Free: Juvenile season kicks into high gear

Wrapping up summer with a few miscellaneous notes . . .

Stiff competition for Cave Rock

Is Cave Rock a lock in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes next month at Santa Anita? Based on his stakes-record 1:20.99 in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 11, perhaps he is. But two stablemates ran faster last week than Cave Rock (98 Beyer).

Speed Boat Beach (104) and Hejazi (100) finished one-two Sept. 10 in a hot maiden race. Including the debut maiden win by Cave Rock (101), the top four Beyers this year by juvenile colts in North America were set by Bob Baffert trainees at Del Mar. As for $3.5 million maiden Hejazi, he is crying for two turns. Yes, maiden 2-year-olds win autumn Grade 1 races in California. Jaycito in 2010, Power Broker in 2012, and Bond Holder in 2013 all won the American Pharoah as maidens.

Baffert ain’t done yet

The Baffert 2-year-old juggernaut is deeper than those listed above. Unraced high-profile colts to look for in the months ahead include Fort Warren (by Curlin), Gandolfini (Justify), Filmore (Twirling Candy), Idealist (Empire Maker), Nielson (Curlin), Rapacious (Into Mischief), and Truehood (Nyquist).

Second time does the trick

First impressions sometimes are the wrong impression. For example, 2-year-old Packs a Wahlop. He raced greenly over a wet track and finished fourth as the favorite at Gulfstream Park in his debut, and did not impress in his first Del Mar work, which came on dirt. But his next work, also on dirt, jockey Mike Smith remembers well.

“He went (59.60 seconds) out of the gate like nothing, and I said, ‘Oh, here we are,’ ” Smith said.

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Packs a Wahlop won a maiden turf sprint a week later, and on Sept. 11 he dominated the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Jeff Mullins trains Packs a Wahlop, who enters fall as an under-the-radar 2-year-old who may or may not be strictly a turf horse.

“He’s got gears,” Smith said.

And this sounds corny, but oh well: Packs a Wahlop does indeed pack a wallop.

The McCarthy angle

Del Mar debut winner Malibu Coast has a tough act to follow. You see, trainer Michael McCarthy never wins with two-turn first-time starters: He was 1 for his last 47 before 2-year-old Malibu Coast won a Del Mar maiden route Sunday. The angle: When McCarthy firsters run well in routes, pay close heed. Two of his last three debut runners who finished one-two in routes later won Grade 1 races – 2020 debut route winner Rombauer won the Preakness, 2021 debut route runner-up Queen Goddess won the American Oaks. It’s worth remembering – when a McCarthy firster runs well around two turns, like the colt Malibu Coast did, there may be more in the tank. Stay tuned.

Kruljac saves best for last

Closing week at Del Mar was “get-out” week for trainer Eric Kruljac, who was 0 for 18 until his Saturday winners Santos to Wilson and Tizhotndusty produced a $2 double that paid $296.40.

“It kind of saved my meeting,” Kruljac said. “I couldn’t get horses in; a lot of things just went wrong.”

The tide usually turns for top horsemen, and now the circuit moves to Los Alamitos where Kruljac runs The Chosen Vron on Saturday in the $75,000 E. B. Johnston Stakes. A 5-for-9 graded winner, The Chosen Vron drops from a midpack finish in a Grade 2 sprint.

Kruljac said The Chosen Vron “seems to be really flourishing.” So is a family friend who was a Del Mar guest closing weekend. His $10 double on the Kruljac winners returned $1,482.

Add Llorona to the list

The maiden filly Ice Dancing, making just her second start, finished third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for Richard Mandella, but the debut of the trainer’s well-regarded 2-year-old filly Llorona has been postponed. She shin-bucked in a three-furlong breeze just days before her scheduled Aug. 25 debut.

The setback to Llorona, sired by Mendelssohn and sibling to 2021 champion Corniche, is temporary. That makes three Mandella-trained maiden fillies to follow – Llorona, unraced Teena Ella (War Front-Beholder), and Ice Dancing.

Playing the ‘what if?’ game

True, 2-year-old Giver Not a Taker earned the second-highest Beyer (81) in the last 15 years of the I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar last Friday. But would Giver Not a Taker have defeated program favorite Kangaroo Court if that gelding did not scratch? Kangaroo Court had earned an 81 in his maiden win.

Based on the hot pace and Giver Not a Taker’s versatility, chances are he would have defeated Kangaroo Court and paid more than his $4.60 mutuel. Kangaroo Court scratched because he reportedly was not 100 percent.

Big opportunity for Vazquez

Welcome additions to the Southern California jockey colony this summer at Del Mar include Ramon Vazquez (24 wins) and Hector Berrios (18), respectively third and fifth in the standings. Honorable mentions to Edwin Maldonado, 9 for 19 with favorites, and Umberto Rispoli, leading rider on turf with 23 wins.

The overall circuit leader remains Juan Hernandez, who won with 40 percent of favorites (29 for 72), and had more wins than seconds (36), and more second than thirds (26). Neither Hernandez nor Rispoli are expected to ride regularly during the two-week Los Alamitos meet, which begins Friday, therefore the prediction is Vazquez will lead the meet in a runaway.

Tough act to follow

Based on handle and field size, the summer meet, which ended Sunday, ranks among the most successful in Del Mar history. Number of starters is a telling metric, and average field size was a whopping 9.14 per race. It was the first time since 1995 that Del Mar averaged more than nine runners per race. Favorites this summer won at a rate of 36 percent.

Meanwhile, field size is an ongoing challenge at Los Alamitos. Field size during the September meet has declined each successive season, and last fall’s 6.38 average was a record low. While field size declined, win rate of favorites went the other way, to an all-time September high last year of 42 percent.

Jace’s Road fits the profile

Seems weird that since the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs moved from October to September in 2013 no Iroquois winner won another graded race. Not This Time got close, finishing second in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The Iroquois on Saturday at Churchill Downs is the first points race for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and while Damon’s Mound and Echo Again would be tough, Jace’s Road commands respect based on his auspicious debut. Brad Cox trains the Quality Road colt, a ridden-out winner by more than six lengths on Aug. 6 at Ellis Park. Lack of seasoning is not an issue in the Iroquois. Last-out maiden winners have won five of the last six runnings.

Infinite Patience unstoppable

With little fanfare, Canada’s first four-time stakes winner of 2022 extended her overall win streak to nine races on Saturday at Hastings. Infinite Patience won the $50,000 Delta Colleen Stakes while geared down by jockey Antonio Reyes for trainer Barbara Heads.

“She’s easily the best horse I’ve had,” Heads said from her Vancouver, British Columbia, stable. “She’s really smart, always knows what’s going on, and she’s so athletic. She trains hard every day. Every day she wants it to be a race.”

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Infinite Patience will seek her 10th straight win Oct. 8 in the $100,000 Ballerina Stakes at Hastings. The 5-year-old mare has won 14 races and $418,974 from 19 starts, all for owner-breeder William Decoursey and R.N.H. Stable.

Looking beyond the cash

It was fun to capitalize on international handicapping expertise to cash on Luxembourg ($10.10) in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes last Saturday, as Aiden O’Brien and Ryan Moore teamed with the Grade 1 winner in his second start following a layoff. But one of the most appealing aspects of online wagering on the Irish Champion was viewing the backdrop scenery at Leopardstown, the Ireland track located south of Dublin. Rolling hills, open spaces, gorgeous setting for a racetrack. Bucket-list consideration, for sure.

Until next time

Public service announcement: This is the season finale for the Friday notes column in Daily Racing Form, which is now on hiatus until further notice.