Camino Del Paraiso easy winner of Grace Stakes

Camino Del Paraiso ($6.20) gave trainer O.J. Jauregui the perfect birthday present Saturday with an easy 3 1/2-length victory in the $63,050 Joseph T. Grace Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

Camino Del Paraiso cruised in third behind pacesetting Give Me the Lute until the field hit the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile turf race before effortlessly pulling away for the victory in 1:43.30. Navy Armed Guard, last early, came flying late to nip Give Me the Lute by a head for second.

The win was the second straight for the 7-year-old Suances gelding, who was coming off a win in the Rolling Green on Labor Day.

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“He ran good,” said Jauregui, whose only concern came when his star bobbled and jockey Catalino Martinez snatched him up just as he was entering the backstretch.

“He might have stepped in a little hole in the turf or the horse outside him may have come in on him,” Jauregui said. “Catalino just grabbed him and let him relax. When they hit the half-mile pole, he was moving so comfortable, I knew we had a good shot.”

The victory was worth $39,450 for the Paradise Road Ranch homebred who has now earned $479,542 with seven victories from 40 starts.

Jauregui will look at the Grade 3 Berkeley in three weeks on the main track for Camino Del Paraiso's next start.