Emotions run high over Terra's Angel in Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf
There’s not likely to be a dry eye in the winner’s circle if Terra’s Angel prevails in Monday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Co-owner Terry Eoff, who is partnered with John Evans, purchased the filly for a bargain $7,500 at the Keeneland sale and named the daughter of Drosselmeyer-Vindicated Angel after his own daughter Terra.
Terra, a mother of three in her late 30s, had battled cancer into remission over a period of years. But it came back and metastasized to the point where circumstances were dire as the racing debut for the Dallas Keen-trained 2-year-old approached in May.
Jockey Sasha Risenhoover was apprised of the situation as she worked Terra’s Angel leading up to the May 13 debut at Lone Star Park in Texas.
“I already liked this filly a lot, but when Terry told me that story, it put a fire in me to win,” Risenhoover said. “I’ve got to win this for this girl.”
Terra’s Angel won at first asking by three lengths. Terra watched the race via video from a hospital bed in San Antonio. Her father showed a video of that to Sasha.
“She was crying the whole time, she was so happy,” Risenhoover said. “I couldn’t take it. To see how happy that girl was. I just started bawling as I watched it. Sure enough, three days later she passed away.”
Risenhoover followed Terra’s Angel here from Texas. They finished a creditable third in the Grade Sorrento Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on dirt August 5. Monday’s race will be the first on turf for Terra’s Angel. She has had two works on grass and one on dirt since her last start.
The field from the rail: Dawn Traveler (Flavien Prat, 8-1), Medaglia Gold (Edwin Maldonado, 9-2), Scat Home Lady (Martin Garcia, 12-1) Unstablenthemornin (Evin Roman, 12-1), Holy Diver (Modesto Linares, 20-1), Multiplayer (Tyler Baze, 5-1), Camino Song (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1), Klosters (Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1), Thisoleheartofmine (Brice Blanc, 20-1), Bonneville Flats (Joe Talamo, 12-1), Terra’s Angel (Sasha Risenhoover, 8-1), Streetwithnoname (Martin Pedroza, 18-1), Navajo Dreamer (Rafael Bejarano, 8-1) and One Fast Broad (Corey Nakatani, 12-1). Lemon Crush (Chantal Sutherland, 30-1) is the also eligible.
WERNER RIDES IN APPRENTICE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MONDAY IN NJ
Apprentice Laura Werner will ride Monday at Monmouth Park in New Jersey in the Apprentice World Championship, part of the international HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.
Werner, who has won three races in her first summer at Del Mar, will be one of two U.S. representatives in the Arabian race with others coming from Germany, Ireland, Norway, Puerto Rico, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The far-reaching Festival has already had stops in such exotic locales as Oman, Morocco, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Poland. Monmouth Park is its only U.S. stop. There will be a second Arabian race on the track’s 10-race holiday card.
Carlsbad resident and Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone will be an ambassador for the event and take part in a meet-and-greet and autograph session at the shore oval. She was the leading rider at Monmouth Park in 1987-88-89.
CLOSERS – Simon Callaghan-trained Classy Tune, already a two-time winner at the meeting, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of nine for Monday’s$75,000-added C.E.R.F. Stakes at six furlongs for older fillies and mares. The 3-year-old daughter of Maclean’s Music won a maiden special on the opening day of the meeting, July 19 by one length and came back on August 20 to best nine rivals by 5 ½ lengths in an optional claimer … Word from overseas is that Highland Reel will be pointing for defense of his title in the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 4 …. Trainer Bob Baffert on St Patrick’s Day, the full brother to Triple Crown champion American Pharoah who broke his maiden in Saturday’s eighth race, his second career start: “He’s different than his brother. He’s a little more laid back. But he’s a good horse.” … Selected works from 138 officially timed Sunday: Ocho Ocho Ocho (3f, :37.40), Battle of Midway (4f, :48.60), Bendable (4f, :47.40), Itsinthepost (4f :48.80), Mr. Roary (4f, :49.00), Catalina Cruiser (5f, :59.00), Jungle Warfare (5f, :59.00), Place des Vosges (5f, 1:00.00) and Roy H (5f, 1:01.60) … Carolyn Conley, agent for apprentice Laura Werner, now also has the book for Kentucky Derby-winning rider Stewart Elliott.
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club