Del Mar: Reneesgotzip returns faster than ever

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DEL MAR, Calif. – In 2012, Reneesgotzip won three stakes and was second or third in four other stakes, including a third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against males at Santa Anita last November.

She may be on her way to another impressive campaign this year.

In her first start of 2013, Reneesgotzip led throughout an $88,310 allowance race over six furlongs at Del Mar on Thursday, winning by an emphatic 5 1/4 lengths. Reneesgotzip ran six furlongs in 1:09.59 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105.

The victory left trainer Peter Miller planning a start in the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares over 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 18. The Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo could put Reneesgotzip closer to a start in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita in November.

“It looks like she came out of in good shape,” Miller said Friday morning. “She likes this track.”

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Reneesgotzip set fractions of 21.75 and 44.48 seconds, leading by 4 1/2 lengths with a quarter-mile remaining. She led by 7 1/2 lengths in the stretch and was comfortably in front of Executiveprivilege at the finish.

“She was doing it easy and she opened up on them,” Miller said. “Fortunately, there was no one coming.”

The race had depth. Executiveprivilege won two Grade 1 races in 2012 – the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier Stakes – and was second in the BC Juvenile Fillies. The allowance race was her first start since a fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet last December.

[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]

Curvy Cat, who finished third, won the B. Thoughtful Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park in April. Gypsy Robin, who was fourth, won the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland last October.

“This was a stellar field,” Miller said.

Reneesgotzip, a 4-year-old filly by City Zip who races for Debbie Lanni, had a bone chip removed from a knee last winter. She has won 6 of 11 starts and $565,460.

Stewards want to talk to Gomez

Jockey Garrett Gomez cannot ride at Del Mar until he meets with track stewards to explain his absences this week, steward Tom Ward said Thursday.

“We want to see him in person,” Ward said.

Gomez, 41, was taken off his mounts Wednesday after his agent, Tony Matos, told stewards the jockey would not ride. Gomez was removed from his mounts for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday’s programs and was not named to ride Sunday.

As of Thursday afternoon, Gomez had not contacted stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Ward.

“Tony texted Garrett to call us,” Ward said. “Garrett has not contacted us. Tony said he did not know where [Gomez] is.”

Gomez took off his mount June 13 for a self-imposed month-long break to deal with what he described as marital problems. He returned to riding at Hollywood Park on July 11, but was winless in five mounts through the end of that meeting last Sunday.

Gomez and Matos did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday or Thursday.

Expensive fillies make debut

Four fillies who were expensive purchases at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale or 2-year-old in training sales earlier this year make their first starts in a $75,000 maiden race over 5 1/2 furlongs in Sunday’s sixth race.

It would be little surprise if Fascinating, Satirical, Southern Sunshine, or Tacit Approval won Sunday and later started in the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31.

Sunday’s race drew an oversubscribed field of 13 but will be limited to 10 starters.

Tacit Approval, a Tapit filly, drew the rail. Purchased for $320,000 by West Point Thoroughbreds at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training, Tacit Approval is trained by Craig Dollase.

“She’s trained well, and it looks like she gets over this synthetic track in good shape,” Dollase said.

Satirical, a Distorted Humor filly purchased for $420,000 as a yearling and owned by Ramona Bass, has impressed trainer Richard Mandella in recent weeks.

“She can run a little bit,” Mandella said. “We haven’t shown her off. Her works are nice solid works.”

Southern Sunshine, a filly by High Cotton, was bought for $340,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sales in March and races for Richard Pell. Miller expects the filly to show speed.

“She’s been pretty good from the gate,” he said.

Fascinating, a Smart Strike filly, was bought for $1.3 million as a yearling. Owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Bruce Lunsford, Fascinating may need a start, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“It’s a little short for her, but we need to get a race in her,” Baffert said. “She’s not really a sprinter.”