Two fillies brought perfect records into Saturday’s $202,500 San Clemente H. (G2), but only one retained her unbeaten status on opening day at Del Mar. Iscreamuscream, sent off as the 6-5 favorite in her stakes and two-turn debut, withstood pace pressure throughout. Improving her mark to 3-for-3, she topped the Phil D’Amato exacta with stablemate Zona Verde. Hitherto undefeated Medoro, who was conceding five pounds to Iscreamuscream, rallied for third after a tough trip.
Iscreamuscream had rolled from just off the pace in her prior starts, both sprinting six furlongs on the Santa Anita turf. On the stretch-out to a mile in the San Clemente, the daughter of Twirling Candy and the Grade 3-winning Cozzene mare Silver Screamer flashed plenty of early speed.
With the 43-1 Omaha Girl egging her on, Iscreamuscream rattled off an opening quarter in :22.76. Jockey Hector Berrios was able to give her a breather through fractions of :47.49 and 1:12.38, but Omaha Girl remained a persistent gadfly. Iscreamuscream dispatched her turning for home, only to have Zona Verde range up to threaten.
The question was whether her early exertion would take a toll in the stretch, and the answer was decisive. Iscreamuscream upped her game as Zona Verde crept nearer. Pulling three-quarters of a length clear of her 9-1 stablemate, Iscreamuscream clocked 1:35.87.
Medoro, the 2.10-1 second choice, had a more challenging passage, between her tardy start and trying to find room into the stretch. The Peter Eurton filly quickened well herself once finally in the clear, but could not peg back the D’Amato pair. Considering her top weight of 124 pounds, and unfavorable early position, Medoro has claims to reverse form over an extra furlong in the Aug. 17 Del Mar Oaks (G1).
Sakura Blossom closed for fourth, followed by Omaha Girl, Loterie, Invincible Molly, Sea Dancer, Rascality, and Flattery. Alluring and Antifona were scratched.
Campaigned by Little Red Feather Racing, John Hundley Jr., Marsha Naify, John Snyder, and Stacey Snyder, Iscreamuscream has earned $189,600. The dark bay was purchased for $145,000 as an OBS March juvenile, by far her best public auction result.
Iscreamuscream, bred by Hunter Rankin and Walker Hancock in Kentucky, initially RNA’d for a scant $9,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November. She improved to $55,000 as a September yearling at the same venue, and continued to flourish into her two-year-old sales experience.
D’Amato was out of luck in the earlier stakes on opening day, the $103,000 Oceanside S., as his 2.80-1 favorite, King of Gosford, was a troubled sixth behind the 3.10-1 Formidable Man.
Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Formidable Man wound up racing much further back than usual. But that turned out to be the right spot, since a frenetic pace unfolded courtesy of All That Glory’s winging it through splits of :22.20 and :45.82. Rothschild was the first to pounce; then Formidable Man and Guy Named Joe accosted him wider out.
Formidable Man packed the strongest punch, driving to a 1 1/2-length decision in 1:34.76 – more than a full second faster than the San Clemente. Guy Named Joe took second by a half-length from Rothschild. McCarthy’s other two entrants, Blue Eyed George and We’re in Trouble, rounded out the top five, while All That Glory retreated to 10th in the 11-horse field.
Formidable Man was previously runner-up in the American Turf (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day to Trikari, the eventual winner of the Belmont Derby (G1). He was most recently a subpar sixth in the June 1 Audubon S. back at Churchill Downs, but rebounded here, over the same course and distance as his debut score last summer.
Racing for William and Suzanne Warren, the same connections as sire City of Light, Formidable Man sports a mark of 8-3-2-0, $277,425. The bay was bred by Town & Country Horse Farms in Kentucky from the Grade 2-winning Fanticola, by Silent Name. McCarthy, who likewise trained City of Light, bought the colt as agent for $375,000 as a Keeneland September yearling.
