Talamo completes hectic weekend by winning Cary Grant with Solid Wager

DEL MAR, Calif. – So, how was your weekend? For jockey Joe Talamo, it was quite the whirlwind.

Talamo got married on Friday night, rode at Del Mar both Saturday and Sunday, and in his final ride of the weekend Sunday captured the $100,250 Cary Grant Stakes for California-bred sprinters with Solid Wager, a mount he picked up after his original mount was scratched.

The late wedding present was courtesy of jockey Victor Espinoza, who took off Solid Wager, his lone mount of the day following the scratch of his only other scheduled mount. Talamo was originally named on Richard’s Boy, one of four horses trainer Peter Miller entered in the race. But after Richard’s Boy was withdrawn Sunday morning, and Espinoza took off, Miller put Talamo on Solid Wager.

“I need the money. That’s why I won,” Talamo said.

“It’s been nuts,” he said of the weekend, “but I’m glad it all happened the way it did, getting married in San Diego and all. This was a good way to end the week.”

Solid Wager ($20) rallied from last to first in the seven-horse field to beat Raised a Secret by a half-length, with Got Even – also trained by Miller – another half-length back in third.

Big Macher, the 2-5 favorite while seeking to win the Cary Grant for the second straight year, finished last, never firing after throwing a fit in the starting gate and then, as has become the norm for him, breaking poorly.

Solid Wager completed seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:22.23 for his sixth win in 24 starts. He had won a 1 1/16-mile, second-level allowance against open company in his prior start at Santa Anita.

Solid Wager, 4, is a gelding by Birdonthewire. Miller trains him for Gary and Cecil Barber and the Stanford Stable of Sandra Ann Tsujihara, Michael Joseph de Anda, and Lawrence Sai Kit Miao.