Del Mar: Nechez Dawn holds off longshot to win Daisycutter turf sprint

DEL MAR, Calif. – Nechez Dawn, making her first start on this circuit and for new connections after a recent sales purchase, sped to the front and never looked back when winning the five-furlong, $97,670 Daisycutter Handicap for female turf sprinters on Friday night at Del Mar.

Despite the addition of blinkers, Nechez Dawn ($16.20) drifted out through the stretch, something she had done in her previous turf sprints, but it did not impede her getting to the finish first. She held off 19-1 Missdealornodeal to win by a half-length, with 25-1 Madeoffwiththemoney just a nose farther back in third.

Edwin Maldonado rode the winner for trainer Jeff Bonde, who also sent out Mega Dream, the 2-1 favorite, who finished fourth. It was Maldonado’s first stakes win at Del Mar.

Nechez Dawn, 3, was timed in 55.99 seconds on the firm turf course and ran her record to 3 for 4, with all the wins coming in five-furlong turf sprints, the first two at Gulfstream and Arlington. Her lone loss was on Polytrack at Keeneland.

Nechez Dawn was purchased out of a paddock sale at Del Mar on July 22 by Dave Mowatt, who races as Ten Broeck Farm. She worked twice for Bonde after that, in blinkers, and they were added for the race Friday.

“She’s got a mind of her own,” Bonde said. “She was very good in the morning. So we tried the blinkers, and in spite of that, she still lugged out.”