The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)FIVE GRADED-STAKES RUNNERS CLASH IN SUNDAY'S BREEDERS' CUP 'CAP
Quality rather than quantity is the key to Sunday's 10th running of the Grade II Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap as five graded-stakes performers will try to capture the one-mile race on Del Mar's main track. If all five go to the post, the purse will be worth $201,150, with the winner getting $121,150.
Heading the field will be Ridder Thoroughbred Stable's Alphabet Soup and Golden Eagle Farm's Dramatic Gold, both trained by David Hofmans. Figuring to put the pressure on those two are The Thoroughbred Corp.'s entry of Powerful Punch and Cezind, both trained by Rafael Becerra, and Biszantz, Greenman and Vandeweghe's Savinio, trained by Walter Greenman.
Alphabet Soup, who won this Breeders' Cup race last year, made a successful return from a five-month layoff by winning Del Mar's Grade III Pat O'Brien Handicap August 17. He will be ridden by Chris Antley. Kent Desormeaux gets the call on Dramatic Gold, who finished fourth in the Grade I, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic August 10 in his most recent outing.
Powerful Punch, whose last graded-stakes victory came in last year's Grade III Cornhusker Handicap at AKsarben, will be ridden by Rene Douglas. Cezind is yet to score in graded stakes company, but did finish fifth in his most recent try at that level, the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2. Savinio, an accomplished grass runner who made a winning switch to the dirt in the Grade III San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 27, will have Del Mar's all-time stakes-leading rider Chris McCarron in the irons.
MEL STUTE PASSED BASKETBALL TO BE POPULAR, SUCCESSFUL TRAINER
Without a doubt, basketball's loss was Thoroughbred racing's gain in personable, successful Mel Stute, who ranks in a tie for seventh with M.E. "Buster" Millerick on the list of Del Mar's leading stakes-winning trainers.
He gives older brother Warren, also a successful trainer, much of the credit for his good fortune. "Without Warren," Mel says, "I would have never got where I am. He's taken care of me for 50 years. He's the best brother a man could ever have."
Brother Warren, 74, never hesitates to pay compliments to his little brother, who last month turned 69. He calls Mel "The Miracle Man," explaining that his brother has made his name with lesser-quality horses than many of those trained by colleagues who haven't found as much success.
As close as the brothers are in most things, Mel says their training styles are almost opposite of each other. "I work my horses fast, he works his horses slow. I run more often than he does," Mel said.
About his early dreams, Mel said, "When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be a basketball player, and when I got out of high school I went over to Whittier College for a tryout for a scholarship. I lasted about 30 minutes when I saw the size of the other fellows and how good they were."
It didn't take Mel long to get to the racetrack, thanks to his brother, who helped him land a job with trainer Yorkie McCloud. Warren galloped horses for McCloud and Mel worked as a hotwalker and groom. Mel recalled that in those days, a track would pay a groom $10 for leading a horse to the paddock, and if the horse was a winner it paid $25 for coming to the receiving barn and picking up the horse after a race.
"Warren was galloping a lot of horses outside of those for Yorkie," Mel said, "and he got me lots of jobs leading horses over so I could pick up those extra tens."
Mel spent about a year in the service during World War II, and said he'd decided to take some time off from work after his discharge, "but in about two days, Warren called me and said I needed to get back to work." So he rejoined McCloud, and later bought his first horse. From that point, training horses became his career.
He remembers meeting Don Dryer at Portland Meadows in 1946 and began an association with Dryer's Pine Creek Ranch that has lasted to this day. "I guess that's when everybody found out where I was," Mel said. "Then Warren got me a client named Bob Schultz and I wound up buying a horse called First Balcony for him, and that was my first $100,000 winner [The Californian at Hollywood Park]."
Over the years, he says, his mainstay owner has been the Hat Ranch of the Ken Schiffer family. "They've sort of been my backbone," Stute says. "When things get tough and I get low on horses, they kind of stay with me and we get another little streak going."
Among many top horses he trained, Mel picked out these as favorites: First Balcony, Commissary, Snow Chief, who won the 1986 Preakness Stakes and Jersey Derby and an Eclipse as top 3-year-old; Brave Raj, who won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was an Eclipse champion; and Very Subtle, who won the 1990 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
A man of gregarious nature, Mel often is in the midst of a group of buddies savoring a libation or two. In fact, his favorite bar area at Hollywood Park now bears his name. Along that line, Mel tells this story about a young John Sadler who came to Stute for some answers: "John came to my barn one day after the races and said, 'Mel, how can you take this? I've got an ulcer and it's killing me. How have you been able to do this for all these years.' And I said, 'John, you gotta quit drinking that sarsaparilla and switch to Scotch and you won't even care.'"
WITH NAKATANI SITTING OUT, JOCKEY TITLE RACE IS WIDE OPEN
Corey Nakatani, who a week ago appeared to be a cinch to win Del Mar's riding title this summer, is sitting out the final five racing days of the meeting on suspension beginning today, and the race for the championship is on.
At this point, Alex Solis, Patrick Valenzuela and Chris McCarron, last year's winner, are the three most likely to succeed in the attempt to overtake Nakatani, who was blanked Thursday in his final day before suspension and finishes the season with 40 victories. Solis scored two wins on Thursday and sits second with a total of 36 wins. Valenzuela also won two to go into third with 35 wins, one ahead of McCarron's 34. McCarron will be spotting those two some more wins today as he has taken the day off to watch one of his daughters ride in a show-horse event.
Here's the way the race shapes up with starters and morning-line odds on today's card:
Solis (7) 1st, Woodbridge, 2-1; 2nd, So Clever, 6-1; 3rd, Molly's Prospector, 4- 1; 4th, Crimson Look, 10-1; 5th, Destiny's Venture, 9-2; 7th, Judgement Maker, 5-1; 8th, Bagshot, 3-1.
Valenzuela (9) 1st, Colorado Swinger, 5-2; 2nd, Texas Oil, 8-1; 3rd, Morell's Love, 7-2; 4th, Mister Mikey, 10-1; 5th, Superfluously, 5-1; 6th, Sparkling Ripple, 5-2; 7th, Avalli, 5-2; 8th, Fearless Pirate, 7-2; 9th, Wee Nippin, 5-2.
SEVEN ENTERED FOR NINTH RUNNING OF THE ROCKING CHAIR DERBY
Seven maiden Cal-breds will go to the post Saturday for the ninth edition of Del Mar's popular Rocking Chair Derby, a chance for fans to see riding stars of yesteryear try to recapture the thrill of victory one more time.
The 5 1/2-furlong race, a betless exhibition, will be run between the day's seventh and eighth races. All horses will carry 120 pounds and are entered for a claiming tag of $32,000.
Here's the way they'll line up from the rail, with jockeys, who are selected by lot: Fourth and One, Bill Harmatz; Softshoe Rhythm, Jack Leonard; Cause I'm Unique, Danny Velasquez; Glad You Asked, Alex Maese; Naturally Stan, Ray York; Johnar, Rudy Campas; and Carolina Chipper, Frank Olivares. Jalos is listed as an also-eligible in the event one of the horses is scratched. If that occurs, the jockey on the scratched horse will move to Jalos.
HALL OF FAME RIDER EDDIE DELAHOUSSAYE IN "RACE TO CURE CANCER"
Eddie Delahoussaye and other top riders will join together for a shirt-signing session Sunday in the Grandstand Plaza area at Del Mar to benefit the "Race to Cure Cancer." The signings will take place from noon to 1 p.m.
The project is sponsored by the Bonsall Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)