Imperative Tops New Line for San Diego
Del Mar oddsmaker Russ Hudak issued a new opening line for Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Diego Handicap on Friday morning reflecting the tragic loss of Dance With Fate in a training accident on Thursday.
Inheriting the favorite’s role from Dance With Fate, original choice at 3-1, is KM Racing Enterprise Inc.’s 4-year-old Imperative. Trained by George Papaprodromou and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Imperative was third behind Majestic Harbor and Clubhouse Ride, and 4 ½ lengths ahead of Game On Dude in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28.
A gelded son of Bernardini, Imperative was made the 3-1 choice on the new line with Magic City Thoroughbred Partners’ Frac Daddy next at 7-2. The field from the rail out: Battier (Victor Espinoza, 20-1), Imperative (Kent Desormeaux, 3-1), Frac Daddy (Joe Talamo, 7-2), Soi Phet (Mike Smith, 6-1), You Know I Know (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1), Honduran (Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1), Summer Hit (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), Handsome Mike (Mario Guttierrez, 12-1), Footbridge (Tyler Baze, 12-1) and Fed Biz (Martin Garcia, 4-1).
Frac Daddy won the Grade III Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland on April 19 and Grade II Eclipse at Woodbine on June 1, recording Beyer Speed figures of 103 and 100 on Polytrack surfaces like that of Del Mar. A record of three wins and a second in four starts on synthetic surfaces was part of the motivation for trainer Ken McPeek to ship the 4-year-old colt West for the San Diego. A high finish could lead to the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on Sunday, July 24.
McPeek was at Del Mar briefly last week but returned to his Midwest headquarters and has left Frac Daddy in the care of trainer Blake Heap, who will saddle the horse for the San Diego.
“Kenny talked to Joe (Talamo) when he was here and they’ll talk tagain before the race,” Heap said. “Summer Hit is pretty fast and so is Frac Daddy. We’ve got a good post position (No. 3) and Summer Hit is outside a little more (No. 7). It’ll be up to Talamo to get a good trip. I think Frac Daddy can go to the front or he can sit off the pace.”
SURGERY FOR INJURED DANCE WITH FATE EXERCISE RIDER
Exercise rider Joe Duran, injured in Thursday’s tragic accident while aboard Dance With Fate, was scheduled to have surgery Friday at Scripps La Jolla Hospital for fractured vertebrae and three fractured ribs.
Trainer Peter Eurton visited Duran at the hospital Thursday. Duran’s wife, Janice, is with her husband.
“They said he could have healed without the surgery but recommended he have it,” Eurton said. “Joe feels terrible about what happened, but he’s going to be okay and could be back in 4-6 months.”