Fleet Filly Reneesgotzip Cruises in Rancho Bernardo
Solidifying her status as the fastest filly in the West, Reneesgotzip zipped to the lead shortly after the break under jockey Garrett Gomez and cruised to the wire 4 ¼ lengths in front while setting a track record of 1:14.48 for 6 ½ furlongs in Sunday’s Grade III $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.
Worse than third only once in her 12-race career, Reneesgotzip notched her seventh triumph in typically brilliant fashion as she easily eclipsed the previous mark for the distance of 1:14.93 set by Carlsbad in the 2009 Rancho Bernardo. Her time for six furlongs of 1:08.18 was only a hundredth-of-a-second slower than Euroears’ mark set in the 2011 Bing Crosby Stakes.
Winding Way, winner of the Rancho Bernardo a year ago, ran gamely to be second, almost four lengths ahead of Sweet Marini who attempted to keep pace with the winner in the early stages of the contest. Fourth in the field of five older fillies and mares was Sugarinthemorning with Curvy Cat last.
Fresh from a scintillating performance in an allowance race July 18, her first outing since late last year, Reneesgotzip went postward the prohibitive 3-10 favorite and returned $2.60, $2.40 and $2.10. First prize of $90,000 increased the City Zip filly’s career earnings to $655,460 for owner Lanni Family Trust and trainer Peter Miller.
Winding Way, who was piloted by Rafael Bejarano, returned $5.40 and $2.80, while Sweet Marini paid $2.40 to show.
The day’s supporting feature was the $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap for older California-bred fillies and mares and it was won for the third consecutive year by Halo Dolly, a five-year-old daughter of Popular trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
Carrying highweight of 125 pounds in the one mile grass race, Halo Dolly, under Rafael Bejarano, was able to overcome traffic on the final turn to shake loose in the stretch and go on to score by a half-length over Bella Viaggia. Unusual Hottie, the 9-5 favorite, was third, with Heat Trap fourth in the field of five.
Halo Dolly raced the distance in 1:33.42 and returned $7 as second choice in the betting. It was her 16th win in 32 starts and first money increased her career earnings to $861,736.
She joins such elite Thoroughbreds winning the same Del Mar stakes three years in a row as Native Diver (San Diego Handicap, 1963-65), Flawlessly (Ramona Handicap, 1992-94), Track Gal (Rancho Bernardo Handicap, 1995-97) and Zenyatta (Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, 2008-l0).
There were eight perfect tickets in Sunday’s Pick Six and each paid $103,885.60.
With a carryover of $189,822 from Saturday and $1,200,370 bet Sunday, the Pick Six pool totaled $1,390,192. .
Sunday’s attendance was 17,564.