Ritvo Hopes Mac Daddy Mac is the Real Deal
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Photo:
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Kathy Ritvo, a symbol of hope when she became – five years after receiving a heart transplant – the first female trainer to saddle a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, gets her first Del Mar experience on Saturday. In a race that, coincidentally, has the word hope, with a capital H, in the title.
Two years after sending Mucho Macho Man out to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, Ritvo will saddle newly-acquired 2-year-old Mac Daddy Mac in Saturday’s $100,000 Grade III Bob Hope Stakes.
Ritvo, 46, has been in charge of Mac Daddy Mac, a Florida-bred son of Put It Back for around 18 days, which roughly coincides with the time the Florida-based trainer has been here. On October 24, Mac Daddy Mac, then trained by Jack Carava, was a 4 ½-length winner at 5 ½ furlongs making his racing debut in a maiden special at Santa Anita.
Two days later, the colt was privately purchased by Dean Reeves and placed in the care of Ritvo. Mac Daddy Mac worked four furlongs here last Saturday in :47.80 for the 7-furlong Hope.
“A bloodstock agent brought him to the attention of Mr. Reeves and me,” Ritvo said here Friday morning. “We watched the tapes, liked him a lot, loved the way he finished his first race, and the deal was made.”
Ritvo spoke from the center of a walking ring in the stable area as Mac Daddy Mac, a robust chestnut with four white “stockings” and a white blaze on his face, was cooled down after routine morning exercise.
“Since we got him and I came out to train him he’s done all the right things,” Ritvo said. “He’s really smart, well put together, has a very strong body and he looks to be a very happy horse who loves what he’s doing.”
Ritvo’s previous Southern California racing experience consisted of back-to-back trips to Breeders’ Cup Classics with Mucho Macho Man in 2012, a narrow defeat, and the 2013 victory over Will Take Charge. Life after Mucho Macho Man has been “a little quiet, but very nice,” said Ritvo, who has a stable of 15 horses in Florida.
Like most first-time visitors, she’s been impressed with Del Mar.
“It’s a beautiful, beautiful place, what’s not to like?” Ritvo said. “The people are very nice and it’s a great place to be.”
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens rode Mucho Macho Man to the Classic victory and has the mount on Mac Daddy Mac.
“I’ll let Gary take care of (race strategy),” Ritvo said. “We had him come out to work the colt and make sure we were doing the right thing putting him in this race. All the answers were yes.”
The Hope Field from the rail: Dr. Dorr (Mike Smith, 3-1), Jury (Rafael Bejarano, 5-2), Street Vision (Santiago Gonzalez, 8-1), Toews On Ice (Martin Garcia, 2-1), Mac Daddy Mac (Gary Stevens, 8-1), On Fire (Victor Espinoza, 15-1) and I’malreadythere (Tyler Baze, 8-1).
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
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