Halljoy is at her best with more distance
DEL MAR, Calif. – Halljoy won the very first race she ran in this country right here on the Del Mar turf, going a flat mile last summer, but that was practically a sprint for her. Though winless in three starts since, she has performed admirably against better stock at longer distances, and that’s one reason why she’s going to travel 1 3/8 miles in the featured seventh race Thursday.
Halljoy finished third most recently in the 1 1/2-mile Possibly Perfect at Santa Anita, a race from which runner-up Gas Total emerged to win the Osunitas Stakes on Saturday. Halljoy now dips into an optional claimer, using her first-level allowance condition in this $72,000 race. This will be her third straight start at 1 1/4 miles or farther.
“I think the farther the better for her,” trainer Gary Mandella said Tuesday. “I wouldn’t want to run her in a mile race like last summer. It’s hard to find races like this on the West Coast. She might have to ship eventually. At least down here we can count on these types of races.”
The race drew nine older fillies and mares, including Tangelo, like Halljoy a winner over this course last year. There is an eight-race card Thursday, with first post at 2:05 p.m. Pacific.
KEY CONTENDERS
Halljoy (Last 3 Beyers: 84-80-74)
◗ She retains Rafael Bejarano, who has ridden her in three of her four starts in this country, including her victory against maidens last summer.
◗ She was purchased privately last year in Britain after racing six times. Mandella said the expectation when buying Halljoy was that she wanted longer distances than what she had competed in overseas.
“We knew when we were buying a daughter of Halling she wasn’t going to be a down-the-hill specialist,” Mandella said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Halljoy. Trainer Gary Mandella is 18-6-2-7 with a $2.51 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with Rafael Bejarano aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Tangelo (Last 3 Beyers: 84-82-79)
◗ Other than Halljoy, she is the only other runner in this race with a win over the course.
◗ She beat an allowance field restricted to California-breds last time, thus giving her the right to run in this open first-condition race.
◗ In her only stakes start, the Grade 3 Santa Barbara, she faded after pressing the early pace, but that was against far superior stock than she’s up against Thursday.
Circling (Beyers: 64-78)
◗ She has been freshened since a pair of troubled runs at shorter distances at Santa Anita in March, her lone starts in this country. Mike Smith, who rode her in those races, is back aboard.
◗ The distance should suit her, for she was not beaten all that badly in a pair of Group 3 stakes in her native Ireland going 1 1/2 miles last year.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Circling. Trainer Neil Drysdale is 33-7-5-6 with a $4.07 ROI over the past two years in turf routes of 10 furlongs and longer on the Southern California circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Soresca (Last 3 Beyers: 74-72-72)
◗ One of four horses in the race in for the $40,000 claiming tag, she’s intriguing in that trainer Jim Cassidy claimed her right back immediately after losing her. Cassidy and jockey Santiago Gonzalez teamed to win a pair of races Sunday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Kadesha. Trainer Bob Hess Jr. is 37-2-6-6 with a $0.46 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with last-out winners; 17-0-4-2 on the Southern California circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan