Spanish Queen Sets Sights on Del Mar Oaks
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Photo:
Benoit Photo
Spanish Queen, winner of the Grade II Honeymoon Stakes and Grade I American Oaks at the Santa Anita spring meeting, is stabled at Del Mar with a target of the Grade I, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, August 15.
Following the victory in the May 30 American Oaks, the 3-year-old California-bred daughter of Tribal Rule shipped to Belmont Park in New York for the July 4 Belmont Oaks.
Ridden by Brice Blanc, aboard for all five of her starts, Spanish Queen finished 10th in a field of 14 in a race won by undefeated – but since injured—super filly Lady Eli.
“She had a very troubled trip,” trainer Richard Baltas said Tuesday morning. “But she’s back here now and she’s looking good.”
Baltas notched his first two Del Mar stakes victories in 2014 with Big Macher in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes during the summer meeting and the same horse in the Cary Grant Stakes in the Bing Crosby fall session. Big Macher is about to go back into training after a break and might make a race here near the end of the meeting, Baltas said.
He intends to run Majestic City in the San Diego Handicap on July 25 and is cautiously optimistic about overall chances for the 40 horses he’ll have here.
“I feel good about (prospects),” Baltas said. “It’s always tough down here, but hopefully they’ll run well and we’ll win a stake or two.”
NOMINATIONS PORTEND SOLID WEEKEND OF STAKES EVENTS
With 67 horses nominated to the three stakes events on the opening weekend prospects look good for solid competition in all three with the possibility of one being split into divisions.
Finnegan’s Wake, winner of the Grade I Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, and Big Cazanova, who set the early pace in the recent Gold Cup at Santa Anita, are among 16 nominees to Saturday’s Eddie Read Stakes.
Istanford, who won both the San Clemente and Sandy Blue Stakes here last summer, is one of a whopping 32 nominees to the Osunitas Stakes on the Eddie Read undercard.
Prize Exhibit, fresh off a victory in the Grade III Senorita at Santa Anita, and Sunset Glow, winner of the Sorrento Stakes and Del Mar Debutante in 2014, are among 19 on the nomination list for Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Clemente.
Final entries will be taken and post positions assigned Wednesday for Saturday’s races. On Thursday, entries will close and post positions will be drawn for the Sunday card.
CLOSERS -- Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner Hard Aces and Shoemaker Mile victor Talco worked Monday at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler. Hard Aces went four furlongs in :48.40 and Talco five furlongs in 1:01.40. The process of moving in at Del Mar was fully underway Tuesday morning with Sadler and assistant Larry Benavidez due in Wednesday … Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, making the rounds Monday morning, said that the jockey colony is not only deep in talent but “character” as well. “Talent isn’t the question. There’s unbelievable talent in that room right now. But what we truly have is a group of quality people, with character, trying to put out what we’re supposed to be.”
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
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