Toldeo Eddie Takes Opening Day Los Al Feature

Apprentice jockey Drayden Van Dyke, the leading rider at both thoroughbred meets earlier in the year at Los Alamitos, combined with favored Toledo Eddie to win the $51,416 feature on opening day of the inaugural Winter thoroughbred season.

Van Dyke, who captured the Summer Thoroughbred Festival in July as well as the September Fall meet, won for the second time in 2014 on the 5-year-old son of Ministers Wild Cat.

The leading candidate for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top apprentice, Van Dyke, 20, tracked the pace set Thursday by 5-2 second choice Got Even for most of the way, then wore that one down late to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths.

Owned by Art Elbert and trained by Craig Dollase, Toledo Eddie, an Idaho bred out of the Cape Town mare Cape Town Charmer, completed the one mile in 1:34.89.

The victory was the ninth in 28 starts for the gelding and pushed his earnings to $221,861. He paid $4.60, $2.80 and $2.40 as the 13-10 choice.

Looking for his second win of the year, Got Even set quick fractions – 22.64, 45.75 and 1:10.17 for six furlongs – but gave way late while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of Durango Flier, the longest shot in the lineup at 61-1 and making his first start as a gelding.

Got Even, who finished third in a similar spot when favored July 5 in his only other Los Alamitos appearance, paid $3.40 and $3.20. The show price on Durango Flier was $15.60.

Wrightwood, the 7-2 third choice, finished fourth, 1 ¼ lengths behind Durango Flier, then came Hello Frankie, Lolo El Canonero, Timeless Indy, Knock Em Flat and Flat Gone. American Act, Compari and Day of Fury were scratched.

Van Dyke was one of seven different jockeys to win Thursday. The biggest surprise was provided by Iggy Puglisi, who guided Destino ($62.40) to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth race.

The only rider to double was Martin Garcia, who combined with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to win the sixth with Callback and the eighth with first-time starter Go On Darling.

Racing resumes Friday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 12:30 p.m.

Source: Los Alamitos Race Course