Wet track would enhance Blue Tone's chances in Native Diver
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Eclipse Sportswire
At 4-1, Blue Tone is the fourth choice on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line for Sunday’s Native Diver Stakes.
But if the heavy rains late Saturday and Sunday occur as forecast, the R.B. Hess, Jr., trainee’s chances could improve greatly.
“He’s a tough old boy and he’s ready to go,” Hess said Saturday morning. Blue Tone, a seven-year-old Birdstone gelding, has six wins in 23 career starts and earnings of $432,870.
“He’s bred to run in the mud, so we’ll be hoping we get the rains. We lost (Kent) Desormeaux to Imperative, so he’ll be tough, but we’ve got Gary Stevens.”
Desormeaux was aboard Blue Tone for seven of his last eight starts.
The field from the rail: : Hard Aces (Santiago Gonzalez, 3-1), Ebadan (Joe Talamo, 20-1), Pretentious (Jamie Theriot, 20-1), Imperative (Kent Desormeaux, 5-2), Blue Tone (Gary Stevens, 4-1), Point Piper (Mario Gutierrez, 8-1) and Midnight Storm (Flavien Prat, 2-1).
PRAT EDGES AHEAD IN JOCKEY RACE; HAS MIDNIGHT STORM SUNDAY
With one win Friday, Flavien Prat broke a tie with Norberto Arroyo, Jr., atop the standings in a very contentious race for the jockey title. Prat has nine wins, Arroyo eight, Santiago Gonzalez and Drayden Van Dyke seven each.
Prat’s score Friday came aboard Lajatico ($8.40) for trainer Doug O’Neill in the fourth race. Van Dyke vaulted into contention in the jockey standings with three wins on Friday – Tribal Storm (3rd, $21.80), Rcatcanscat (5th, $7.40) and Alsatian (8th, $7.80).
Prat has mounts on morning-line 7-2 favorite With Honors in Saturday’s Jimmy Durante Stakes and 3-1 second choice Vyjack in the Seabiscuit Handicap. Sunday, Prat has the call on 2-1 choice Midnight Storm in the Native Diver Stakes.
Rafael Bejarano has been aboard Midnight Storm for the 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile’s last four starts, among them victories in the Eddie Read and Del Mar Mile during the summer meeting. Bejarano’s comeback from injury and suspension, expected to occur this weekend, hasn’t materialized and Prat got the nod from trainer Phil D’Amato.
“Flavien hasn’t ridden him before, and hasn’t worked him, but we all know how good (Midnight Storm) is, and it’s an opportunity to ride a very nice horse,” said Derek Lawson, agent for Prat. “It’s terrible that Rafael isn’t here to ride, I mean that sincerely, but it is a big opportunity for us.”
BIG FIELDS LOOM LIKELY FOR HOLLYWOOD DERBY, MATRIARCH
The racing office anticipates a field of possibly 13 for the Hollywood Derby next Saturday and nine for the Matriarch the following day, with several of them representing East Coast-based stables.
Listed as probable for the Hollywood Derby, (with trainers in parentheses): Annals of Time (Chad Brown), Beach Patrol (Chad Brown), Blackjackcat (Mark Glatt), Camelot Kitten (Chad Brown), Defiantly (Craig Dollase), Diplodocus (Richard Baltas), Frank Conversation (Doug O’Neill), Free Rose (Richard Baltas), Hayabusa One (H. Graham Motion), Isotherm (George Weaver), Monster Bea (Peter Miller), Path of David (Kristin Mulhall) and Revved Up (Shug McGaughey).
Listed as probable for the Matriarch: Belvoir Bay (Peter Miller), Kitcat (Sebastian Andres Silva), Mexican Gold (Chad Brown), Miss Temple City (H. Graham Motion), Nancy From Nairobi (John Sadler), Prize Exhibit (James Cassidy), Roca Rojo (Chad Brown), Time and Motion (James Toner) and Tiz a Kiss (Richard Baltas).
JEFF BLOOM TO BE HONORED AT DEL MAR NEXT SATURDAY
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America will honor Jeff Bloom on Saturday, December 3, for his efforts on behalf of the organization.
Bloom, a Carlsbad resident, is a former jockey, an owner, syndicate manager and the host of the Daybreak at Del Mar programs on weekends during both the summer and Bing Crosby meetings.
The event will be held in the Il Palio Room on the sixth floor of the grandstand starting at noon. For further information go to www.betoncures.org.
CLOSERS – Making his Del Mar winner’s circle debut, in the arms of father Joe Talamo after Friday’s victory aboard Texas Ryano in the Hollywood Turf Cup, was Vincent James Talamo. In fact Vincent, grandson of trainer Ron Ellis, who’ll be three weeks old Sunday, was making his racing debut anywhere, said his mother Elizabeth. “He’s one for one,” Elizabeth said… Gormley, winner of the Front Runner Stakes and seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, worked four furlongs in :50.20 Saturday morning. Clockers had interim splits of :13.00 and :25.80.
Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
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