprises his trainer yet again

Emily Shields
Fashionably Fast comes off a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Fashionably Fast won the 10th race of his 32-race career at Del Mar on Saturday, ending a five-race losing streak that at times left trainer Dean Pederson questioning whether the 7-year-old could compete at a higher level.

As Fashionably Fast fought past several rivals to win a six-furlong allowance race by a head, Pederson knew fully well that the gelding is still competitive.

“It’s like the Fountain of Youth,” Pederson said. “The amazing thing about the horse he’s never lost his enthusiasm for training.

Sun, 08/28/2022 - 19:35

Laurel River's win in Pat O'Brien shows his rapid improvement

Benoit photo
Laurel River earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 108 with the Pat O'Brien triumph.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Nearly two years after Laurel River had his debut at Santa Anita, the now 4-year-old colt won his first stakes in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar for his third consecutive victory.

While the winning streak is spread over 51 weeks, the victories indicate Laurel River is improving rapidly for trainer Bob Baffert and could play an important role in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

Sun, 08/28/2022 - 19:25

Extra Hope will be longshot in small Pacific Classic field

Emily Shields
Flightline makes his first two-turn start in the Pacific Classic on Sept. 3.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Extra Hope will start in a Grade 1 race for the first time since late 2018 in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.

While Extra Hope lacks experience at the highest level, trainer Richard Mandella said he was left encouraged by the 6-year-old gelding’s third-place finish in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on dirt on July 24.

“He ran a good race in the Cougar II," Mandella said Sunday. “He’s trained like he’s come on from that. We’ll see if we can’t sneak up on them.”

Sun, 08/28/2022 - 16:29

Drafted, jockey penalized for whip misuse in Forego

Bill Denver / EQUI-PHOTO
Drafted returned $12.60 in winning the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Drafted, the fifth-place finisher from Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego, was disqualified from purse earnings for the race and his jockey Luis Rodriguez-Castro was fined $500 and suspended three days for misuse of the whip.

Sat, 08/27/2022 - 10:24

Flightline hardly takes a deep breath in final work for Pacific Classic

Deb Roma
Despite never exerting himself, Flightline worked five furlongs in 59.60 Saturday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- The major works for Flightline in preparation for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Sept. 3 were completed the two previous weeks, but Flightline still put on a show Saturday morning at Del Mar when he went through his final drill, in which he worked fast while not appearing to exert any effort whatsoever.

Flightline was one of six horses nominated to the Pacific Classic who worked Saturday morning before 8 a.m. Pacific. Nine are nominated to the race.

Fri, 08/26/2022 - 17:40

McAnally to be given Laffit Pincay Jr. Award

Shigeki Kikkawa
Ron McAnally will be honored after race 4 on Saturday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally on Saturday will be presented with the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, given at Del Mar to Southern California-based horsemen who have served the sport with integrity and distinction.

The presentation will take place in the winner's circle following race 4.

Fri, 08/26/2022 - 17:07

Baze still not able to pass drug test, resume riding

Benoit Photo
Tyler Baze took medication for high blood pressure on Aug. 15 and it still has not cleared his system.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- As the purgatory in which jockey Tyler Baze finds himself this summer at Del Mar grinds on into a second week, his agent, Jack Carava, on Friday said they may opt to not be named on horses until Baze can clear a required drug test for a medication that has lingered and kept him off mounts.

On Friday, Baze for the sixth straight racing day could not pass a test for the medication, and was taken off his four mounts. He has shown up every day expecting to ride, but until the medication clears he cannot ride horses in the afternoon or even the morning.

Fri, 08/26/2022 - 15:42

Flightline the marquee name among Pacific Classic nominations

Emily Shields
Flightline makes his first two-turn start in the Pacific Classic on Sept. 3.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Undefeated Grade 1 winner Flightline tops the list of nine nominated to the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 3. The race is the richest of the summer meet, on the meet’s biggest stakes program.

Five stakes are scheduled for Sept. 3. Nominations were released this week for the Pacific Classic and three Grade 2 turf races the same day – the Del Mar Handicap at a mile and three-eighths, Del Mar Mile and Del Mar Derby. The card also includes the $125,000 Shared Belief, a mile dirt race for 3-year-olds.

Fri, 08/26/2022 - 15:00

O'Neill resists urge to rush Kid Corleone into stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Kid Corleone, winning a maiden race in November, runs in an allowance on Saturday rather than the Pat O'Brien.

Is Kid Corleone in the right race at Del Mar on Saturday?

After an impressive 2022 debut in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on July 22, Kid Corleone will start as the morning-line favorite in a tough allowance race at six furlongs instead of the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on the same card.