Sunday’s $250,000
San Diego H. (G2) at Del Mar was expected to star a son of Tiznow who had run on Dubai
World Cup night, and so it did — but with a twist. It was not 3-5 favorite Well
Armed (Tiznow), who faded to last in his first start back since his World Cup
(UAE-G1) romp, but rather the Doug O’Neill-trained INFORMED (Tiznow), who had been
only seventh in the Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) on that same night.
Unlike Well Armed, Informed had run three times since his Dubai trip, most
recently finishing sixth in the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). Cutting back
to a more congenial 1 1/16 miles in the San Diego, the five-year-old got up in
the final strides to outduel longtime leader Mast Track (Mizzen Mast) by a nose.
Informed, who had tracked the early pace, angled out for the drive and took
aim on Mast Track. The pacesetter maintained a one-length lead in midstretch,
but could not hold off the persistent bid of the winner. Ridden by Tyler Baze,
Informed finished in a strong 1:41 4/5 on the Polytrack and provided mutuels of $15, $6.60 and $6
as the 6-1 second choice.
“I like this horse and I love him,” Baze enthused. “He’s a hard trier and a
fighter. Pacific Classic ([G1] on September 6) next. I want him in the Pacific
Classic.”
O’Neill was similarly upbeat about going to the Pacific Classic with
Informed, who races for W.C. Racing, Westside Rentals.com and Russ Sarno.
“Yes, I think this horse can make a mile and a quarter, so I think we should
try,” the trainer said. “He’d been training really good down here and he loves this racetrack.”
Mast Track was gunned to the front and dictated fractions of :23 3/5, :47,
1:10 4/5 and 1:35 2/5 before yielding late. The 9-1 shot returned $9.20 and
$6.80 for finishing 2 3/4 lengths ahead of the rallying Song of Navarone (Sultry
Song). The third-placer paid $8.20 at 16-1. The $1 exotics totaled $53.30
(exacta), $358.70 (trifecta) and $2,785.20 (2-5-1-7 superfecta) with Temple City
(Dynaformer) in fourth. Next came Sangaree (Awesome Again), Kelly Leak (Runaway
Groom), Magnum (Arg) (El Compinche) and Well Armed, who raced in third early but
began to drop back on the far turn. The filly Allicansayis Wow (Street Cry
[Ire]) was scratched.
“We’re surely disappointed with this effort,” said Aaron Gryder, who rode
Well Armed. “No, I don’t think it was the Dubai bounce. Early on I liked what
was happening. He was up there in it, just like the Pacific Classic last year
(where he ran second). On the backside I asked him to move a little bit and he
just never grabbed the bridle. I pushed on him, but it wasn’t happening. By the
time we hit the top of the stretch, the race was away from him. I didn’t
persevere with him from there. I’m confident that we’ll get him back and get it
figured out, though. He’ll be back.”
Informed was purchased for $500,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling
Sale, but after failing to clear his entry-level allowance condition, he was
dropped in for a $25,000 tag at Hollywood last summer. O’Neill promptly claimed
him. The bay horse developed into a graded stakes player early this year,
missing by a nose in the San Pasqual H. (G2) and finishing a dead-heat fourth in
the San Antonio H. (G2) before his fruitless trip to Dubai. Informed returned
with a a fourth in the Alysheba S. (G3), then earned his first stakes victory in
the Californian S. (G2). He has compiled a 22-6-5-1 mark with $506,339 in
earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Ernest C. Frohboese, Informed is the first stakes winner
out of the winning Cajun Two Step (Tabasco Cat), who has also produced a
yearling filly by Successful Appeal and a 2009 colt by Street Sense. Informed
also has an unraced juvenile full sister named The Other Woman. The 12-year-old
Cajun Two Step hails from the stakes-winning Tapstress (Desert Wine) and is a
half-sister to Grade 3 winner Discreet Hero (Honour and Glory). This is also the
female family of Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 runner-up Triple Tipple (Raise a
Cup) and current English two-year-old sensation Canford Cliffs (Tagula), a
devastating winner of the June 16 Coventry S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot.