The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)SOLIS, VALENZUELA TIED AT TOP OF RIDER RACE; NAKATANI TO RETURN
Jockeys Alex Solis and Patrick Valenzuela both went past the suspended Corey Nakatani on Sunday as the race for leading Del Mar rider heads toward the wire today and Wednesday, the final day of the seaside track's 57th season of racing.
Nakatani added a new twist to the race as he obtained a court order that will allow him to return to action on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to win the title. Nakatani, who lost last year's title to Chris McCarron in the last race of the meeting, has 40 victories for the meet. It appeared that would be his final total because his five-day suspension for causing interference in an August 29 race was to run through the meet's final day. He's named on six horses for Wednesday.
Solis had two wins on Sunday and Valenzuela one to wind up at the top with 41 each. Looming ominously behind the top trio is defending champ McCarron, who thrust himself back into the picture with three victories Sunday. That gives the Hall of Fame rider 38 wins. However, McCarron isn't riding today because he's taking care of some business matters connected with his upcoming trip to Japan for a Japan Racing Association event. He is named on five horses Wednesday.
In fifth place in the standings is Kent Desormeaux with 30 victories, and Hall of Famer Eddie Delahoussaye is sixth with 28 winners.
Here's the way the top jockeys line up on today's card, with mounts and morning-line odds:
Alex Solis (41) - (8 mounts): 1st race, Mississippi Mist, 5-2; 2nd, Navadia, 5-1; 4th, Raise the Prize, 7-2; 6th, Nordidid, 7-2; 7th, J D Rocks, 6-1; 8th, Chilldown, 2-1; 9th, Meadow Blaze, 7-2; 10th, Bold Tuesday, 5-1.
Patrick Valenzuela (41) - (7 mounts): 1st race, Paddy's Pick, 7-2; 3rd, Spendaccione, 8-1; 4th, Spanish Vixen, 5-1; 6th, What a Style, 8-1; 7th Corporate Image, 20-1; 9th, Beautiful Crown, 2-1; 10th, Oro D'Hora, 20-1.
SHARP HALF-MILE WORK PUTS GOLDEN BRONZE ON EDGE FOR FUTURITY
Trainer Mel Stute watched Golden Bronze, his 2-year-old prospect for Wednesday's Grade II, $250,000-guaranteed Del Mar Futurity, clock a snappy half- mile workout in :47 seconds flat, and proclaimed the dark bay son of Strike Gold ready to roll in Del Mar's closing-day feature.
Pribble and Thomas' Golden Bronze, who finished second in the seaside course's Grade III Best Pal Stakes August 21, will be among the field of seven 2-year- old males expected to start in the 49th edition of the race at 7 furlongs. Heading the potential field will be the undefeated Swiss Yodeler, owned by Heinz Steinmann and trained by Mike Harrington. Harrington, a native of Oregon with college degrees from Oregon State University and Washington State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, bought the Eastern Echo colt for Steinmann at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year for $60,000.
Swiss Yodeler has won all five of his starts, including the Grade II Hollywood Juvenile Championship and the Best Pal, formerly the Balboa Stakes. If things go well in the Futurity, Harrington says, the colt probably will run back in the 1 1/16- mile Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting and then look to the $1- million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Woodbine on October 26.
But before that, he'll face a very contentious field in the Futurity. Along with Golden Bronze, the field is expected to include an entry of Silver Charm, owned by Robert and Beverly Lewis and trained by Bob Baffert, and Gold Tribute, owned by the Lewises and Michael Tabor and trained by D. Wayne Lukas; Jack L. Finley's Red, a Henry Moreno trainee who finished second in the Hollywood Juvenile and fourth in the Best Pal; Mike Pegram's Zippersup, also trained by Baffert; and Allen, Cox, Sullivan and Partners' General Royal, who broke his maiden at 7 furlongs on August 18 at Del Mar for trainer Jeff Bonde. General Royal put in his final work for the Futurity with a :35 3/5-second 3-furlong dash Sunday.
MCCARRON REGISTERS EIGHTH STAKES VICTORY OF THE MEET SUNDAY
Though he may be a longshot to repeat as riding champion, Chris McCarron does have the distinction of being the leading stakes rider of the meet so far with eight. He scored his eighth on Sunday by riding Admise to victory in the $76,825 Matching Handicap.
The record for a meet is 12 by Laffit Pincay, Jr., set in 1976. McCarron's win extended his all-time record for Del Mar stakes victories to 106. He went past Bill Shoemaker's previous mark of 93 during last summer's meet.
MIKE MITCHELL CLOSE TO RINGING UP SIXTH DEL MAR TRAINING TITLE
Trainer Mike Mitchell holds a two-victory edge over Bob Baffert with two racing days to go in his quest for his sixth training championship at the seaside course. Mitchell has 16 wins to Baffert's 14.
Mitchell has entered four horses on today's 10-race card.
Jack Carava, having his most productive Del Mar season ever, registered his 12th victory of the season on Sunday, to sit alone in third spot in the standings.
SHORE LINES: Both winner Dramatic Gold and runner-up Alphabet Soup were reported in fine shape this morning by Grant Hofmans, son and assistant to trainer David Hofmans, following their 1-2 finish in Sunday's Grade II Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap. Hofmans and the Golden Eagle Farm of John and Betty Mabee swept the weekend's major stakes. Along with Dramatic Gold, the Golden Eagle/Hofmans combine captured Saturday's Grade II Palomar Handicap with Yearly Tour .... Arrangements for memorial services for world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Robert Kerlan are still incomplete, though his family has requested that remembrances take the form of donations to a sports medicine chair being established at the University of Southern California. Dr. Kerlan died Saturday at age 74 .... Owner Gary E. Biszantz chalked up two more victories Sunday at Del Mar to give him a leading 14 for the meeting, either as sole owner or as leading partner. The record for owner victories is 20, set by Marion Frankel in 1973.
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