Free's review: Talamo scores two Grade 1 wins

The main track was faster than normal Saturday at Santa Anita, where Joe Talamo rode Iotapa and Obviously to impressive Grade 1 victories. A quick recap is below.

No tag, no action, no problem

Lil Bit O’Fun won the first allowance condition way back Nov. 7, 2010. But here he was in race 5, returning in a first-level optional claimer while ineligible to be claimed thanks to CHRB rule 1634. The rule allows owners to run a horse in a claiming race without being risked for the tag if the horse has been off six months.

Lil Bit O’Fun had not raced since winning a $40,000 claiming race in October on the same downhill course. For some reason Saturday, he was ignored by bettors. Lil Bit O’Fun was 9-2 in the program, started at almost double that price, and rolled to a convincing 2 1/4-length win at an overlaid $19.20.

When a top trainer such as Phil D’Amato utilizes the no-claim waiver, it generally is a signal of optimism. Lil Bit O’Fun set the tone for a memorable afternoon for D’Amato. It got better two races later.

Shoemaker Mile

Obviously, trained by D’Amato, is one fast gelding. Gee, no kidding. Favored over a good field in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, Obviously and Talamo ran them off their feet. He smoked the opening half in 44.50 seconds and six furlongs in 1:08.03 before he opened up by five at the eighth pole.

“He was going fast, but he was doing it fairly easily,” Talamo said. “With him, you didn’t have a choice though. His thing is going to the front. … You give him his head and let him do it.”

Obviously won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:32.66, earned a 107 Beyer, and became the first back-to-back winner of the Shoemaker Mile since Silic in 1999-2000. Obviously is scheduled for one start this summer Aug. 24 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and two starts in autumn at Santa Anita ending with the Breeders’ Cup Mile. They’ll have to catch him to beat him.

While the pace of the mile turf race was fast, it was not unprecedented. Peace and Justice won a N3X allowance Feb. 14, setting similar fractions. He went 44.55 and 1:08.05 and won in 1:32.36.

Winning Prize was burned up chasing the hot pace in the Shoemaker Mile. East Coast shipper Jack Milton completely misfired. The 2014 Shoemaker Mile was a one-horse race.

Vanity speed

“When you draw the one [post position] and you’ve got a speed horse going long, you aren’t going to waste the post,” Iotapa’s trainer John Sadler said. “We wanted to go out in front.”

There you have it – the Grade 1 Vanity was won at the draw. Iotapa drew the inside post in the 1 1/8-mile race, leaving Sadler and jockey Talamo only one option.

Talamo put Iotapa on the lead, and the rest was history. Pressured by Grace Hall, she opened through the lane and won by 10 3/4 lengths in 1:47.64. Iotapa earned a 109 Beyer, highest of the year by a filly or mare in the United States.

It was the second route this week in which the winner crushed by an inordinate margin. Image of Joplin won a claiming race Friday by more than 17 lengths. Iotapa is a top filly, but circumstances Saturday were made to order.

While the main track was not blatantly biased, there was no doubt forwardly placed horses held the advantage. When Iotapa runs next, presumably Aug. 2 in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, you’d have to expect she will come back down to Earth.

On the other hand, in a division without Beholder, how good will Iotapa have to be?

Also-rans in the Vanity included favorite Let Faith Arise, who was unable to establish early position and finished fourth. She deserves another chance. The Vanity was a toss.

Horses to watch

HALL OF FAME
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Last race: June 14, 4th
Finish: 2nd by 1
Beyer: 81

An improved effort second out stamps this Tapit colt as a likely special weight maiden winner next out. He pressed three wide, put away his pace rivals, and finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of third. Looks like a short price next time.

SHYSHEISNOT
Trainer: John Sadler
Last race: June 14, 9th
Finish: 3rd by 1 1/4
Beyer: 72

Making her first start in nearly six months, this California-bred maiden filly ran well in a deliberate prep. She had no speed, trailed the field, swung wide into the lane of the downhill sprint, and finished with run. Set to graduate next time out.