The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)TEN SET FOR SAN CLEMENTE, SIX FOR SAN DIEGO ON SATURDAY
Ten 3-year-old fillies are expected to go postward in the Grade II, $100-added San Clemente Handicap, and six older males are entered for the Grade III, $150,000-added San Diego Handicap as Del Mar offers a double stakes treat on Saturday.
Heading the San Clemente, to be run at a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, are highweights Gastronomical and Supercilious, assigned 119 and 118 pounds, respectively. Gastronomical, trained by Martin Jones, comes into the race off a victory at Hollywood Park, and Supercilious, trained by Richard Mandella, has two straight victories to her credit at Hollywood Park.
A strong contender could be the Jack Van Berg-trained Little Gumpher, who finished fourth to Listening in the Grade I Hollywood Oaks in her most recent outing.
In the San Diego, Nonproductiveasset, trained by Wallace Dollase, heads a field that includes Savinio, The Exeter Man, Misnomer, R Friar Tuck and Lloydminister. In his most recent start, Nonproductiveasset, who has eight wins in 20 starts and earnings of $462,000, finished fourth in the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup.
Nonproductiveasset will carry high weight of 118 pounds, including rider Rene Douglas, in the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track. Next on the weight scale are Savinio, an accomplished grass runner who's trying the dirt for only the fourth time in his career, and The Exeter Man, who defeated Nonproductiveasset two races back at Hollywood Park, both with 116 pounds.
OCEANSIDE WINNERS COME BACK FINE AFTER THEIR VICTORIES
Both Mike Orman and Tom Bunn, Jr. were still smiling Thursday morning following victories in the two divisions of the Oceanside Stakes during Wednesday's opening-day card at Del Mar. Bunn's Caribbean Pirate captured the first division and Orman's Ambivalent the second.
"Both of my horses came back fine," Orman said, referring not only to Ambivalent but also to Take a Bow, a maiden who finished sixth in the first division. Orman said he'll train Ambivalent toward the Grade II, $300,000 Del Mar Derby September 2, with a possible stop at the Grade III, $125,000-added La Jolla Handicap August 11. Take a Bow next will try a maiden race, Orman said.
Bunn was happy with the way Caribbean Pirate returned after the race, saying he was fine. The gelded son of Pirate's Bounty will walk shedrow for a couple of days, Bunn said, and then return to the trainer's barn at Hollywood Park, where he keeps most of his horses. The Del Mar Derby is on Caribbean Pirate's agenda, also.
CIGAR'S FIRST WORKOUT TOWARD THE PACIFIC CLASSIC PLEASES MOTT
Reigning Horse of the Year Cigar turned in his first workout since his record- tying 16th straight victory, and trainer W.I. "Bill" Mott declared himself happy with the effort as the horse trains toward his expected appearance in Del Mar's $1,000,000 Pacific Classic August 10.
A victory in the Pacific Classic will break the record set by Citation in 1950 and tied by Cigar in the July 13 Citation Challenge at Arlington International Race Course.
Cigar worked 5 furlongs in 1:03 at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday, Mott said, adding: "He went very well. We were very pleased with the work. It was his first work back from the Arlington race and it went well."
Plans call for Cigar to be shipped to Del Mar on Thursday, August 8.
UNDEFEATED ENTRY FIGURES TO BE THE ONES TO BEAT IN CTBA STAKES
The entry of Fairness, owned by Halo Farms and Fran and Ron Stolich, and One More Angel, owned by Halo Farms, and trained by Clifford Sise and John Sadler, respectively, is expected to lead the way in Friday's 43rd running of the $100,000-added California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Stakes at Del Mar. The race is for 2-year-old Cal-bred fillies going 6 furlongs.
Both parts of the entry are undefeated, Fairness in two races and One More Angel in one. The latter has been the most impressive, scoring over Cal-bred maidens by eight lengths in her debut July 13 at Hollywood Park. Chris Antley has ridden both fillies but has opted for One More Angel in the CTBA.
A possible strong contender in the field of 11 is Spirited Jaclyn, who has had the misfortune of tackling the undefeated Starry Ice in her most recent three outings, finishing second twice and fourth in the Landaluce, all at Hollywood Park.
FIRST "FOUR O'CLOCK FRIDAY" READY TO GO TO THE POST
Del Mar is set to observe its first of four twilight racing cards as "Four O'Clock Friday" comes to the seaside course Friday. Post time for the first race on the eight- race card is 4 p.m. The next three Fridays also have a 4 o'clock first post.
Following the day's races, fans can stay around and listen free to the music of the popular San Diego rock band, Rockola, led by Bob Tedde, in the track's Plaza de Mexico near the main gate.
MAIDEN FILLY WINNER TURNS HEADS IN SWIFT OPENING-DAY RACE
Sharing the spotlight with Del Mar's Oceanside winners on opening day was a 2-year-old filly named Broad Dynamite, who sped 5 furlongs in :56 4/5, just two- fifths off the track record set in 1964 by the 3-year-old filly Soldier Girl.
Trainer Lonnie Arterburn said his filly came back fine, but was tired from the effort. "She's the real thing," Arterburn said of the bay daughter of Broad Brush he has had for five weeks. Arterburn suggested the Grade II, $250,000-guaranteed Del Mar Debutante could be on her agenda, but he expects to give her a little time to get over Wednesday's effort.
"I was impressed [with her race]," he said. "If you look at the way she did it, she was down on the inside, she got bumped around the turn, had pressure all the way. She went through everything negative and still won." The victory margin over the favorite, Desert Digger, was a half-length, with the third finisher 10 more lengths back.
Arterburn is making his debut at Del Mar as a full-season trainer. He said he decided to come south from his normal Bay Meadows-Golden Gate Fields base toward the end of the Hollywood Park season, and won four races in the final week of the Inglewood meeting. "I think I have some horses that fit here," said Arterburn, who has a record of nearly 1,000 victories.
He has a racing pedigree, being the son of Jack Arterburn, who rode for 25 years before taking up training in Northern California, where he still trains. On his mother's side, he's the nephew of trainer Damon "Buster" Pollard, who, Arterburn said, used to train in Southern California. Arterburn's stall webbings reflect those bloodlines: the boots, cap and saddle reflect the life of his father and the black cat is a symbol his uncle has used. The "LA," of course, refers to him.
FREE HANDICAPPING SEMINARS RETURN FOR FANS AT DEL MAR
Handicapping experts Jim Quinn and Tom Brohamer will conduct a free seminar on Saturday and Quinn and Paul Braseth will hold one Sunday for Del Mar fans who are interested in learning the finer points of handicapping Thoroughbred races.
The seminars begin at 12:30 p.m. and are held at the Seaside Terrace near the head of the stretch.
Brohamer has authored the book, "Modern Pace Handicapping," and Quinn has written "The Handicapper's Condition Book" and "Figure Handicapping." Braseth is an expert on trainers and trainer patterns.
Their seminar topics will include such things as early speed, class evaluation and figure handicapping.
SHORE LINES: Larry the Legend, the popular winner of the 1995 Santa Anita Derby, is scheduled to make his first start since that victory in Saturday's seventh race at Del Mar, an allowance test carrying a purse of $60,000. Trainer Craig Lewis has said that the 4-year-old has been training well toward this race, following two surgeries for knee problems .... Bob Baffert and Chris Antley got away to a fast start in the trainer and jockey standings, respectively, on Del Mar's opening day. They both scored two victories. Baffert's winning trainees were Anet in the third race and Two Punch Glen in the fourth. Antley rode winners Caribbean Pirate and Broad Dynamite in the fifth and sixth races .... Royal Chariot, another comeback horse, is scheduled to go to the post in next Wednesday's Wickerr Stakes. The Eddie Gregson trainee won the Wickerr last year in preparation for victory in the Del Mar Handicap. Royal Chariot has been off since December because of removal of a bone chip in his left front ankle. In preparation for his start on Wednesday, Royal Chariot worked 7 furlongs on the turf Thursday in 1:28 3/5 with the dogs up .... Other notable works Thursday: On the turf - Gold and Steel, 1:12 2/5, and Saltgrass, 1:12 4/5, for 6 furlongs; Criollito, 1:26 3/5 for 6 furlongs. On the main track - Lakota Brave, :48 4/5 and Wrightwood, :47 4/5, for 4 furlongs; Montecito, 1:00 3/5, Pirate's Story, :59 2/5, Ski Dancer, 1:01 2/5 and Troyalty, 1:00 3/5, for 5 furlongs.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)