The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)LIT DE JUSTICE TAKES AIM AT SECOND STRAIGHT PAT O'BRIEN HANDICAP
Lit de Justice, fresh from a swooping victory in Del Mar's Grade III Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 28, is expected to take a run at the seaside track's Grade III, $100,000-added Pat O'Brien Handicap on Saturday, according to trainer Jenine Sahadi.
The big gray with the big kick will be trying to win his second consecutive Pat O'Brien. The 1995 victory by the 6-year-old son of El Gran Senor in the 7-furlong dash - accomplished in a stakes record and track-record-equaling time of 1:20 - brought him the honor of being named the meeting's best sprinter. Corey Nakatani will ride, as he did in this year's Bing Crosby and last year's Pat O'Brien.
Expected to challenge Lit de Justice are Gold Land, who finished third in the Bing Crosby, with Eddie Delahoussaye getting the call to ride; Alphabet Soup, with Chris Antley; and Bold Capital, with Alex Solis. On the fence at the moment are Argolid and First Intent. If First Intent goes, said trainer Jack Carava, Laffit Pincay, Jr. will ride.
Others nominated to the race are Boundless Moment, Concept Win, G Malleah, He's OK, Ivory Mint and Tres Paraiso.
ANTESPEND, TRUE FLARE LEAD PROSPECTS FOR SUNDAY'S DEL MAR OAKS
Jack Kent Cooke's Antespend, trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, and Juddmonte Farms' True Flare, trained by another Hall of Famer, Robert Frankel, are expected to headline Sunday's Grade I Del Mar Oaks, an invitational race for 3-year- old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course with a purse of $250,000.
Antespend, who is yet to race this summer at Del Mar, will be ridden by Chris Antley. True Flare, who won Del Mar's Grade II San Clemente Stakes on July 27, will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, as she was in the San Clemente.
A field of 10 is likely for the race. In addition to Antespend and True Flare, those considered solid for the race are Gastronomical, who finished second in the San Clemente, with Eddie Delahoussaye riding; Boncozy, no rider named; Chile Chatte, with Alex Solis; Closed Escrow, no rider named; Hilary, with Chris McCarron; Lasha, with Rene Douglas; Moody's Cat, no rider named; and Paranomelody, no rider named.
Also on the invitation list are Dathuil and Heptathlon. A provisional list of invitees is to be issued Wednesday.
AMBIVALENT COMES BACK FINE FROM HIS VICTORY IN LA JOLLA 'CAP
Trainer Mike Orman said this morning that Ambivalent came out of Sunday's victory in the Grade III La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds in good order and now will be pointed toward the Grade II, $300,000 invitational Del Mar Derby on Monday, September 2.
"He came out very good," said Orman, who acknowledged that originally the colt was considered mostly as a fast-closing sprinter while he was running at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. Now that he has handled 1 1/16 miles, Orman is anything but ambivalent about trying him at 1 1/8 miles in the Derby.
"I've been galloping him long," Orman said, "and he has responded. He ran well at 7 furlongs and then he won at a mile [a division of Del Mar's opening-day feature, the Oceanside Stakes] and now a mile and sixteenth."
He praised Rene Douglas for the winning ride Sunday. "He gave him a good ride. He was patient; he just sat and waited [to make his winning run down the stretch]. I have to give Alex Solis credit, too, because he warmed him up for a long time before the Oceanside and that seems to be a key as to how he runs."
Solis rode Ambivalent to the Oceanside victory but rode Mateo Sunday because, Orman said, the rider had a prior commitment on that colt. Mateo finished fourth.
YOUNG SAXOPHONIST-SONGWRITER TAYLOR SET FOR "JAZZ AT DEL MAR"
The mellow tones of young saxophonist Paul Taylor will waft over the evening air as the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club offers its third "Jazz at Del Mar presented by Mercedes-Benz" on Wednesday in the seaside track's Plaza de Mexico.
The free concert will follow the day's last race. Starting time is approximately 6:30 p.m. The series is presented under the auspices of the DMTC in conjunction with Radio Station KIFM and with the support of Mercedes-Benz.
In his debut album, "On the Horn," from which he is expected to play some tunes, Taylor melded sensuous rhythm and blues, pop and contemporary jazz for a performance that sent the album to No. 7 among Top Ten contemporary jazz selections. Several of the pieces on the album were written by Taylor.
Taylor is a native of Denver, and began saxophone lessons at age 7. His pop sensibilities were honed listening to Earth, Wind & Fire and jazz figures such as The Crusaders, Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn and Randy and Michael Brecker.
SHORE LINES: Coverage of Cigar's quest for a modern-day record of 17 consecutive wins in Del Mar's $1,000,000 Pacific Classic last Saturday established a high-water mark at the seaside track's Marketing and Media Department. It issued credentials for 349 members of the media .... Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron, who won his 100th stakes victory at the seaside track aboard Track Gal on Saturday, will be at Saratoga Racecourse Sunday to ride the Ron McAnally trainee, Listening, in the Alabama Stakes .... Trainer Richard Mandella said his multiple-graded-stakes winner, Soul of the Matter, is comfortable in his surroundings at the Mandella barn and is expected to stay there throughout the meet. "We're going to keep him here, because we like having him around," Mandella said. Soul of the Matter will stand stud next year at Airdrie Stud in Midway, KY, joining his stablemate Afternoon Deelites. Both Thoroughbreds are owned by Burt Bacharach .... A mass and funeral service for veteran turf writer William Leggett, who died Friday, will be held Tuesday at 9:45 at Mary's Nativity Catholic Church in Flushing, Queens, NY, with burial in St. John Cemetery. There will be visitation today from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. at Quinn Funeral Home in Flushing.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)