Extra Hope leads all the way in Native Diver

DEL MAR, Calif. – It took a year, but Extra Hope got even with Midcourt.

Second to Midcourt last year in the Native Diver at Del Mar, Extra Hope reversed the result on Saturday by leading from start to finish in the Grade 3, $98,000 race for older runners.

Five were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Native Diver, but four ran following the scratch of the filly Stellar Sound earlier Saturday.

Extra Hope ($10.40), the third choice, broke sharply from his outside stall and was sent right to the front by jockey Juan Hernandez, who was acting on instructions from trainer Richard Mandella.

“I told him to spin the tires when he left there,” Mandella said.

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While that was going on, Mandella’s other runner, Royal Ship, took a nasty stumble, with jockey Mike Smith somehow hanging on. Royal Ship also inadvertently bumped into Midcourt, who was sent off the 2-5 favorite.

Midcourt recovered quickly from that incident and went up to stalk Extra Hope into and around the first turn. Their positions never changed the rest of the way. Extra Hope clicked off fractions of 23.86 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.79 seconds for the half, and 1:11.45 for six furlongs while maintaining a lead of between a length and 1 1/2 lengths.

Extra Hope put a bit of daylight between himself and Midcourt coming to midstretch, and safely held off Midcourt to prevail by one length in 1:50.11 on the fast main track.

Combatant, who loomed menacingly along the inside coming to the quarter pole, flattened out late and was third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Midcourt.

Royal Ship trailed throughout, though he did get back into contention heading to the three-furlong pole, but his early stumble was too much to overcome.

“If he breaks…,” Smith said, his voice trailing off. “He ran huge.”

Extra Hope was scoring his second straight victory. This was his third start following a nine-month layoff after last year’s Native Diver.

“Nothing serious. He was kind of tired, stiff all over, and needed a rest,” Mandella said.

Extra Hope was a dull fifth of seven in his return Aug. 22 here in a second-level allowance, then won at that level Sept. 26 at Santa Anita in his next start.

“He doesn’t take things real serious. He doesn’t get a lot out of his works,” Mandella said. “The one race did it.”

Extra Hope, 4, is a colt by Shanghai Bobby who has now won four times in 14 starts. Mandella said he likely would make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio at Santa Anita on that track’s opening day, Dec. 26.

The Jay Em Ess Stable of Samantha Siegel bred and owns Extra Hope. Siegel will be going for a sweep of the weekend’s stakes on Sunday when she is represented by Take the One O One in the Cary Grant.