Danny California gets everything his way in Miner's Mark Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sometimes, things do go according to plan.

Trainer Orlando Noda was hoping Danny California could set a slow early pace in the Friday’s $80,000 Miner’s Mark Stakes at Belmont Park and have something left to finish with when challenged. That’s exactly what happened as Danny California got away with pedestrian fractions under Manny Franco, then repelled a challenge from You’re to Blame to win the 1 1/2-mile Miner’s Mark by 1 3/4 lengths on opening day of Belmont’s 27-day fall meet.

You’re to Blame, the 8-5 second choice, finished second by 12 1/2 lengths over favored Rocketry, who got third by a head over Counter Offer. Petit Fils, an early pace prompter, finished last of five.

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The win was the third straight and first in a stakes for Danny California, a 5-year-old New York-bred gelding by Afleet Alex. It was the first career stakes victory for Noda, who along with his brother Jonathan is a proprietor of Noda Brothers LLC, which owns Danny California.

Orlando Noda said his brother Jonathan came up from South Florida “for the photo, and sure enough we took the plaque.”

Danny California was making his stakes debut coming off an allowance win against statebreds and then one against open company, both going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga. He hadn’t run 1 1/2 miles before. Orlando Noda said he was hoping to get away with fractions of 50 seconds for the half-mile and 1:15 for three-quarters.

Under jockey Manny Franco, Danny California ran his opening half-mile in 52.40 seconds and six furlongs in 1:17.23 with token pressure first from Petit Fils then You’re to Blame.

“When I saw [1:17.23] I said ‘Oh, we’re good,’” Noda said. “He said the horse just took me around.”

Franco said that when You’re to Blame and jockey John Velazquez came up to him on the backstretch, “my horse started getting into the bridle nice and I just was galloping along, waiting for the moment.”

Franco had to go the whip in midstretch, and Danny California responded while You’re to Blame flattened out.

Danny California covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:33.01 and returned $10.20 as the third choice in the field of five.