Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr.’s RESTRAINEDVENGENCE unleashed a winning late run in Wednesday’s opening day feature at Del Mar, the $120,805 Oceanside Stakes, to score a three-quarter length victory with jockey Evin Roman aboard.
The dark bay sophomore ran down Afleet Ascent to complete a mile over Del Mar’s firm turf in 1:35.37 after tracking between rivals in midpack early on. Restrainedvengence angled out on the final bend, entered the stretch four wide and got up to return $24.80 at 11-1.
Afleet Ascent was also sent off at 11-1 and secured second by a half-length over Calexman. It was another half-length back to Desert Stone, who was followed under the wire by Move Over, Arawak, 5-2 favorite Texas Wedge, Heartfullofstars, Pepe Tono, Artie B Good, Respect the Hustle, Faversham, More Honor and Shane Zain.
Restrainedvengence improved his career line to 8-3-1-0 by earning his first stakes score in this spot. The Hold Me Back gelding finished seventh in his prior two stakes attempts, the Zuma Beach Stakes last October as a juvenile and the Singletary Stakes two back, and has now banked $154,290 lifetime.
Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms, Restrainedvengence was a $67,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase. The Val Brinkerhoff trainee is out of the multiple stakes-winning Red Ransom mare Cupids Revenge, making him a half-brother to Grade 3-placed stakes hero Latent Revenge and stakes scorer B G Suavecito. This is the same female family as Grade 1 victress Rightly So.
