Double Touch ($60.80) survives inquiry to win Wickerr Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. - Double Touch held off a late threat from Bombard to record an upset win in Sunday’s $83,615 Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar, and then survived a lengthy inquiry before the win was confirmed.

Double Touch ($60.80) gave trainer Dan Blacker his first stakes win. Blacker, 36, began training in 2011.

Double Touch drifted out in the stretch under jockey Gary Stevens and made contact with Bombard near the finish. After a seven-minute review, the stewards voted 2-1 that minor contact occurred, but that it did not affect the order of finish.

“When they took that long, I liked my chances,” Stevens said of the inquiry. “It happened right at the wire.”

But Stevens admitted the inquiry left him nervous.

“It could have gone either way,” he said.

Blacker feared he would lose the race in the steward’s room.

“I thought they’d take him down,” he said.

Double Touch benefited from a quick pace of 22.29 seconds for the opening quarter-mile set by Conquest Tsunami, the 5-2 favorite, who was third in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai in March. Conquest Tsunami faded from contention on the turn, leaving the closers in command.

Double Touch was seventh for the first half-mile and rallied on the rail to reach the front in early stretch before drifting out. Double Touch was timed in 1:33.61.

“On his day, he’s that good,” Blacker said. “He’s been unlucky and had a foot issue. He needed everything to go his way.”

Bombard finished a length in front of 10-1 Perfectly Majestic, who was followed by Big Score, Colonist, Isotherm, Cistron, Giant Payday, Tule Fog, Gold Rush Dancer, Forever Juanito, and Conquest Tsunami.

A 4-year-old British-bred gelding by Dutch Art, Double Touch has won 4 of 13 starts and earned $138,902 for the partnership of Radley Equine, Roadrunner Racing, Rick Gold, Scott McDonald, and Ken Smole. Double Touch was imported from England in the winter of 2016-17 and has won three of eight starts in this country.

Double Touch was sixth behind Bombard in the Siren Lure Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on June 17.