The Del Mar Observer
July 24th, 2007By Jude T. Feld
Del Mar’s first week is in the books and it was entertaining to say the least. Here’s a few notes I made along the way:
Ten A Penny earned my best turf figure of the three Oceanside splits. His race was rated 3 points better than Knockout Artist’s effort and 11 points better than Vauquelin’s division.
Treadmill should get honorable mention for her CTBA Stakes win Friday night. She earned a solid figure and looked good doing it.
Trainer Bob Baffert unveiled a sharp two-year-old filly by Vindication on Saturday. More Happy looks like the real deal. She earned the same figure breaking her maiden that Treadmill got winning the stakes.
The worst trip of the week was encountered by the aptly named Double Trouble (Brz), who took up twice down the lane in Osunitas. She should have had her picture taken.
Sun Boat (GB), who got the best two-turn Polytrack figure of the week with his San Diego (G2) victory is headed for the Pacific Classic (G1) according to trainer Mike Mitchell.
After Market got the best turf figure of the week (20 points better than Ten A Penny and 9 points better than Kris’s Sis in the Osunitas) – hardly shocking since it was earned in the Eddie Read (G1). By top sire Storm Cat from the multiple Grade 1-winning Rahy mare Tranquility Lake, if you can find a better bred horse in the United States than him, let me know. Trainer John Shirreffs has a potential great one on his hands.
Spring Awakening, a California-bred daughter of In Excess was an impressive maiden winner on Monday. Her race equaled the best dirt sprint figure of the week alongside trainer Darrell Vienna’s charge Global Heat who won an optional claimer.
My old friends, jockey Amir Cedeno and trainer Rafael Martinez combined to win the slowest race of the week ratings-wise with Freedom Class. At $133.80 they probably made a few dime super players very happy.
