FIELD OR HERD? 14 ENTRIES IS A CROWD.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with If all 14 horses go into the starting gate starting gate n. Sports 1. A series of stalls with interconnected doors that open simultaneously at the beginning of a race. 2. for Sunday's Pacific Classic, that will not be the most ever to contest a race at Del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
Asked for historical perspective Thursday, track publicist Dan Smith went to his bookshelf and came back with the eye-popping chart of the 1964 Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Beginning in the racing season of 2007, this race has been upgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee from a Grade II event to a Grade I. , in which no fewer than 17 immature 2-year-olds rattled 6 furlongs around one of Del Mar's sharp turns. Even on paper, 17 horses looks like a crowd. The 1964 Del Mar Futurity was won by a future stakes star named Terry's Secret, who rallied from the middle of the huge pack under Alex Maese to hang a head on front-runner Azure azure /az·ure/ (azh´er) one of three metachromatic basic dyes (A, B, and C). az·ure n. Any of various dyes used in biological stains, especially for blood and nuclear staining. Te and Jerry Lambert Jerry Lambert can refer to more than one person:
n. A system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. Also called triple. [tri- + (per)fecta.] in those days, it would have paid five figures. The possibility of a similar haywire result worries key players in the 12th running of the $1 million Pacific Classic, for which the owners of 13 other horses were signed up Thursday morning to challenge Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. and Preakness winner War Emblem War Emblem was the winner of the Kentucky Derby in 2002. This Thoroughbred's time was 2:01.13 around the 1 1/4 mile track. Victor Espinoza was his jockey for the Derby, never having seen the horse until the morning of the race. . ``The post position is fine,'' six-time Pacific Classic-winning trainer Bobby Frankel said after his Milwaukee Brew drew post 10 and was named the 3-1 second choice for the 1 1/4-mile race. ``But that's too many horses for that racetrack.'' Milwaukee Brew jockey Kent Desormeaux expressed concern, too, if not as stridently as Frankel. ``When you have a horse that closes (from behind) and you have a sizable field, you run the risk of traffic problems,'' Desormeaux said. On the other side is Jimmy Z rider Pat Valenzuela, whose gelding gelding castrated male horse. is another come-from-behind type. Valenzuela thinks the huge field might actually help his 30-1 shot. ``The speed horses could be trapping the horses sitting right behind them,'' Valenzuela said, ``and I might be able to come around everybody and win.'' The immediate question is why War Emblem, a 2-1 favorite on the morning line, hasn't scared off more opponents. One possibility is that rival horsemen don't think trainer Bob Baffert intends War Emblem to run, or they don't think the 3-year-old is fit. Baffert worried about fatigue after War Emblem's unintended fast workout Tuesday. Baffert's absence from a news conference Thursday fueled doubts. But Baffert told reporters later that a Thursday gallop showed War Emblem is ``ready.'' Another theory is that rivals expect War Emblem to melt down if he is denied the early lead by Bosque Redondo, entered as a rabbit for stablemate Noun 1. stablemate - a horse stabled with another or one of several horses owned by the same person stable companion Equus caballus, horse - solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times Came Home, or by Sky Jack, the speedy Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. winner. ``I kind of think he is one-dimensional,'' Came Home co-owner Trudy McCaffery said of War Emblem, ``but honestly, I don't think we know that.'' Then there's the simple possibility a lot of good horses are here and ready to run and even a second- to fifth-place share of that $1 million is enticing. It worked for Terry's Secret 38 years ago. --Moment of Silence: Valenzuela, Del Mar's leading rider, was among those most saddened by the death of Sunday Silence, who was 16 years old when he lost his battle with a bacterial infection and laminitis laminitis (lăm'ənī`tĭs), also called founder, inflammation of the lamina, the innermost layer of the hoof wall in horses, ponies, and donkeys. Although the condition usually affects only the front feet, it may involve all four feet. on Monday in Japan. Valenzuela has 1989 Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. , Kentucky Derby and Preakness victories beside his name thanks to Sunday Silence. ``It was an emotional day (Monday) for me,'' Valenzuela said. ``I've ridden several horses like Sunday Silence. I rode Best Pal, I rode Arazi, I rode Cigar in his first five or six races. Sunday Silence, though, is probably the best. He gave me the satisfaction that he was a warrior who tried every time.'' Sunday Silence was voted the 1989 Horse of the Year after winning three of four meetings with rival Easy Goer. Charlie Whittingham, his trainer, is gone. Chris McCarron, who rode him in the Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. while Valenzuela was suspended, retired this summer. P. Val is the remaining link to one of the sport's great performers. --2 good: Vindication, so far the brightest of the Baffert-trained 2-year-olds, eased to victory under Mike Smith after disposing of two early challengers in his first start against winners Thursday at Del Mar. Hardly forced to run in either of his races, the son of Seattle Slew covered 6 furlongs in 1:10 3/5 in his July 27 debut and 1:11 2/5 this time. The fastest 6 furlongs by a 2-year-old at the Del Mar meet belongs to Siberland, a Kevin Lewis-trained son of Siberian Summer, who went 1:09 2/5 under Laffit Pincay in a 6 1/2-length maiden victory Sunday. Vindication's win makes it an even 10 by Baffert 2-year-olds at Del Mar, including stakes victories by Icecoldbeeratreds in the Graduation and Kafwain in Wednesday's Best Pal. Second among trainers of 2-year-olds at the meet is Mel Stute with four wins. OUT OF THE GATE DEL MAR STANDINGS Through Wednesday Jockeys Wins Pat Valenzuela 24 Laffit Pincay 23 Eddie Delahoussaye 18 Kent Desormeaux 17 Victor Espinoza 16 Alex Solis 16 Trainers Wins Bob Baffert 16 Bill Spawr 13 Ron McAnally 7 John Sadler 7 Julio Canani 6 Craig Lewis 6 PINCAY WATCH Laffit Pincay, whose 9,412 victories are a world record, became the first jockey to win 1,000 races at Del Mar when he rode Chapeau ($19) to a four-length romp in a maiden sprint Monday. Chapeau was saddled by Ron McAnally, who is Del Mar's all-time leading trainer with 397 victories. ON THE STAKES SCHEDULE Del Mar Saturday --$300,000 Del Mar Oaks The Del Mar Oaks is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies. The race carries a purse of $400,000 and is a Grade I event at a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the turf at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. , 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles on turf Sunday --$1 million Pacific Classic, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles --$150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap The Rancho Bernardo Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It is open to fillies and mares age three and up and raced at a distance of six and one-half furlongs on the dirt. , 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 1/2 furlongs Saratoga Friday --$400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/4 miles Saturday --$1 million Travers, 3-year-olds, 1 1/4 miles --$200,000 Kings Bishop, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs Sunday --$250,000 Ballerina Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 7 furlongs Emerald Downs Sunday --$250,000 Longacres Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile A WEEK AT THE RACES At The Races is a British television channel, originally co-founded with Channel 4, but now owned by a partnership between British Sky Broadcasting, Arena Leisure PLC and 28 (out of the 59) UK racecourses. The Pacific Classic is scheduled for 2:42 p.m. Sunday as the fifth on a 10-race card starting at 12:30 p.m. The Pacific Classic will kick off a pick-six for which Del Mar is guaranteeing a $1 million pool. The race is scheduled to be televised, along with Saratoga's Ballerina Handicap, starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network . ... Pat Valenzuela has been handed a seven-day suspension starting Aug. 30, the result of an incident in Del Mar's eighth race Wednesday in which apprentice Kevin Krigger fell. ... Del Mar advertises that ``Four O'Clock Friday gets an early start this week and for succeeding Fridays of the meeting.'' Meaning first post for ``Four O'Clock Friday'' has switched to 3:30 p.m. starting today. And tracks wonder why people find horse racing confusing. ... Eddie Delahoussaye's meet-high five stakes victories have given him 94 in his career at Del Mar, sending him past Bill Shoemaker into third on the track's list behind Chris McCarron (134) and Laffit Pincay (95). ... Black Ruby, the world's fastest mule - whatever that really means - will make an appearance at Del Mar on Sept. 8 in a match race against her long-suffering rival, Taz. The 400-yard race for a $10,000 purse will be run as a non-betting exhibition purse because state law prohibits wagering on mule races except at county-fair tracks. - Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): 2 boxes Box: (1) PACIFIC CLASSIC LINEUP (2) OUT OF THE GATE (see text) |
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