Del Mar meet and Jasikan need a quick break from the gate

DEL MAR, Calif. – California racing will welcome a change in scenery and hope for a fast, safe start to the Del Mar summer season Wednesday when the seaside oval opens following a tumultuous first half of the year.

What happened at Santa Anita stays at Santa Anita. At least, that is what trainer John Sadler wants for Jasikan, the favorite Wednesday in the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-old grass milers. The problem for Jasikan? A fast start is only a dream.

“He’s a European horse that hasn’t really learned how to get out of the gate yet,” Sadler said.

Jasikan has broke slowly in both of his U.S. starts, a third in a stakes and impressive win in a first-level allowance at Santa Anita. He faces better company Wednesday at Del Mar, and the start is crucial.

“We’ve been working with him at the gate,” Sadler said. “I think he’ll be better, especially if we can give away less ground at the start.”

So yes, a fast start is important for Jasikan in the race, and for Sadler at the meet.

“This is kind of the opening of the second half of the year. It’s kind of the second phase,” Sadler said. “We’re excited.”

He should be. Sadler’s stable is beyond loaded, and the pressure is on.

“I don’t want to set the bar too high, we won so many stakes last” summer, he said.

His eight stakes wins last summer included five for Hronis Racing, owner of Jasikan. Sadler enters summer as Del Mar’s third-leading trainer with 459 wins. Bob Baffert has 501; the late Mike Mitchell, 476.

Sadler’s upcoming stakes runners include Catalina Cruiser, Kentan Road, Catapult, Higher Power, Campaign, Cistron, and Gift Box.

“We look good,” Sadler said.

The star of the stable is Hronis-owned graded winner Catalina Cruiser, who is 5 for 6.

“He’s such an exciting horse, a charismatic horse, everything looks bright for him,” Sadler said. The large-sized chestnut scored a sharp recent comeback win at Belmont and will be favored Saturday in the Grade 2 San Diego, after which the waters get deeper.

“What’s next for him hopefully is a Grade 1,” Sadler said. “If we go the long route, it will be the Pacific Classic [Del Mar’s biggest race Aug. 17]. If we decided he doesn’t want a mile and a quarter, it would be the Forego, probably.”

The seven-furlong Forego is Aug. 24 at Saratoga.

Catalina Cruiser’s main rival in the San Diego could be the Baffert-trained American Anthem. Baffert calls him a “tweener” regarding distance; he is unproven around two turns. “If he can’t go a mile and a sixteenth, I should turn in my license,” Baffert cracked.

That won’t happen. Del Mar’s all-time leading trainer may not start as many runners as Sadler, but Baffert will be prominent in the meet’s top races. “My whole deal is I need to have a painted statue. If I don’t get a painted statue, it was a bad meet.”

The Del Mar paddock includes three jockey statues painted in the colors of the silks of winners of the top races – Pacific Classic winner in the middle, with Del Mar Futurity and Debutante winners on either side. Baffert has won four Pacific Classics; he has 14 wins in the Futurity, and seven in the Debutante.

Like fans and training colleagues, Baffert looks forward to getting out from under the cloud that hangs over California racing. “I think everybody is looking forward to [Del Mar],” Baffert said. “There’s nothing like a change in scenery. Basically, we’ve been beaten down all spring.”

Twelve entered the $100,000 Oceanside. In addition to Jasikan, the field includes the promising Gregorian Chant, class-drop longshot Manhattan Up, stakes winner King of Speed, stretch-out sprinter Legends of War, and Nolde.

When jockey Flavien Prat opted for Jasikan over Gregorian Chant, trainer Phil D’Amato needed a rider. He did not have to look far.

“I wanted a jock that’s great on the grass, that can breeze [Gregorian Chant] every time and commit to him for all three races,” D’Amato said. “Geovanni Franco has breezed him the last couple times, he knows him really well.”

Franco was the third-leading grass rider last summer at Del Mar. The Oceanside is the first in the three-race series for turf 3-year-olds followed by the Grade 3 La Jolla and Grade 2 Del Mar Derby.

Gregorian Chant finished fourth as the favorite in a stakes last out, D’Amato believes he was compromised by circumstance. “It was a small, paceless field, he made a couple moves into no fractions. That’s not his style. We’re going to cover him up, and come running late.” Blinkers come off.

As for the Del Mar summer meet, D’Amato can’t wait. “All of [us] just kind of want a change of scenery. Especially this year.”