Haimish Hy plans turf campaign in fall

Haimish Hy, the upset winner of Friday’s $100,000 El Cajon Stakes on the Polytrack synthetic surface, will spend the autumn racing on turf, trainer Art Sherman said Saturday.

Making his first start since a second in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields last February, Haimish Hy rallied from last in a field of eight to win the one-mile El Cajon by a neck as a 31-1 longest shot in the field.

“I could see him coming and wondered, can he get there?” Sherman said. “I thought he ran well. He hadn’t run in six months.”

Haimish Hy has won 4 of 8 starts and $134,980. He is unbeaten in two starts on turf and is likely to make his next start in the $150,000 Oak Tree Derby at Hollywood Park on Oct. 16.

Haimish Hy beat a field that included the previously unbeaten Goggles McCoy, who was sent off as the 3-2 favorite. Making his first start at a mile and his fifth career start, Goggles McCoy led to early stretch and finished fourth, losing by 2 1/4 lengths.

J P’s Gusto gets final Futurity drill

J P’s Gusto, winner of two stakes for 2-year-olds this summer, worked a half-mile in 46.80 seconds Saturday, his final major exercise before Wednesday’s $250,000 Del Mar Futurity.

J P’s Gusto was timed by trainer David Hofmans in 46.90 seconds, after an opening furlong in 12.40. Hofmans delayed the workout until late Saturday morning because of thick fog earlier in the morning.

“He wanted to do something,” Hofmans said as J P’s Gusto galloped out.

The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs is the feature on Wednesday’s closing-day program. The Los Angeles county fair meeting at Fairplex Park begins Thursday.