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DEL MAR – Acclamation has scared away just about all his rivals from the Grade 1, $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar, but not Slim Shadey. Although Slim Shadey ran just two weeks ago in the United Nations at Monmouth, trainer Simon Callaghan on Tuesday said that the prospective small field for the Eddie Read, plus the condition of Slim Shadey coming out of the U.N., will compel him to enter Slim Shadey in the Eddie Read.
“He’s doing so well, and it’s coming up a short field,” said Callaghan, who said he is inclined to throw out the U.N. performance. In that race, Slim Shadey was far behind a dawdling pace, and though he came home fast, the leaders had way too much left. He finished fifth, behind the victorious Turbo Compressor, after finishing first or second in his five prior starts.
“He missed the break, clipped heels, and ended up about nine lengths behind early on,” Callaghan said. “It was an impossible task. The horse on the lead had an easy lead over a speed-favoring course. I wasn’t disappointed with the horse under the circumstances. He didn’t have a hard race. He’s been doing so well, he’s telling us he should run.”
[Complete coverage of racing at Del Mar: News, PPs, and video]
Garrett Gomez will take over as the rider for Slim Shadey, Callaghan said. David Flores had been aboard Slim Shadey for all seven of the horse’s starts since he came here from his native Britain.
On his best day, Slim Shadey is among the best distance turf horses on this circuit. Prior to the U.N., he was only a length behind Acclamation when second in the Whittingham at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 9.
Few others are expected for the Eddie Read, at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Trainer Ron McAnally had two of the nine nominees to the race, but he will run only Interaction while waiting for another spot for Suggestive Boy. Interaction won an optional-claiming race at Hollywood Park on June 16 in his first start for McAnally.
Casino Host and Utopian are also possible.
Potential big weekend for Callaghan
In addition to Slim Shadey, Callaghan this weekend is also set to start Imperialistic Diva in the $85,000 Osunitas Handicap for older female turf horses on Saturday, and Byrama and perhaps Mary Fildes in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday.
The San Clemente, at one mile on turf, is a major prep for the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 18. Byrama, second to the highly regarded Lady of Shamrock in the Providencia at Santa Anita in April, is coming off a victory in the six-furlong Manhattan Beach on the Hollywood Park turf.
The San Clemente favorite could be Eden’s Moon, who earned a start in the race with an impressive workout on the Del Mar turf on Monday. Others likely for the San Clemente include Don’tgetmadalexis, Indigo River, Killer Graces, Oblivion, and Open Water.
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No Suggestive Boy mean Acclamation was going to get an easy lead in the Read, but with Slim Shadey going, he should have company early.
This is the race that Slim Shadey should have been pointed to all along. The UN was a mistake on many levels; first, the horse had to ship for its 3rd straight race(from Cali to Kentucky, back to Cali, then to the Jersey Shore), the race was at 11 furlongs and the trainer had commented earlier in the year 10 furlongs is probably the horse's limits, and the horse was shipping to an area experiencing hot an humid conditions quite dissimilar from typical Cali weather.
The big question now is whether the UN debacle ruined any chance Slim Shadey has in the Read. In my opinion, Slim Shadey just looked flat and empty in the UN, the supposed bad start aside. Although the horse might have broken slow, Flores did ask him to improve position soon after, pumping his arms noticably, but the horse just didn't respond. Interestingly, Acclamation was asked to do the same thing in 2010, running in the Read shortly after a dismal effort in the UN; Acclamation ran next to last in that year's Read.
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No doubt about "Garrett" great on the closers in particular. Never forget the ride he put on Blame" The only rider that could have willed a Horse to beat Zenyatta that day in the Breeders Cup Classic.
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Thank God the Breeders Cup is in Cali this year, We'll finally see a Gr.1 with more then 5-6 horses.
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How can the trainer take off Flores for Gomez? Flores had ONE bad ride out of 7! Great jicks are not always perfact. Remember Gomez on Lookin at Lucky! I hope Flores gets another mount in the Eddie Read and puts Slim Shady in the PARKING LOT!
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LOVE TO RUN was rarin' to go first out in two months, so much so that he rocketed through a six-furlong split of 1:08.79 seconds - faster than Cross Traffic in the Westchester at the same one-mile distance a few days earlier; back-to-back Belmont wins last year included one rallying from next-to-last, so he may make good use of outside draw to track COLIZEO. The latter drops to same second-level condition where he won big first off R-Rod claim; reunited with Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for that score on wet track.
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