Get Funky victorious in Del Mar Derby

DEL MAR, Calif. - The absence of blinkers, a new jockey, and an outstanding trip helped Get Funky win his first stakes in Sunday's $400,000 .

Third in a division of the Oceanside Stakes and the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap earlier at this meeting, Get Funky gave a career-best performance in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby. Ridden for the first time by Jose Valdivia, Jr., Get Funky contested the lead throughout while racing off the rail and pulled clear in early stretch to win by 1 1-2 lengths over Obrigado.

Union Avenue, the winner of the Grade 2 American Derby at Arlington Park in July, closed from fifth to finish third in the field of nine 3-year-olds. Porto Santo, the 2-1 favorite, finished fourth.

Get Funky ($15.20) ran 1 1-8 miles on turf in 1:46.39. Owned by Keith Abraham, Get Funky was claimed for $62,500 in April. A gelding, Get Funky has won three of six starts and $318,506.

Valdivia replaced an injured Martin Garcia, who recommended to trainer John Sadler that Get Funky run without blinkers.

*Sip One for Mom ($41) won her first stakes in the $134,000 Solana Beach Handicap, finishing a nose in front of 1-5 favorite Moscow Burning after a strong-long duel.

Ridden by David Cohen, Sip One For Mom ran a mile on turf in 1:34.46. Moscow Burning finished a head in front of Janzig Moon. The stewards conducted an inquiry into an incident of bumping in the stretch but did not change the order of finish.

Trained by Jorge Gutierrez, Sip One for Mom, a winner of 3 of 19 starts and $219,366, gave owner Ben Warren his first stakes win.