Del Mar: Formidable Man rallies along rail, wins Eddie Read

Odds-on favorite Formidable Man stalked the early pace and then found room along the rail to surge to the lead Sunday on his way to winning the Grade 2, $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race on the firm turf at Del Mar.

Racing in third through most of the race, jockey Umberto Rispoli and Formidable Man (4-5) let Mike Smith and Cabo Spirit (6-1) click through fractions of 24.97, 49.00 and 1:13.64. Formidable Man caught up through a mile in 1:37.32 and opened his lead to a length when he reached the finish line with a final time of 1:48.55.

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Cabo Spirit held to finish second, Stay Hot (9-5) took third, Balnikhov (9-1) fourth, Dicey Mo Chara (22-1) and Balladeer (29-1) last in the field of six horses, ages 3 and up.

Formidable Man, who is owned by William and Suzanne Warren and trained by Michael McCarthy, paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.10 across the board. Cabo Spirit returned $4.20 and $2.60. Stay Hot paid $2.10 to show.

The complexion of the race changed with the scratch of six-time graded-stakes winner Gold Phoenix. Trainer Phil D’Amato told Daily Racing Form that the 3-1 second choice on the morning line had a minor issue which he did not specify. D’Amato said the setback should not keep the 7-year-old gelding who has earned $1,842,462 from racing next month. Atitlan also was scratched.

A 4-year-old City of Light colt who cost $375,000, Formidable Man is a two-time Grade 1 winner who finished last out May 26 at Santa Anita as the 5-2 in the Shoemaker Mile (G1). That was his first race off a nearly three-month break after winning the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.