The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com)KING OF THE NORTH HOLLENDORFER TO TRY HIS HAND AT DEL MAR
Jerry Hollendorfer, the acknowledged king of Northern California trainers and one of the most respected and well-known in most parts of North America, is ready to take on the imposing cast of trainers that annually populates the backstretch at Del Mar.
It's not that Hollendorfer is altogether unfamiliar with the seaside course; he has sent horses here for the past three years, but he will be here himself this meeting with a stable of 25 horses. And, he said, he used to bring horses for the whole meeting when there was a long break between race meets in Northern California, but when the season's got closer he chose to stay at home.
"The break's a little longer this year," he said, "and I wanted to come down here and compete with the guys here. I have quite a few Golden Eagle [owners John and Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm] and I'm sure they'd like to see their horses run."
Another factor that brings him to Del Mar this year is his spot among the nation's money winners for trainers. Hollendorfer has finished in the top ten for the past two years and he's sitting fifth this year. "That's one reason I came here -- to try to keep my earnings up over the summer," he said. He may not win a lot of races here, he said, but the money will be good and that will sustain his position on the trainers' list.
Hollendorfer, who's been in racing 23 years and has been in Northern California for 22 of them, doesn't seem to have burning desire to leave the northern circuit for the southern. "I like it there," he said, "and my wife loves it. And we've done well there. That's one reason we don't attempt to run here more. We're grateful and we don't want to try to leave a program we've been successful in."
Among the stakes horses Hollendorfer has brought in are the Good Life, who is in the first division of Wednesday's $100,000-added Oceanside Stakes, and West Coast Warrior, whose on the also-eligible list for the second division.; and Justadarling and Really Happy, who will run in Saturday's Grade II, $100,000-added San Clemente Handicap for 3-year- old fillies going one mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
"I think I've brought some good horses, but the rest of the guys here have some nice horses, too," Hollendorfer said. Perhaps his best horse, Pike Place Dancer, could see action at Del Mar later in the meeting, he said, provided she trains well enough coming off of a layoff.
OCEANSIDE STAKES IN TWO DIVISIONS HEADLINES DEL MAR'S OPENING DAY
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club opens the celebration of its 60th anniversary on Wednesday with two divisions of the $100,000-added Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile at the seaside track's Jimmy Durante Turf Course. A full field of 10 in each division is expected.
�Sharing the spotlight with the horses will be the annual One and Only Truly Outrageous Hat Contest, which, of course, caters to the feminine side of the opening day of races. There will be a winner chosen in each of three divisions -- most glamorous, funniest/most outrageous and best racing theme -- and many prizes will be awarded. The grand prize will be a spa, worth $700, courtesy of Watkins Manufacturing of nearby Vista.
Post time for the first race, as it will be on most every day of the 43-day meet, is 2 p.m. Exceptions to that time will be the first four Fridays of the meet, when the first race will start at 4 p.m. and on Pacific Classic Day, August 9, and Labor Day, Sept. 1, when first post will be 12:30 p.m.
Last year's opening on-track crowd numbered 26,894. The record for opening-day attendance is 34,697, established on Wednesday, July 27, 1994.
WEEKEND STAKES, WORTH A TOTAL OF $550,000, BEGIN TO SHAPE UP WELL
Looking ahead to this weekend's schedule of four big stakes races, with total purses of $550,000 plus added money, Del Mar racing officials are expecting solid, competitive fields for all the races.
On Friday, at least eight 2-year-old fillies are confirmed for the $100,000- added California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes to be run at 6 furlongs on the main track. Those expected to run are Double Bar S Ranch's Bountiful Blast, trained by Randy Bradshaw; Brown, Stute and Yarter's Glen Falls, trained by Mel Stute; Olsen and Retzloff's Lady Las Vegas, trained by Jeff Bonde; Oakcrest Stable, Braly and Stacey's Nijinsky's Passion, trained by Tom Bunn; Busby and Plumley's No Decision Made, trained by Brian Mayberry; Robert B. Moreno's Raspberry Pointe, trained by Jude Feld; Damien Nahem's Rattle My Nerves, trained by Steven Young; and H. Booth Hanson's Truly Safe, trained by Clifford Sise Jr.
Saturday's card brings a stakes doubleheader in the form of the Grade II, $100,000-added San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on the grass and the Grade III, $150,000-added San Diego Handicap for 3-year-old and upward at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
At least eight are scheduled to tackle the San Clemente: Christopher Drakos' Con Way, trained by Michael G. Harte; Dogwood Plantation's Cozy Blues, a ship-in from Kentucky trained by James Baker; Let It Ride Stable et al's Famous Digger, trained by Barry Abrams; Granja Vista del Rio Stable's Granja Realeza, trained by J.E. "Cotton" Tinsley Jr.; Halo Farms and Jerry Hollendorfer's Justadarling, trained by Hollendorfer; Golden Eagle Farm's Really Happy, also trained by Hollendorfer; Rosee and Sullivan's Lets Get Cozzy, trained by Mel Stute; and Diane Garber's Majestical Moment, trained by David C. Cross Jr.
The San Diego appears to have four confirmed runners at this time. They are Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Wygod's Benchmark, trained by Ron Ellis; Cohen and Red Baron's Barn's New Century, trained by Darrell Vienna; Juddmonte Farms' Private Song, trained by Robert Frankel; and Dizney and English's Semoran, trained by Bob Baffert.
�On Sunday, the Grade III, $200,000-added Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap has created interest in at least five trainers in the week's early stages. Confirmed for the race are Budget Stable's Boundless Moment, trained by Kathy Walsh; Lima Family Trust's First Intent, trained by Jack Carava; Michel Jean Zerolo's Lucky Lionel, trained by Robert Frankel; and Bill M. Thomas' Score Quick, trained by Mel Stute.
DEL MAR OPERATING UNDER SOME NEW PROCEDURES FOR THIS SEASON
The new racing surface where the turf meets the surf has been getting most good grades from horsemen.
Track Superintendent Steve Wood created a new surface whose key elements are silt and clay and the percentage of these elements. Last year, 19 percent of the track was made up those elements; this year, the percentage is 13.
Also, training hours have been changed and there now are three renovation breaks for the track during training hours. Training begins at 4:30 a.m. as opposed to previous years' 5 a.m., and renovation comes at 6, 7:30 and 8:45. In previous years, there were two breaks.
SHORE LINES -- Trainer Richard Mandella said today that his Big Three -- Siphon, Gentlemen and Sandpit, all of whom are at Del Mar -- are being pointed toward the Grade I, $1 million Pacific Classic slated for August 9 at the seaside course. There could be one switch, he said, with Sandpit heading for the Arlington Million instead of contesting the Pacific Classic. The Big Three finished 1-2-3 in both the Santa Anita Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup ... D. Wayne Lukas' trainee, Marlin, is another one who seems headed for the Arlington Million, but Mike Marlowe, a Lukas assistant at Del Mar, said the winner of the Hollywood Park Sunset Handicap could wind up running in Del Mar's Grade I, $300,000 Eddie Read Handicap on August 3 before heading to Arlington International. "Sunday's race didn't seem to take anything out of him," Marlowe said.
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