Conclude tops all-D'Amato exacta in Oceanside, opening-day Del Mar stakes
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DEL MAR, Calif. -- With a fast-moving pacesetter to follow, Conclude handled his first start at a mile on turf with ease in Friday’s $104,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar, the feature race on opening day of the track’s popular eight-week summer meeting.
Conclude ($11.40) won by 1 1/4 lengths over 5-2 favorite Classical Cat, giving trainer Phil D’Amato a sweep of the $1 exacta, which paid $16.10.
“I liked where they were sitting in mid-stretch,” D’Amato said. “I was proud of my horses.”
Conclude, ridden by Hector Berrios, stalked pacesetter Game Time through a quick opening quarter-mile in 22.17 seconds and a half-mile in 46.58.
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“He broke perfect,” Berrios said. “He was very comfortable.”
Berrios took a simple approach on the backstretch with Conclude to “wait, wait, wait,” he said.
With a quarter-mile remaining, Game Time led by only a head, with Conclude taking a more prominent position. In early stretch, Conclude “responded with a little move,” Berrios said.
Berrios described the stretch run as “no problem.”
Conclude was timed in 1:35.09 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. He led Classical Cat by a length with a furlong remaining.
Classical Cat closed from seventh to finish second in his first start since a win in the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita last December.
“He needed the race,” jockey Umberto Rispoli said. “I think I had a perfect trip. It opened up on the inside. I’m happy with his run.”
Ah Jeez, a 26-1 outsider, was third early, dropped back to fifth in the stretch and finished third. Ah Jeez was followed by Mas Rapido, Game Time, Agency, Ze’bul, El Oro, Zalamo, Mr Fisk, Escape Artist, Kid Azteca, and Ever a Rebel.
Conclude, a colt by Collected, has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $179,600 for the partnership of Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stable, and breeder Brereton Jones.
Conclude won the Desert Code Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on May 21 in his previous start. He won a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in his second start in March.
The Oceanside is the first of three stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at the summer meeting, followed by the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 /8 miles on Sept. 3.
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