Callaghan in position to accomplish rare feat
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DEL MAR, Calif. – Simon Callaghan has put himself in position to sweep the Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds at Del Mar the final weekend of the meet, something only three trainers have done in the past 25 years.
“It’s why we do it, isn’t it?” Callaghan said Monday morning. “We have [horses] that are good enough, obviously top contenders in their divisions.”
Callaghan will send out the unbeaten colt Run Away in the Del Mar Futurity on closing-day Monday, and will enter – and likely run – Moonshine Memories in the Del Mar Debutante for fillies Saturday. Both races are worth $300,000 and are at seven furlongs.
Should he win both, Callaghan would match the feats of Bob Baffert, who won both in the same year five times – in 2012, 2001 and from 1997-99 – as well as Richard Mandella in 2003, and Ron McAnally in 1994.
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Run Away completed his serious preparation for the Futurity on Monday, one week in front of the race, with a half-mile drill in 47.80 seconds that was accomplished as easy as one might want.
“That was perfect,” Callaghan said. “He seems to be loving this track. He’s on a perfect path, it seems.”
Run Away won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes here in his last start Aug. 12. His Futurity rivals are expected to include Bolt d’Oro, Dia de Pago, Fleetwood, Gracida, Soul Streit, Tatters to Riches, and Zatter.
Dia de Pago, runner-up in the Best Pal, worked five furlongs Monday in 1:00.40 for trainer Vladimir Cerin.
Moonshine Memories, winner of her debut on Aug. 19, would be wheeling back in just two weeks for the Debutante, which is one reason Callaghan wanted to see how she handled a workout on Sunday, when she went a half-mile in 49.40 seconds. On Monday, Callaghan said Moonshine Memories “seems to have come out of the race really well and is showing all the right signs.”
In addition to Moonshine Memories, those expected to enter the Debutante on Wednesday include Dancing Belle, Gabrielleelizabeth, Gas Station Sushi, Just a Smidge, Piedi Bianchi, Poetic, and Spectator, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Monday for trainer Phil D’Amato.
– additional reporting by Steve Andersen
