A Three-Year-Old to Watch: Curly Top

Curly Top stamped himself as the latest up-and-coming Bob Baffert-trainee when he rallied past favored Footbridge to win a one-mile maiden special weight at Santa Anita by three-quarters of a length.

Ridden to victory by Martin Garcia, Curly Top was just a tad slow to get going from post position one, but soon settled comfortably along the rail in the third position as Footbridge and Syndicated led the way through fractions of :22.83 and :46.81 seconds. Forest Boy was racing on Curly Top's outside in fourth, followed by Coastal Breeze, Python, Apostle Paul, Dr. Spin, Colburn, and Moreno.

Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.25 seconds, Footbridge kicked on for home and appeared to have the race sewn up. However, in the final eighth of a mile, Curly Top shifted to the outside under Garcia and wore down the favorite in deep stretch to win going away in 1:36.23 seconds.

Footbridge stayed on well to finish second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Syndicated. Colburn, Coastal Breeze, Forest Boy, Python, Dr. Spin, Apostle Paul, and Moreno completed the order of finish.

The winner is a son of Curlin out of Sultry Song mare Top Notch Lady. He is owned by Mercedes Stables.

-Keelerman

DRY SUMMER WINS THE OAK TREE JUVENILE TURF STAKES!

Dry Summer rallied powerfully in the Del Mar homestretch to win the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes in powerful fashion.

Ridden to victory by Joseph Talamo, Dry Summer did not get off to a particularly quick start, but soon settled into the fifth position while about seven lengths off of the pace set by Buckleberry Grey and Power Broker, who dueled through quick fractions of :22.36 and :45.70 while leading Forest Boy and Resistant by six lengths. Shining Copper, Caught Napping, Parisian Prince, and He's Had Enough were the early trailers.

Buckleberry Grey and Power Broke continued to exchange the lead around the final turn and into the homestretch, passing the eighth pole separated by a head while still 1 1/2 lengths clear of the rest of the field. But Dry Summer was beginning to roll on the far outside, and succeeding in wearing down Power Broker to win by a neck in 1:35.16 seconds.

Caught Napping also rallied well to secure third over Buckleberry Grey, while Shining Copper, He's Had Enough, Resistant, Parisian Prince, and Forest Boy completed the order of finish. The winner is trained by Jeff Mullins and owned by Sam Britt and Michael House.

-Keelerman

Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes Entries and Post Positions

Here are the entries and post positions for the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes, to be run on September 5th at Del Mar. The one-mile turf race has drawn a large and lightly-raced field of ten two-year-old colts, including debut winner He's Had Enough and the promising Dry Summer.

1 Caught Napping
2 Forest Boy
3 Parisian Prince
4 Resistant
5 Power Broker
6 Shining Copper
7 Buckleberry Grey
8 He's Had Enough
9 Zeewat
10 Dry Summer

-Keelerman