Fresu on fire coming into Pacific Classic Day; rides all 11 races
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The clearest indication of jockey Antonio Fresu’s growing popularity in Southern California will be evident at Del Mar on Saturday.
Fresu has mounts in all 11 races on the most lucrative program of the track’s summer meeting. Not bad for a guy who arrived in California a little more than four months ago.
Fresu had his best racing week at Del Mar from Aug. 24-27, winning 10 races. Through Wednesday, Fresu ranked second in the standings at the summer meeting with 23 wins, trailing leader Juan Hernandez who has 28.
“It was a lucky week,” Fresu said on Thursday morning between workouts. “It wouldn’t happen if people didn’t support me. If you have asked me a couple of months ago, I wouldn’t have expected it.”
Fresu has six mounts on Thursday’s program, and seven on Friday.
On Saturday, Fresu has five chances to record his first American graded stakes win. He rides I’m A Gambler in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf; Olivia Twist in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on dirt; Cherubic Factor in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap for turf sprinters; Katonah in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on dirt; and Cathkin Peak in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
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Fresu is winless in 10 mounts in graded stakes since early June, with four second- and third-place finishes.
In an indication of how new Fresu is to the circuit, Saturday will be the first time he rides all of his stakes mounts with the exception of I’m A Gambler. Fresu rode I’m A Gambler to a third-place finish in the Wickerr Stakes on July 23.
Katonah won the $152,000 Pleasanton Mile in Northern California in July and will have his Grade 1 debut in the $1 million Pacific Classic.
“It’s nice to get a ride in the Pacific Classic,” Fresu said. “He’s an improving horse. I know he’s a longshot, but we’ll take our chance.”
As for the summer meeting, Fresu’s chances of being leading rider was severely hampered when he received an eight-day suspension on Thursday for excessive use of the whip in the seventh race last Sunday, his fourth such infraction since May 7.
Fresu is scheduled to miss the final three days of the current Del Mar meeting - Sept. 8-10 - and the first five days of the Los Alamitos meeting - Sept. 15-17 and 22-23.
Fresu had hope to contend for the riding title this summer, even though he stopped short of saying as much on Thursday.
“Let’s say I’m close to a goal,” he said. “That would be amazing, obviously. You’ve got to try. It was amazing what happened last week.
“The goal is always winning, winning the most number of races. If I can get some stakes in, it would be the best. I always like to look forward to winning some quality races.”
Fresu, a 31-year-old native of Italy, previously rode in Dubai where he became acquainted with Southern California-based trainer Doug O’Neill, who has had a small stable at Meydan Racecourse the last two winters.
Fresu moved to California in April and is represented by agent Tom Knust, who is closely allied with O’Neill. Fresu won 14 races from 86 mounts in the final months of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, making an immediate favorable impression.
“People like trainers and owners are supporting me,” he said. “I do my job. They put their trust in me and I try to pay them back.
“Tom is doing a great job as an agent. He put me in the right spots straightaway.
“I’m really happy with the way things are happening. It’s pretty amazing.”
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