Del Mar: Salute the Sarge remains unbeaten

Under Michael Baze, the leading rider at Del Mar, Salute the Sarge got a stalking, outside trip despite breaking from the rail in the Grade 2, $147,000 Best Pal Stakes and wore down pacesetting Georgie Boy to remain unbeaten in three starts.

Salute the Sarge won by one length, with Sky Cape another 2 3/4 lengths back in third. Mix was fourth in a field reduced to just four 2-year-olds by the scratches of Leonides and Slam Slew.

Salute the Sarge ($4.60), the second choice behind the 4-5 Georgie Boy, completed 6 1/2 furlongs on Polytrack in 1:19.43. Trained by Eric Guillot, he won his first two starts at Hollywood Park, including the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, and will go for his fourth win on closing day here Sept. 5 in the Grade 1, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity.

Michael Moreno's Southern Equine Stable LLC purchased Salute the Sarge, a colt by Forest Wildcat, for $300,000 at Barretts in March.