Jockey Garrett Gomez, who took the overland route with Banned (Kitten’s Joy)
in Sunday’s Del Mar Derby (G2), employed the opposite tactics to help CITY TO
CITY (City Zip) get back on the winning track in Monday’s $150,000
Palomar
H. (G2). After a ground-saving trip throughout, the Jerry Hollendorfer filly
found room to angle out in the stretch, wore down Medaglia d’Amour (Medaglia
d’Oro), and ended her seven-race losing streak.
Although City to City was winless since the Providencia S. (G2) in April
2010, she had been running consistently well in the interim. Last time out, she
was third in a three-way photo finish in the July 23 Osunitas S., beaten all of
a head over this same turf course and 1 1/16-mile distance. She was bound to
break through sooner or later, but the rider switch to Gomez might have hastened
the day. For those who endorsed her, City to City paid $13.60, $6.60 and $3.60
as the sixth choice at 5-1.
City to City was reserved in the slipstream of the front-running Medaglia
d’Amour through splits of :24, :48 2/5 and 1:12. Ninth Infantry (Forest Danger)
stalked on the outside, and posed a barrier to the advancing City for City
turning for home. But Ninth Infantry wasn’t traveling strongly enough to keep
City to City bottled up.
As Medaglia d’Amour kicked away, and Ninth Infantry couldn’t keep pace, City
to City seized her chance to maneuver. She escaped from the pocket and went
after Medaglia d’Amour. The pacesetter didn’t give in easily, but City to City
outkicked her to score by three-quarters of a length and stopped the clock in
1:41 2/5 on Del Mar’s firm course.
“She was traveling well throughout,” Gomez said. “I snuggled her down inside
early and liked my spot. In the middle of the race there was some shifting and
changing, but it worked out fine for me. Then in the end I liked my position,
too. She’d been working well and I had a lot of confidence in her coming into
this.
“When we shifted out and went for our run in the stretch, her first response
wasn’t a good one for me. I said ‘uh, oh.’ But then she got it and fired. Then
we were good.”
Hollendorfer, who won four races on the Labor Day card at Golden Gate, was
notching career win number 6,005 in the Palomar.
“I didn’t want to get trapped on the rail, but unfortunately she got caught
in there again,” the Hall of Fame horseman said. “But this time she got out in
time. I think she would have won the last race she was in, but she didn’t have
enough time to get out.”
A blanket finish ensued behind the winner. Medaglia d’Amour held second by a
neck from Go Forth North (North Light [Ire]), the lukewarm 4-1 favorite, who
rallied out wide and just failed to catch her. All Star Heart (Arch) was another
nose away in fourth. Next came the dead-heating pair of Turning Top (Ire)
(Pivotal) and Andina (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) in fifth, with Well Monied (Maria’s
Mon) a close seventh. Ninth Infantry and It Tiz (Tiznow) completed the order of
finish. Miss Pleasant (Pleasantly Perfect), Apple Charlotte (Smart Strike) and
Somme (Theatrical [Ire]) were all scratched. Somme was re-entered in Wednesday’s
C.E.R.F. S.
Co-owned by Hollendorfer in partnership with William DeBurgh and Mark
DeDominico, City to City improved her resume to 19-6-4-5, $371,491. The chestnut
has come a long way since breaking her maiden for a $25,000 tag at Santa Rosa as
a juvenile. Last year, she captured the China Doll S. prior to the Providencia,
placed third in the Senorita S. (G3) and Honeymoon H. (G2), and finished fifth
after failing to stay 1 1/4 miles in the American Oaks (G1). Following her
runner-up effort in the San Clemente H. (G2) at Del Mar, she was sidelined for
nearly 10 months.
“We had to do surgery on her ankle,” Hollendorfer said. “We laid her up at
Pegasus Training Center up near Seattle in Redmond, Washington. They did all the
rehab on her and just did a fabulous job. We took our time with her and she has
paid us back.
“This filly came off a long layoff and to win a Grade 1 race like this, I’m
very proud of her.”
Bred by Dr. D. Michael Cavey Jr. in Kentucky, City to City fetched only
$15,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November. Her selling price rose to $50,000
at the 2008 Washington September Yearling Sale. She is out of the winning Storm
Cat mare Stormbow, who has also produced the stakes-placed Purrfect Punch (Two
Punch), the dam of stakes victress Splendid in Spring (Best of Luck). Stormbow’s
youngest progeny are a juvenile colt named Yonaguska Storm (Yonaguska) and an
unnamed yearling filly by Good and Tough.
City to City’s second dam, Rainbow Two (Halo), is a full sister to two-time
Canadian champion Rainbow Connection. A successful broodmare, Rainbow Connection
is the dam of three-time Canadian champion Rainbows for Life (Lyphard) and
French Group 2 queen Colour Chart (Mr. Prospector), who in turn produced
champion two-year-old filly Tempera (A.P. Indy) and multiple French Group 3 hero
Equerry (St. Jovite). Others in the family include multiple Grade 1 winner White
Heart (GB) (Green Desert) and Canadian classic victress Hangin on a Star (Vice
Regent), the dam of Canadian champion Comet Shine (Fappiano).