Drill survives eventful Del Mar Futurity

Drill (blue shadow roll) prevailed despite the ping pong effect from Majestic City and Creative Cause (green hat) (Alex Evers/EquiSport Photos)

DRILL (Lawyer Ron) didn’t get much respect as the 4-1 third choice in
Del Mar’s closing day feature, the $250,000

Del Mar Futurity (G1), on Wednesday, but the Bob Baffert trainee
pulled out a gutsy neck win over 7-2 second pick Majestic City (City Zip) and
4-5 favorite Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway). It wasn’t an easy win, either, as the
dark bay colt was knocked sideways by Creative Cause when Majestic City
ran into his gray rival.

Drill came running on the outside down the stretch, with Creative
Cause putting his best hoof forward and Majestic City to the inside of
the pair. Jockey Martin Garcia, who had the mount on Drill, lost his
whip at the top of the stretch, but that didn’t stop the juvenile colt
from giving it his all.

Nearing the wire, David Flores on Majestic City
was using left-handed encouragement, causing the chestnut to veer toward
the outside. Majestic City rammed into Creative Cause, who checked
sharply but not before being forced into Drill’s hindquarters.

The winner was knocked off stride hard and bounced back into Creative
Cause, but all three managed to stay on their feet, with Drill finishing
a neck in front of Majestic City, who was in turn three parts of a
length up on Creative Cause on the wire. Once the stewards reviewed the
video, Majestic City was disqualified to third for the incident and
Creative Cause elevated to second.

Drill and Garcia basked in the glory of their hard-fought victory (Alex Evers/EquiSport Photos)

Gun Boat (Congrats), who led on the backstretch through splits of :23, :45
3/5 and 1:09 3/5, held for
fourth another while just a nose behind Creative Cause on the line. It was
another half-length back to Basmati (Borrego), who was followed under the wire
by Sheer Talent (Wildcat Heir), Corsa Di Cavalli (After Market) and Mighty Monsoon (Forestry).

Unlike Creative Cause and Majestic City, who were each seeking to maintain
perfect records, Drill entered the Del Mar Futurity having dropped his initial
start. The colt ran eighth in his career debut, but rebounded in a big way to
break his maiden just 14 days later by a neck while going 6 1/2 furlongs on
August 13 last out. Bred in Kentucky by Stonewall Farm Stallions, he passed
through the sales ring twice, RNAing as a Keeneland November weanling before
bringing $300,000 as a Keeneland September yearling.

Drill is out of the winning Storm Cat mare Cat Dancer, who has since produced
a yearling full brother to the Del Mar Futurity conqueror and a 2011 filly by
Strong Contender. Cat Dancer is herself a full sister to Magic Storm, heroine of
the 2002 Monmouth Oaks (G2) and placed in the 2001 runnings of the Spinaway S.
(G1) and Adirondack S. (G2).

Drill’s third dam is Grade 2-placed stakes winner
Water Dance (Nijinsky II), who counts as half-siblings champion Little Current
(*Sea-Bird), victor of the 1974 Belmont S. (G1) and Preakness S. (G1); Prayers’n
Promises (Foolish Pleasure), queen of the 1980 Spinaway and Matron S. (G1); and
Darbyvail (Roberto), herself the granddam of dual classic-placed and Grade
1-scoring sire Hard Spun (Danzig).