Del Mar: Thor's Echo wire to wire

Thor's Echo led throughout Friday's $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar to capture his second stakes of 2005.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Thor's Echo fought for the lead with Wind Water on the backstretch and Scottsbluff on the turn before pulling away to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Scottsbluff.

Thor's Echo ($5.20) ran seven furlongs in 1:22.09. Thor's Echo broke from post 7 and raced on the outside of Scottsbluff in early stretch.

"It was a blessing that he was on the outside," said Leandro Mora, the assistant to trainer Doug O'Neill. "He doesn't like to be down inside."

Scottsbluff held second, finishing two lengths in front of Ninety Fine in the field of nine California-bred 3-year-olds.

O'Neill missed the race because he was at Arlington Park over the weekend preparing Whilly for the Arlington Million.

Thor's Echo has won 3 of 8 starts and $429,810 for Pablo Suarez and Royce Jaime. In April, he won the $500,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park, a performance followed by a fourth in the Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park, a fifth in the Grade 3 Lone Star Derby in Texas, and a third in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.