Tamarando Upsets Del Mar Futurity
Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams’ Tamarando, a son of Bertrando, emulated his sire by winning the closing-day Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Futurity for two-year-olds in come-from-behind fashion Wednesday under jockey Julien Leparoux.
Bertrando won the l991 Del Mar Futurity and, as a four-year-old, won the Pacific Classic en route to an Eclipse Award as the championship older horse of l993. The 24-year-old stallion is now pensioned at Ballena Vista Farm in nearby Ramona, Ca.
Tamarando, outrun in the early stages of the seven-furlong sprint, rallied on the far outside in the stretch to defeat a stubborn Dance with Fate by a half-length in 1:23.07.
Can the Man, trainer Bob Baffert’s hopeful for a twelfth Futurity success, finished third, another half-length back. Alberts Hope, the 7-2 favorite after winning the Best Pal Stakes, was fourth, a nose in front of Guns Loaded.
Tamarando, winner of a maiden race August 18 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, earned $180,000 with his second win in four starts as well as recognition as the top two-year-old of the Del Mar meeting.
Tamarando, sent postward at 7-1, returned $17.80, $7.60 and $4.60. Runner-up Dance with Fate paid $5.60 and $4.60, while Can the Man returned $4.80 to show.
In addition to the Del Mar Futurity, the closing-day program featured three other stakes events.
In the first of the trio, the $94,870 C.E.R.F. Stakes, Gypsy Robin and jockey Mike Smith won by three-quarters of a length over Madame Cactus as the 3-5 favorite. Wednesday was third and Curvy Cat fourth in a field of six older fillies and mares.
Gypsy Robin, owned by AJL Productions, Jungle Racing and Strauss and trained by Mike Puype, ran six furlongs in 1:09.59 and paid $3.20 after her sixth win in eleven starts. First money of $55,800 increased the Daaher filly’s earnings to $558,900.
Next up was the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf for two-year-olds at a mile on the grass and it was won in impressive fashion by the 6-5 favorite, Diamond Bachelor, who led from start to finish under jockey Julien Leparoux.
Diamond Bachelor, a handsome son of War Front owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club and conditioned by Patrick Biacone, scored by 2 ½ lengths in 1:34.36 to remain unbeaten in two starts.
Ontology closed well to be second, with Home School third and Yes Yes Yes fourth in the field of eight. Station House, 2-1 second choice, had a rough trip and finished last.
Diamond Bachelor returned $4.60 while earning $60,000
In the third and final supporting stakes, Good Friends Stable’s Private Zone and jockey Martin Pedroza were virtual wire-to-wire winners in 1:09.03 for six furlongs, defeating 14-1 longshot Ain’t No Other by a neck, with Chiloquin third and So Brilliant fourth in the $105,040 Pirate’s Bounty Stakes.
Private Zone, from the barn of trainer Doug O’Neill, returned $8.60 after his fourth success in 18 starts. He returned $8.60 while earning $57,240.
Attendance on the 37th and final day of the summer season was 13,147.