Del Mar: Chiloquin Upsets Bench Points

Chiloquin, always thereabouts but with only three wins in an 11-race career, got the job done today with a hard-fought victory in the featured $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred horses at seven furlongs Wednesday.

Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Chiloquin gamely outran Luckarack through the stretch to click by a half-length in 1:22.45 for the sprint distance. Another half-length away in third place was the odds-on favorite, Bench Points, who went to the gate at 1-2 under Rafael Bejarano. Scratched from the original field were Gregor and Thirtyfirststreet.

The winner, a three-year-old gelding by Tribal Rule, is owned by the partnership of Carl Asadurian and trainer Scott Hansen. Only twice out-of-the-money, Chiloquin has three seconds and a like number of thirds in his career.

As second choice in the wagering, Chiloquin paid $10.80, $5.20 and $2.60. First money of $60,000 increased the horse’s earnings to $186,784.

Luckarack, an 8-1 outsider under Joe Talamo, returned $6.60 and $2.60, while Bench Points paid $2.10 to show. Bench Points was a two-time stakes-winner at Del Mar last summer, winning both the Graduation and I’m Smokin Stakes.

Joel Rosario, seeking his third straight Del Mar riding title, continued his climb in the standings after a slow start this summer, booting in three winners. Rosario, who had nine winners last week, swept the first and second races aboard Hudson Landing and Nicos Memory and completed his triple by winning eighth and final race astride Corsa di Cavalli.

Rosario now has 17 winners, tying him with Joe Talamo and Garrett Gomez for the second spot, two behind leader Bejarano.

Wednesday’s attendance was 12,761.