MULLINS PAIR, PREACHINATTHEBAR FINISH WORK FOR BIG RACES
Castledale and Choctaw Nation, possible favorites for the Grade I, $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap and the Grade II, $250,000 San Diego Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar, and Preachinatthebar, also scheduled for the San Diego, have completed their serious work toward those two stakes.
The Read will be run at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course and the San Diego will be at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
The Jeff Mullins trainees worked Monday in tandem at Santa Anita and each posted a time of 1:00.40 for 5 furlongs, with Castledale's work listed as handily and Choctaw Nation as breezing. Mullins said Tuesday morning at his Del Mar barn that the two horses started off together and finished together. Patrice Roux was aboard the 4-year-old Castledale and Joe Vaca was in the irons on Choctaw Nation, who will be defending his 2004 San Diego win.
Preachinatthebar, with regular work rider Dana Barnes up, sped 5 furlongs over the Del Mar main track Tuesday morning in a sizzling 58.40. The 4-year-old son of 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm has won his most recent two outings for owner Mike Pegram and trainer Bob Baffert.
Also working at Santa Anita Monday was Avanti Avanti, scheduled to run in the first division of Wednesday's opening-day grass stakes feature, the Oceanside Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Royal Academy posted a 4-furlong time of 47.40 for trainer Ron McAnally.
Unfurl the Flag, trained by David Bernstein and a leading prospect for the Grade I, $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap Sunday, July 31, breezed a half-mile at Santa Anita on Monday in a smart 47.80. Bernstein earmarked the Crosby for his sprinter following the horse's victory in Hollywood Park's Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Handicap.
FORMER TRAINER JOSE SILVA RETURNS TO LIFE AT THE TRACK
Proving again that once bitten by the horse racing bug a person should never be shy about returning, Jose Silva, for many years a fixture on the backstretch of Southern California racetracks, has returned to his first love - training racehorses.
Silva left the business three years ago, but expects to have at least 10 horses in his Del Mar barn by week's end. And he expects to be prominent in the entries as the season rolls along.
While away from the track, Silva worked in construction in Baja California in a company he co-owned.
"Horses are more important than anything to me," Silva said.
GIACOMO DOING HIS REHAB AT JOHN SHIRREFFS DEL MAR BARN
Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, trained by John Shirreffs for owners Jerome and Ann Moss, is a walker instead of a runner these days, rehabilitating from arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from both forelegs following the Belmont Stakes.
The big gray was walking the Shirreffs' tow ring Tuesday morning as he continues to recuperate and prepare for a possible return to racing near the end of the year.
SOUTHERN IMAGE SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT DEL MAR TUESDAY
Trainer Mike Machowsky was preparing to greet his "big horse," Southern Image, late Tuesday morning following a van trip from Santa Anita.
Machowsky remains hopeful that the 2004 Santa Anita Handicap and Pimlico Special winner will be able to make Del Mar's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday, August 21.
"His feet have been fine for quite awhile now," Machowsky said, "but I missed a little time with him because of his back problems. We're hoping to get him to the Pacific Classic."
Del Mar racing fans will get their usual double dose of stakes action as the seaside track opens its 66th season Wednesday with two divisions of the Oceanside Stakes, the perennial opening-day feature for 3-year-olds going a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
The race, a prep for the Del Mar Derby late in the meet, has been run in divisions 21 times since 1980.
The first division, with a field of nine entered, will be run as the sixth race on the day's nine-race card, and the second, featuring 10 horses, will be the eighth race. Each carries a purse of $75,000.
Headlining the first division are Avanti Avanti and Steal Your Thunder, both of whom come into the race off victories at Hollywood Park. Avanti Avanti will be making his third start in the United States for owner Red Oak Stable of John Brunetti and trainer Ron McAnally, while Steal Your Thunder seeks his third career win for owner Warren Williamson and trainer Carla Gaines. David Flores will ride the McAnally entrant and Victor Espinoza gets the call on Gaines' charger.
Adding an international flavor to the race will be the presence of Italian-bred Becrux, owned by Team Valor Stables, Gary Barber and Emilio Balzarini. Becrux, who has a record of five wins in nine lifetime starts, will be making his second start in North America and gets the saddle services of Hollywood Park riding champion Garrett Gomez.
Here's the way the field will line up from the rail, with weights and riders: Eastern Sand, 117, Alex Solis; Legal Precedent, 121, Corey Nakatani; Talking to John, 119, Tyler Baze; Lucky Bid, 117, Rene Douglas; Leo Getz, 117, Patrick Valenzuela; Becrux, 121, Gomez; Avanti Avanti, 121, Flores; Stedfast McStaunch, 121, Danny Sorenson; Steal Your Thunder, 121, Espinoza.
Seven of the 10 heading into the Oceanside's second division come in from victories, six at Hollywood Park and one at Santa Anita. Included in those expected to go to the gate is the undefeated El Roblar, who steps into stakes company for the first time for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Richard Mandella. Alex Solis will ride the son of War Chant, who is making his first start on the turf.
Another standout in the field figures to be Juliesugardaddy, winner of three straight races in which he vanquished such outstanding runners as Osidy, Dover Dere, Khyber Pass and Talking to John. His regular rider, Alex Bisono, will be in the irons.
The other winners coming into the race are Khyber Pass, Dante's Inferno, County, Standing Brave and In Excelsis.
Here's how they'll line up from the rail, with weights and riders: Mighty Empire, 117, Espinoza; Khyber Pass, 121, Gomez; Dante's Inferno, 117, Sorenson; This Wizard Rocks, 121, Martin Pedroza; County, 121, Nakatani; Juliesugardaddy, 121, Bisono; Standing Brave, 117, Jose Valdivia Jr.; In Excelsis, 121, Flores; Mr. Wolverine, 117, David Cohen; Roblar, 119, Solis.
DEL MAR CLOCKERS HIT DIZZY PACE WITH NEARLY 100 WORKERS
Though many horses still were not ready to take to Del Mar's racing strip to train Monday morning, there were enough to keep the track's team of clockers busy, with 80 horses testing the main track in workouts and 17 taking to the turf.
On the main track, Funny Deal was clocked in 34.40 for 3 furlongs and graded stakes winner Designed for Luck, on the comeback trail, posted a 39.80 clocking for the same distance.
At 4 furlongs, bullet works went to Laguna Beach and Miranda Stands in 45.60 and Save put up a 46.80 clocking.
The Bob Baffert-trained pair of 2-year-olds Air Ace and Midnight Lute worked 5 furlong in an eye-popping 58.60, in tandem. Posting a time of 59.40 for the same distance was Gn. Group Meeting, who is scheduled to run in Saturday's $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for trainer Clifford W. Sise, Jr.
Sweet Return tuned up for Sunday's Grade I, $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap with a mile workout in 1:42.60 on the main track. Also heading to the Sunday race are A to the Z, Fourty Niners Son and reigning Breeders' Cup Mile champion Singletary, who turned in turf works around the dogs. A to the Z posted a bullet 1:00.40 for 5 furlongs, and Singletary was clocked in 1:15 for 6 furlongs and Fourty Niners Son was caught in 1:15.60.
Also working on the grass was 2004 Del Mar Oaks winner Amorama, a candidate for Saturday's Grade I, $400,000 John C. Mabee Handicap, who was clocked in 1:03.40 for 5 furlongs.
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