Lieutenant Dan proves best in Real Good Deal

DEL MAR, Calif. – On the turn of Saturday’s $150,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar, Lieutenant Dan was racing alongside Cruel Intention when Drayden Van Dyke aboard Lieutenant Dan noticed jockey Joe Talamo’s motion on Cruel Intention.

“He was scrubbing,” Van Dyke said.

At the moment, Cruel Intention, the 3-5 favorite, appeared to have an advantage. Van Dyke thought otherwise.

“My horse is a long-striding horse,” he said. “He was comfortable the whole way. He hadn’t given me his turn of foot. I was confident he’d give his best.”

Cruel Intention had a slight lead over Lieutenant Dan on the turn and into the stretch, an advantage that disappeared in the final furlong. Lieutenant Dan, racing on the inside, pulled away to win by three lengths over 26-1 Oliver, who caught Cruel Intention in the final strides for second.

Lieutenant Dan ($6.40) ran seven furlongs in 1:23.67. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 89.

Posterize finished fourth, followed by Prodigal Son in the small field of California-bred 3-year-olds.

Lieutenant Dan, a gelding by Grazen, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $304,020 for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi.

Lieutenant Dan has won two stakes. He won his stakes debut in the Echo Eddie Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for statebred 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on April 6 and was third in two turf stakes for 3-year-olds – a head loss in the Silky Sullivan Stakes at a mile at Golden Gate Fields on April 28 and by three-quarters of a length in the Snow Chief Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on June 22.