Tanda, Halo Dolly Win at Del Mar
Favored Tanda, making her first start for Del Mar’s new all-time winningest trainer, Mike Mitchell, came through as anticipated Sunday, capturing the featured $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap under jockey Joe Talamo.
Tanda, sent postward the 7-5 betting choice, rallied three-wide to take command turning into the stretch and held sway to the wire, scoring by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:15.34 for the 6 ½ furlongs over Del Mar’s main track.
She’s Cheeeky finished stoutly to be second, 2 ½ lengths in front of Irish Gypsy,with Mildly Offensive fourth and last after stumbling at the break.
Withdrawn from the original line-up were California Nectar, Jet Blue Girl and Saanneen.
With only four horses competing, there was no show wagering.
Tanda, a four-year-old daughter of Sweetsouthernsaint owned by Tommy Hutton’s Dream Stable, paid $4.80 and $3 while earning $90,000 with her fifth triumph in a dozen starts. Her bankroll now totals $346,626.
Runner-up She’s Cheeky paid $3.80 to place.
The hot-riding Talamo made it a stakes double and a triple for the afternoon with a victory aboard 8-5 favored Halo Dolly in the day’s supporting headliner, the $100,000 Solana Beach Handicap for older California-bred fillies and mares.
Halo Dolly, marking the 5,997th winner for recent Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Hollendorfer, rallied from mid-pack to prevail in the stretch for a 1 ¼ length win over Warren’s Jitterbug, with pacemaker Caitie’s Secret third in a field of six.
Halo Dolly, owned by Blackmore, Hoefflin et al, ran the mile on the turf in 1:35.08 and returned $5.20, $3.20 and $2.40 after recording her sixth win in ten starts. First money was $60,000 and increased the Popular filly’s earnings to $195,530.
Warren’s Jitterbug paid $4 and $2.60, while Caitie’s Secret returned $2.60 to show.
With two weeks remaining of the seven-week Del Mar summer season, Talamo is on top in the jockey standings, with 31 winners, two more than two-time champion Joel Rosario, who had a single victory Sunday. Third in the standings is Rafael Bejarano with 26, followed by Garrett Gomez’ 25.
The crowd count Sunday was 14,487.