The sun is shining this afternoon at Del Mar, where the historic racetrack will kick off it's 2011 meet with a fine card of ten races, featuring the one-mile on the turf Oceanside Stakes, won by leading older horse Twirling Candy last year.
The first race on the card is one-mile main track allowance optional claiming race for three-year-olds and up. The morning line favorite is Eye On Jacob, a lightly-raced son of A.P. Indy trained by Bob Baffert. Winner of a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park in 2009, he apparently suffered some sort of setback after that for he did not race again until May 2011 where he ran fourth in a Hollywood Park allowance race. Two subsequent performances in similar races yielded a second and a third. He is not entered to be claimed today, and has Joel Rosario in the saddle, so he should have every chance at securing a second career victory today.
Times Gone By is the second choice, most likely due to his close fourth-place finish in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. I) a few starts back. But since then, he has finished fifth in an allowance race, last of nine in the San Francisco Mile Stakes (gr. III), and third in a $50,000 claiming race.
Interestingly, Times Gone By will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano. He and Joel Rosario have been the two leading riders in California for some time now, and the races for meet titles between them are often quite close. I think it's nice that in the first race of the Del Mar meet, they will be riding the two favorites.
In the Oceanside Stakes, following five scratches, nine horses will head to post. The morning line favorite at 5-2 is Mr. Commons, making his first start since finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). His lone start on turf came in a maiden special weight earlier this year, which he won in brilliant fashion by 5 1/2 lengths. Trained by John Shirreffs, the colt will be ridden by Mike Smith and should have every chance at victory.
His main competition will likely come from Extensive, winner of the Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs back in April. In his lone start since then, he finished a strong third in the Arlington Classic Stakes at Arlington on May 28th.
Joel Rosario will be aboard Fort Hastings, a lightly-raced son of Aragorn who has done all of his racing in Europe. This will be his first start in the United States and his first for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. 6-1 on the morning line, he too could have a good shot at winning this race.
The last race I shall mention is the fourth on the card, a five furlong maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies. There are many intriguing fillies in the race, with the morning line favorite being Cha Cha Latte, who finished second in her only start to date. Trained by Kathy Walsh and to be ridden by David Flores, she has drawn the far outside post position but could break through with an impressive victory today.
There are two first-time starters in the race: Smoke Train, a Dean Greenman-trained filly with Mike Smith in the saddle; and Weemissfrankie, a Peter Aurton-trained filly with Rafael Bejarano aboard.
It's going to be a great day of racing! Enjoy!
-Keelerman
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