Instagrand very impressive in Best Pal Stakes win

DEL MAR, Calif. – Instagrand is proving to be a 2-year-old far more mature than the calendar shows.

He was forced to stand in the gate for an excessive amount of time before the start of the Best Pal Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar owing to recalcitrant rivals, yet broke like a shot from his inside slot when the gate finally opened. And once under way, he made the lead but didn’t run off uncontrollably, and that resulted in an explosive turn of foot through the lane that carried him to a lopsided victory.

It all added up to a 10 1/4-length romp in the Grade 2, $200,000 Best Pal, this track’s major prep for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day, Sept. 3. He’s now 2 for 2, following a similar victory, that one by a mere 10 lengths, when making his debut at Los Alamitos on June 28.

“I think this was an improvement,” said Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Instagrand for Larry Best’s OXO Equine. “He did it so much easier.”

Instagrand was the first of the five runners to load, but when Synthesis repeatedly balked and then Sparky Ville hesitated, too, Instagrand ended up in the gate quite a while.

“I was a little concerned because the others were acting up, but he broke good,” Hollendorfer said.

Instagrand, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, made the top, with Owning just to his outside. He went the opening quarter in 23 seconds, brushed off Owning after a half in 46.54, and completed six furlongs on the fast main track in 1:10.27, meaning he finished off the final quarter-mile in 23.73 seconds.

“Drayden got the colt to relax, and he did his thing,” Hollendorfer said.

Sparky Ville ran on for second, 3 1/4 lengths in front of Synthesis. Owning faded to fourth, and Mason Dixon trailed throughout.

Instagrand was heavily favored off his runaway debut win. He paid $2.20 to win and caused minus pools to both place ($572.18) and show ($76,911.70). Of the $478,544 bet to show on the race, $424,353 was on him.

Best purchased Instagrand, a son of Into Mischief, for $1.2 million at Gulfstream Park in March at the Fasig-Tipton sale. Best is loaded with quality 2-year-olds, all with Hollendorfer, including the colt Rowayton – also a candidate for the Del Mar Futurity – and the filly Brill, who is headed to the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1.