Bravo will try to pull upsets in Del Mar Oaks and CTT and TOC Stakes
Joe Bravo is taking a low-key approach with his two stakes mounts at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Bravo rides the outsider Almost a Factor in the $100,000 CTT and TOC Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares. Trained by Carla Gaines, Almost a Factor was a troubled fourth in an allowance race over the same course and distance on July 28, a frustrating result for Bravo who could not overcome traffic issues at a pivotal point.
“In the last race, there was no place for me to go,” he recalled on Thursday. “If this was the same horses as the last trip, I would be really confident.”
The problem for Bravo is the race is led by Neige Blanche, who won the 2021 CTT and TOC Handicap and four other distance stakes in the last year for trainer Leonard Powell.
“You cannot disrespect a horse’s like Leonard’s,” Bravo said.
In Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles, Bravo is on another outsider in Gracelund Gray, a fascinating filly who began her career with two easy wins at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge, Alberta, in 2021, and won an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 24.
Trained by Howie Zucker, Gracelund Gray led throughout at 18-1 and won by 2 1/2 lengths in the longest race of her career.
“We’ve had high hopes for her all along,” Bravo said. “I thought the last race would be a learning curve. She never stopped in the lane. I’m not scared of the distance, but I am scored of the horse quality. This is one of the toughest Oaks in years.”
While Almost a Factor and Gracelund Gray are longshots, Bravo has a good record with such runners at Del Mar this summer. Of his 12 winners through Wednesday, seven paid more than $12 and three paid more than $25. He has won aboard two favorites.
Bravo has already scored two graded stakes wins since the Del Mar meeting began on July 22 and ranked third in the jockey standings through Wednesday. Juan Hernandez has a clear lead with 27 wins, but Bravo has won with a highly respectable 23 percent of his mounts.
“I can’t wait to add more,” he said.
Bravo, 50, finished in a tie for 10th at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which ended on June 19. Bravo rode five days at Monmouth Park and one day at Lone Star Park in late June and early July.
Bravo arrived at Del Mar in the week before the meeting began to prepare for the season.
The highlight of the meeting for Bravo has been a win aboard American Theorem in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 30. Trained by George Papaprodromou, American Theorem is scheduled to start in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 27.
On Sept. 3, Bravo is set to ride Cabo Spirit for Papaprodromou in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Cabo Spirit won the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap on turf on Aug. 7 with Bravo aboard. Papaprodromou has trained six of Bravo’s 12 winners at the meeting.
“It’s the horses that make you,” Bravo said. “The trainers had them ready to run. I’m looking forward to the next three or four weekends.”