Del Mar: Tilde, CTBA winner, will stay in statebred ranks for now

DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Tilde will remain with California-breds for the remainder of the Del Mar meeting after winning her first stakes in Friday’s $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies.

Trainer Mike Harrington, who owns and bred the filly, has the option of a start against open company in the $150,000 Sorrento Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs, but said on Saturday she is likely to stay with California-breds.

“She’s a nice filly but she may have her limitations,” Harrington said.

He said he was not anxious to race against Executiveprivilege, the winner of the Landaluce Stakes against open company at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 14 and a candidate for the Grade 3 Sorrento.

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In the CTBA Stakes, Tilde led throughout under jockey Rafael Bejarano and finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of the maiden Cotton Point. Tribal Peace, the 4-5 favorite, closed from sixth in the field of seven to finish third.

Tilde, by Swiss Yodeler, has won 2 of 3 starts and $109,560. She will make her next start in the $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies over six furlongs on Aug. 29. Later this year, there are lucrative opportunities for California-bred fillies at Santa Anita, including the California Cup Juvenile Fillies, which will have a record purse of $250,000.

Smart Ellis coming around

A year later than expected, Smart Ellis is looking like a stakes horse.

Friday, the 3-year-old colt, by Smarty Jones, beat winners for the first time in an optional claimer over 1  1/16 miles on turf. The win left trainer Richard Mandella contemplating a start in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles of turf on Sept.  2.

A start in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 11 is less likely.

Smart Ellis is better with time between races, he said.

“He doesn’t carry enough weight,” Mandella said. “We’ll have to see how he does.”

In Friday’s race, Smart Ellis ($19.40) closed from seventh in a field of 10 under jockey Corey Nakatani to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Ransom Canyon. Owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, Smart Ellis has won 2 of 6 starts. Last year, he was 11th in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland and fourth in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita.

Friday’s race was his first start since a second in an allowance race at Santa Anita on Jan. 12. “He ran like we hoped he would last year,” Mandella said.

Coil nearing start to year

Coil, the winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in 2011, is nearing his first start of 2012.

Friday, Coil worked six furlongs in 1:10.80 from the gate, the fastest of 14 works at the distance. Coil is nominated for the $200,000 San Diego Handicap next Saturday, but trainer Bob Baffert stopped short of committing the 4-year-old colt to the race.

A winner of 4 of 8 starts and $782,560, Coil has won two stakes, but has not started since a third in the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita last fall.