Her 30-day suspension having been served, trainer Carla
Gaines returned to her Barn E headquarters Saturday morning. The first horse she
checked on was Gervinho, the winner of a division of the Oceanside Stakes and
the morning line favorite in the first division of Sunday’s divided Grade 2, $250,000
Del Mar Derby.
“And look what he did, he bit me,” Gaines said, holding up
a band-aid adorned left hand. “I’m like ‘Come on guy, that’s not a very good
homecoming.’ He was just playing. He’s very fresh.”
From appearances, fresh and ready having gone unraced since
a neck victory over Greeley Awesome in the first division of the one-mile
Oceanside on opening day of the meeting, July 17.
The three-year-old California-bred son of Unusual Heat has had
four workouts since the first stakes victory of a five-race career under the
supervision of Gaines’ assistant, Jerry Quinn, in preparation for Sunday’s 1
1/8-mile assignment on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Track oddsmaker Russ Hudak
made Gervinho the 3-1 choice over Gabriel Charles (7-2), a fast-closing
runner-up in the second division of the Oceanside, and second division winner Rising
Legend (9-2).
The first division of the Del Mar Derby will go as the
6TH race of 11 on the day.
“As trainers we’re always worried about something, and it
looks to me like we’re definitely in the tougher division of the stake,” Gaines
admitted. “(Rising Legend and Gabriel Charles) looked tremendous finishing in
their division of the Oceanside. And Peter Miller’s horse (Chief Havoc) ran
really well in the San Diego.”
Chief Havoc, the Swaps winner at Hollywood Park,
took on older horses in the San Diego Handicap and finished fourth to Kettle
Corn, who went on to a runner-up finish in the Pacific Classic.
Iain Grant, Chris Davis and John Ortiz are all assistant
trainers who have traveled from the Midwest accompanying three-year-old colts who
drew into the second division of the Del Mar Derby.
It’s the first time at Del Mar for all three and, to a man,
they express the hope it won’t be the last. No surprise there.
It wouldn’t qualify as a major surprise if any one of
the three wound up in the winner’s circle following the second division of the
Del Mar Derby, which will be run as the 9TH race.
Infinite Magic (Grant) is the 7-2 morning line favorite
ahead of La Jolla Handicap winner Dice Flavor at 9-2. Dorsett (Davis) and
General Election (Ortiz) are both 8-1.
Infinite Magic, trained by Rick Mettee, won the American Derby on July 13 at Arlington,
the first stakes victory for the Kentucky-bred son of More Than Ready in four
U.S. starts since coming over from England this spring.
“They had a couple of other (race) options, but I believe
he’s been penciled in for this for quite awhile,” Grant said. “He travels well,
he’s a fit horse, he came out of the Arlington race extremely well and he has
been doing everything the right way since we got here (Tuesday).
“We know he’ll get the distance, we’ve got a good jockey (Joe Talamo) and the
draw (post position 3) is one of the biggest advantages we got.”
Dorsett, trained by Michael Stidham, was fifth behind Infinite Magic after being forwardly placed in the
early going of the American Derby. The Kentucky-bred son of Artie Schiller then
cruised to a three-length victory in the August 3 Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury
Park 3 to reinforce thoughts of shipping to the West Coast.
“He was much the best in the Canterbury race,” Davis said. “We looked this race over and while there are some very good horses there aren’t
any serious monsters. Plus it’s a Grade 2 and the money’s good.
“He’s a class horse, I think the distance is going to hit him right in the
head and he’s got (Rafael) Bejarano, so you couldn’t ask for more than that.”
General Election, trained by Kellyn Gorder, is a Kentucky-bred son of Harlan’s Holiday. He won the 1 1/16-mile
Arlington Classic on May 25, with Dorsett a length and a head back in third, but was vanned off
after finishing seventh of 10 behind Infinite Magic in the American Derby.
“He took a misstep around the sixteenth-pole and Joe Rocco did a
good thing pulling him up and taking it easy on him,” Ortiz said of the American
Derby. “It’s not a big deal, he’s sound and he’s doing better than ever. I’m
very confident and I think we’ve got a good spot (post 5) to run from.”
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