 Enriched takes Del Mar Mile on the front end
Updated - 9/2/2010
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Alone on the lead, Enriched proved to be unbeatable in Saturday’s $190,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap, recording the first stakes win of his 21-race career.
The way the race unfolded, jockey Joel Rosario had growing confidence through the final half-mile. Enriched was allowed to set a slow pace of 23.97 and 48.53 seconds and held off a late threat from Meteore to win the Grade 2 turf race by three-quarters of a length.
“I didn’t choke him because he doesn’t like that,” Rosario said. “He galloped really easily. That’s why he finished.”
For Rosario, the win was his third consecutive in the first four races of Saturday’s 11-race program.
Enriched ran a mile in 1:34.83, finishing the final quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds. “The pace really helped,” said winning trainer Doug O’Neill.
Meteore, a 7-1 shot, was third for the first half-mile and finished second, a neck in front of Bruce’s Dream, who was followed by Blue Chagall, Scenic Blast, and Moudez in the field of six.
For the win, Enriched earned an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile through the Win and You’re In program, but the 5-year-old gelding was not nominated to the program as a young horse. O’Neill said Enriched may not start in the BC Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.
Enriched made his third start of the Del Mar meeting in the Del Mar Mile, having finished third in both the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes and Grade 2 San Diego Handicap in the first two weeks of the meeting.
A half-brother to the seven-time Grade 1 winner Lava Man, Enriched is owned by a partnership who claimed him for $32,000 last November. Since then, Enriched has earned $340,676. In his career, Enriched has won 7 of 21 starts and $494,656.
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AT HALFWAY POINT, ROSARIO AND O’NEILL IN FULL COMMAND
Updated - 9/1/2010
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Friday marks the halfway point in Del Mar's 37-day meet and Joel Rosario and Doug O'Neill have left little doubt as to who's in command of the jockey and trainer standings.
Rosario, who began to feel some heat on his neck from second-place Rafael Bejarano over the past weekend when Bejarano closed the gap to two wins, has opened up his lead to five at 26-21 in this week's first two days of racing. Rosario rode three winners Wednesday and two more Thursday, while Bejarano scored once each day.
Victor Espinoza continues to lay third at 13 wins, with the injured Joe Talamo next with 12. Martin Garcia, Martin Pedroza, David Flores and Patrick Valenzuela are poised to move up with nine wins each.
O'Neill padded his runaway lead in the trainer standings with two victories Thursday to run his total to 16. Mike Mitchell and John Sadler are next with nine each, and Jerry Hollendorfer with seven and Bob Baffert and Carla Gaines with five each fill out the top five.
In racing statistics, favorites have won 42 of 147 races to post a 28.5 percent overall win figure. Polytrack winning favorites are hitting at 25.2 percent while turf favorites are winning at 37.5 percent.
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CONGRATS FILLY WICKEDLY PERFECT WINS G3 SORRENTO STAKES!
Updated - 8/25/2010
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WICKEDLY PERFECT, the daughter of Freshman Sire CONGRATS, remained undefeated and she became a graded stakes winner with her victory in the $150,000 Sorrento Stakes (G3)
The gray filly more than hinted at things to come with her flashy five length maiden win at Hollywood Park on June 27. She was quickly away from post seven and with speed inside and out, she found herself in tight between horses down the backstretch. The inside filly came out going into the turn and WICKEDLY PERFECT had to steady as she nearly clipped heals. Moving to the far outside, she caught the pacesetter around the turn, opened a clear lead and gamely dug in and outran the closers to the finish to win by one length.
"She broke well but I didn't want to be up on the lead," said winning rider Rafael Bejarano.."They were going too fast. I had lots of hold on her; I had to wait. But at the three-eighths (pole) when I saw the favorite go inside, I knew I had to go, too. She got running and stayed strong. She's game.
"She's a beautiful filly," said her trainer Doug O'Neill. "We've been a little concerned at times because she's so quiet around the barn. She's just a very professional filly, but you never know how they're going to run on the track until they run. Rafael was up pretty close early, and when I saw the fast fractions I figured Rafael must feel like he's really loaded. He's a world-class rider so you go with that. He knew he had a lot of horse."
"We bought her at the OBS April sale [2-year-olds in training]," said Dennis O'Neill. "Bob Feld helped me pick her out. He liked her and I just fell in love with her. The first time we worked her we were just smitten with her. We're very excited about her. She's very professional."
WICKEDLY PERFECT was bred in Florida by Y-Lo Racing Stables, LLC and she was produced by the Tactical Cat mare, Wickedly Wise. WICKEDLY PERFECT was purchased for $70,000 and is owned by Peter Moehrke, Rafter JR Ranch (the nom de course of Jay Schneider) and STD Racing (the nom de course of Steve, Tracy and Dave Kenly). She has earned $114,600 in her two career starts.
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Wickedly Perfect Bedevils Sorrento Foes
Updated - 8/14/2010
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A hot pace failed to deter Wickedly Perfect when she rallied in upper stretch to win the $150,000 Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 6 at Del Mar to remain unbeaten in two starts.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano won for the fourth time on the the twilight program at Del Mar while guiding the Doug O'Neill-trained daughter of Congrats to a one-length triumph in the 6 1/2-furlong test for 2-year-old fillies. The final time was 1:17.18 on the Polytrack.
Wickedly Perfect broke with the leaders before dropping into a stalking position in third behind Dawnie Macho, who dueled with 9-5 favorite Final Mesa through swift opening fractions of :21.89 and :44.90. Dawnie Macho was on the lead at the quarter pole but weakened quickly. Wickedly Perfect took charge in the lane after rallying three wide and turned back Final Mesa and She'll Heir mid-stretch. She held on gamely as the closers A Z Warrior and Izshelegal made their late charge.
"She broke well but I didn't want to be up on the lead," Bejarano said. "They were going too fast. I had lots of hold on her; I had to wait. But at the three-eighths (pole) when I saw the favorite go inside, I knew I had to go, too. She got running and stayed strong. She's game."
Racing for Peter Moehrke, JR Ranch, and STD Racing Stable, Wickedly Perfect broke her maiden in her debut for O'Neill at Hollywood Park June 27 impressively by 4 3/4 lengths.
"She's a beautiful filly. We've been a little concerned at times because she's so quiet around the barn," O'Neill said. "She's just a very professional filly, but you never know how they're going to run on the track until they run. Rafael was up pretty close early, and when I saw the fast fractions I figured Rafael must feel like he's really loaded. He knew he had a lot of horse."
Bred in Florida by Y-Lo Racing Stables, the gray/roan filly is out of the Tactical Cat mare Wickedly Wise and was purchased for $70,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s April 2-year-olds in training sale.
"Bob Feld helped me pick her out," said Dennis O'Neill, brother of the trainer. "He liked her and I just fell in love with her. The first time we worked her we were just smitten with her. We're very excited about her."
She earned $90,000 for the Sorrento victory, boosting her total to $114,600.
Zayat Stables' A Z Warrior, an impressive maiden winner in her debut at Hollywood July 15, took second by a head with Martin Garcia aboard. Maiden Izshelegal, second in the Landaluce Stakes in her debut July 11, rallied from last after a half-mile to take the show spot by 1 1/4 lengths with Victor Espinoza riding.
She'll Heir finished fourth, followed Belleofthebridle, Final Mesa, and Dawnie Macho.
Previously undefeated Final Mesa, a New York-bred daughter of Sky Mesa owned and trained by Wesley Ward, was favored after demolishing her rivals by a combined 20 lengths in three previous starts, including stakes wins at Delaware and Woodbine. She carried co-high weight of 123 pounds.
Toting 119 pounds, Wickedly Perfect went off as the fourth choice in the field of seven and paid $13.80, $4.80, and $3.20. A Z Warrior returned $5.40 and $3.80 and completed a $53.40 exacta. Izshelegal paid $3 to show.
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O’Neill Excited About Lava Girl
Updated - 8/2/2010
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Trainer Doug O'Neill was almost giddy Thursday morning when talking about his dead-heat winner, Lava Girl, in Del Mar's seventh race, a 6-furlong event for fillies and mares 3 years old and older on the main track. The filly went off at odds of 32-1, but because of the dead heat her win payoff was $28.60.
"That was special," O'Neill said of the half-sister to his old warrior Lava Man, winner of the 2006 Pacific Classic and numerous other Grade I events. "I was surprised at the way she ran. She has been training really well but we never asked for a ton of run from her. She never tipped her hand that she would run like that in a race, especially in her first race ever -- and down on the rail."
Lava Girl is by Purge out of the Nostalgia's Star mare Li'l Ms. Leonard. The mare also foaled the O'Neill-trained Enriched, who runs Saturday in the Eddie Read Stakes here, giving O'Neill two half-siblings to Lava Man. The old warrior now is in a second career as a stable pony and is stabled at Hollywood Park with other O'Neill horses.
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Del Mar Meet opens!
Updated - 8/2/2010
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Doug O'Neill is downright giddy about Del Mar's opener.
"It's one of the days you're so proud to be part of the game," he said. "All the excitement in the air and all the beautiful people in their outfits and hats. It's one of those days you wish could be once a week. It's a very special moment. The people that run Del Mar really put on a special show. Aside from the beautiful horses running, it's just a great social atmosphere on opening day."
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O’Neill ends Hollywood meet on top of the standings
Updated - 8/2/2010
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Trainer Doug O’Neill won his fifth spring-summer title. He finished with 28 victories, one more than Bob Baffert. O’Neill has won nine training championships at Hollywood Park, and has won 24 Southern California training titles.
Jockey Joel Rosario defended his crown with 79 winners, four more victories than runner-up Rafael Bejarano. Rosario has won the last three meets at Hollywood Park, including the fall season in 2009.
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Lime Rock wins, thrid of the day for O’Neill
Updated - 7/21/2010
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Lime Rock Revenge finished eighth of 10 in a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds over five furlongs in Saturday's 10th race.
In Wednesday's eighth race, Lime Rock Revenge dropped into a maiden claimer, was bet down from 12-1 on the morning-line to 7-2 at post time, and won convincingly, by 2 3-4 lengths over t-2 second choice Ribat. Ridden by Kerwin John, Lime Rock Revenge ran five furlongs in 58.88 seconds.
Lime Rock Revenge gave leading trainer Doug O'Neill his third winner of the day, preceded by Call Me Honcho in the sixth race and El Scorpio in the seventh race. O'Neill has won 23 races at the meeting, five more than Mike Mitchell.
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