DEL MAR DAILY NOTEBOOK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2005
by Brian P. Turner
A field of nine went to the gate for Saturday’s 6 1/2-furlong Sorrento S.
(G3) for two-year-old fillies. Indian Breeze (Indian Charlie) was sent to the
gate as the favorite by the betting public but disappointed the chalk players
when she moved up to contest the pace early before quickly packing it in when
the field was still on the backstretch. The bay staggered home a disappointing
eighth .
In the end, it was BULLY BONES (Hesabull) who was on the pace from start to
finish and prevailed for the victory. The chestnut was making her first start
since capturing a maiden special event at Hollywood in April but came back to
the races full of run as she contested early fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 2/5
before taking the lead in the stretch and digging in gamely at the end to hit
the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front.
Acceleration (Vision and Verse) was exiting a starter allowance event but
looked like a graded-stakes competitor here as she closed from well off the pace
to pick up the place, three lengths in front of Slick Road (Mud Route) in third.
Jockey Patrick Valenzuela picked up three wins on the day, giving him 21 for
the meet. Garrett Gomez rode two winners to move into a tie for the second spot
in the standings with Victor Espinoza. The pair has 16 winners each.
As for the trainers, Jeff Mullins picked up a win on the day to regain the
lead in the trainer standings over Bob Baffert by a score of nine to eight. Doug
O’Neill’s beast STEVIE WONDERBOY (Stephen Got Even) got him a win on the day,
helping him to regain soul possession of third place with seven winners for the
meet.
There were six sprints contested on the main track Saturday with horses on or
near the pace winning five of them. In addition, there were two main-track
routes which were both won by runners on the pace. As for the turf, there were
two routes contested on the day and they were both won in front-running fashion.
Horses to Watch
2ND – ROBERT E (Boston Harbor) went winless in his first 14 career starts but
once he came to life, he did so in a big way. After wiring the field in this
eight- furlong Cal-bred optional-claiming event, the five-year-old gelding has
now reeled off his third victory in a row. Robert E bounded to the early lead
and guided the field through early fractions of :22 1/4 and :46 1/5 and dug in
gamely at the end to hit the wire three parts of a length in front.
5TH – Stevie Wonderboy was the easiest of winners in this 6 1/2-furlong
maiden special event as he stalked the pace early before taking over at the top
of the lane and opening up an insurmountable lead in the stretch drive. Jockey
Garrett Gomez began winding him down well before the finish but still hit the
wire four lengths clear of the field. Owner Merv Griffin indicated afterward
that the next start for Stevie Wonderboy would probably come in the
seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G2) on closing day. The distance should suit the
chestnut just fine as he appears to be one that will only become more dangerous
the further he stretches out.
Tomorrow’s Outlook – Sunday, August 7
Sunday’s feature will be the Clement L. Hirsch H. (G2) for fillies and mares,
three-years-old and upward. A field of eight is set to go to the gate for the 1
1/16-mile event headed by ALPHABET KISSES (Alphabet Soup), who is coming off a
solid three-length score in the A Gleam Invitational H. (G2) at Hollywood in
early July. While the gray is definitely a solid contender in the field she
could be a tad vulnerable as 1 1/16 miles is definitely not her best distance.
For those willing to play against her, there are several choices as this is a
very competitive field and all of them appear to have chinks in their armor.
GIRL WARRIOR (Elusive Quality) is coming off a victory in the El Encino S. (G2)
at Santa Anita in January but will be making her first starts since then. STAR
PARADE (Arg) (Parade Marshal) is a multiple Grade 1 winner but her form has been
on the decline over her last few starts. If her recent works over the Del Mar
strip are any indication though, she could be ready to make another run toward
glory.
VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]) came up only three lengths short of
Alphabet Kisses last out in the A Gleam. Grade 1 winner HOLLYWOOD
STORY (Wild Rush) likes the distance and is more than capable in this situation.
Mostly cloudy skies are on tap for Sunday with highs in the mid- to upper 70s.
Sunday’s Best Plays
6TH – DA STOOPS (Distorted Humor) has had the misfortune of hooking up with a
couple of nice ones in each of his first two career starts and finishing second
both times. It started in June when he crossed paths with eventual Graduation S.
winner Cougar Mtn Lodge (Comic Strip) and then he followed that up with a defeat
on opening day of the Del Mar meet to the Doug O’Neill-trained Bro Lo (In Excess
[Ire]). There appear to be no beasts of that caliber in this Cal-bred maiden
special event which should mean he can finally make it to the winner’s circle.
9TH – MIGHTY WILL (Mighty) has been showing improvement since moving into the
barn of O’Neill. The three-year-old gelding’s recent BRIS Speed Ratings are
better than anyone’s in the field and he holds a BRIS Prime Power advantage of
over 11 points. The bay’s BRIS Pace Ratings indicate that he should be able to
compete on or near the lead early and have something left for the drive to the
finish.