Iotapa strong in stretch of Clement Hirsch

DEL MAR, Calif. - Joe Talamo hardly seemed to move a muscle aboard Iotapa on the backstretch of Saturday’s $300,250 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar. Talamo could not have been more active on Iotapa in the stretch to secure victory in the meeting’s top race for older fillies and mares.

Winning her second consecutive Grade 1, Iotapa held off a stubborn threat from pacesetter Broken Sword to win the Hirsch by a half-length. Owned by Hronis Racing, Iotapa ($4) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.04 in an effort that left Talamo impressed.

“She was very, very game,” Talamo said. “She showed a lot of heart.”

The win gives Iotapa a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita this fall through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

Iotapa has used different styles to win her last two races. She won the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita on June 14 by leading throughout and drawing off by 10 1/4 lengths. In the Clement Hirsch, Iotapa stalked Broken Sword, who set early fractions of 22.80 and 46.61 seconds.

Broken Sword, making her first start since January, led by 2 1/2 lengths on the backstretch. The margin was reduced to less than a length in early stretch when Iotapa moved into contention on the outside. Talamo said he had no interest in letting Iotapa and Broken Sword duel through the stretch, and moved Iotapa wide away from her rival.

“I let her drift out in the stretch because I thought that filly would fight back,” he said. Broken Sword “put up a fight.”

Iotapa took the lead in the final furlong. Broken Sword finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Parranda, who was followed by Fiftyshadesofhay, More Chocolate, and Doinghardtimeagain. Legacy, a stakes winner at Los Alamitos last month, was scratched on Saturday morning.

Broken Sword and Parranda are trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who was impressed with the runner-up’s effort in her first race since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes in January. Broken Sword won the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Hollywood Park last December.

“We were beaten, but not far,” Hollendorfer said. “I thought my filly ran a good race after a long layoff.”

Iotapa, by Afleet Alex, is a 4-year-old trained by John Sadler. Iotapa was claimed for $50,000 in her debut against maidens at Hollywood Park in June 2012. She is the second consecutive Grade 1 winner at Del Mar this summer who was claimed at the start of her career. Big Macher, who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 27, was claimed for $20,000 here last summer.

Iotapa has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $796,796.