Mended puts seven-race winning streak on the line in Tranquility Lake
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Photo:
Benoit Photo
Mended, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Broken Vow, puts a seven-race winning streak on the line when she steps up to the stakes level for the first time in Friday’s featured $75,000-added Tranquility Lake at one mile on the main track.
Trained by John Martin for owners Troy and Moritza Onorato, Mended started her streak after being claimed for $12,500 at Golden Gate Fields. She won six straight at the Albany track at levels from $12,500 and $20,000 claiming up to allowance – all on the Tapeta synthetic surface – then shipped here to win a $62,500 allowance optional claimer on July 27 by 3 ¾ lengths. All were at the one-mile Tranquility Lake distance.
“She’s just been a remarkable filly,” Martin assistant Ray France, said Wednesday morning. “When we got her we knew she had some capability, but we certainly didn’t expect her to be the kind of runner she has turned out to be.
“This (Tranquility Lake) is a tall order. There are some horses in there that look like they’re in very good form. But we feel like she’s earned the right to be here. She’s won over this track, so we know she likes Del Mar and likes this track, so we feel like she deserves it.”
The field from the rail: Shenandoah Queen (Victor Espinoza, 20-1), Motown Lady (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1), Street Surrender (Evin Roman, 7-2), Mended (Ricardo Gonzalez, 4-1), Chalon (Flavien Prat, 4-1), Autumn Flower (Martin Pedroza, 15-1), Midnight Toast (Santiago Gonzalez, 20-1) and Faithfully (Rafael Bejarano, 9-5).
JOCKEY NEWS: TRAVERS TAKES SMITH, GUTIERREZ TO SARATOGA
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and Mario Gutierrez will be in Saratoga on Saturday for the Travers Day card which has seven stakes, capped by the $1.25 million Grade I Travers.
The Travers has the winners of all three Triple Crown races – Always Dreaming (Kentucky Derby), Cloud Computing (Preakness) and Tapwrit (Belmont Stakes) – for the first time since 1982.
Smith will ride West Coast for trainer Bob Baffert, Gutierrez has Irap for trainer Doug O’Neill in the Travers. Smith’s other mounts on the card are Songbird in the Grade I $700,000 Personal Ensign for Jerry Hollendorfer, Drefong in the Grade I $600,000 Forego for Baffert and American Anthem in the Grade I $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.
Gutierrez’s assignments begin Friday aboard Cause We Are Loyal in the Seeking the Ante Stakes and continue with Frank Conversation in the Sword Dancer and Ann Arbor Eddie in the Jerkens in addition to Irap in the Travers.
Here at Del Mar:
Flavien Prat enters the penultimate week of the meeting with a 25-23 win edge over apprentice Evin Roman. A first-race victory on Sunday aboard Flower Heart Deer ($8.00) drew Roman even with Prat in the standings, but Prat took the sixth with Six Point Rack ($62.00) and the seventh with Classy Tune ($4.60) to build the current margin.
Prat is facing the possibility of a three-day suspension starting Sunday for his ride on Vyjack in the Del Mar Mile last Sunday. Corey Nakatani, who took Sunday off to be the Parade Marshall for the Nisei Week Parade in Los Angeles, was levied a five-day suspension which also is scheduled to begin on the weekend, and Rafael Bejarano a three-day suspension. Both Nakatani and Bejarano have appealed their suspensions and received temporary restraining orders.
Phil D’Amato continues to lead the trainer race by a 14-11 margin over Doug O’Neill. But it was Mark Glatt who had the best day on Sunday, notching two wins including the featured Del Mar Mile Handicap with Blackjackcat ($19.60).
Blackjackcat provided Glatt with his second stakes victory of the meeting (both by Blackjackcat), doubling his career total at Del Mar. The win was also Glatt’s tenth of the meeting. Achieving a double-figure win total for the second year in a row moved Glatt up to third in the standings behind D’Amato and O’Neill.
TREVOR DENMAN NAMED TO SCSB HALL OF FAME
Trevor Denman, who has called the major race meets in Southern California for more than 30 years, has been named to the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame, it has been announced. The iconic caller, considered by many to be the best in the business, will be inducted at the 27th annual SCSB awards luncheon on January 22, 2018.
Denman, who has been Del Mar’s announcer since 1984, previously called races at Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park and Pomona/Fairplex Park during his sparkling career, in addition to tours as the voice of the Breeders’ Cup. The South African native’s colorful style reshaped the race calling genre in the U.S., introducing in-race commentary to what previously had been strictly factual presentations.
Denman has told the SCSB board that he’ll make a special trip from his off-season Minnesota home for the award at the Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake. Also being honored that day will be San Diegan Stu Lantz, who has called Los Angeles Lakers games on radio and television for the past 30 years.
CLOSERS – Selected works from 245 officially timed over the last three days. Monday – Chao Chom (3f, :34.80), Danzing Candy (4f, :47.60), True Royalty (4f, :46.60), Champagne Room (5f, 1:00.80), Infobedad (5f, 1:01.00), Leading Score (6f, 1:11.60), Show Me Da Lute (6f, 1:11.60). Tuesday – Calculator (3f, :36.60), Irish Freedom (3f, :35.60), Abel Tasman (4f, :48.80), Desert General (4f, :46.60), Bolt d’Oro (5f, :58.80). Wednesday – Paddock Pick (3f, :34.60), Amboseli (5f, 1:00.40), Golden Atlantic (5f, :58.40).
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
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