Lone Rock bides his time, then overpowers Tizamagician in Thoroughbred Aftercard Alliance
DEL MAR, Calif. - The simple strategy of stalking the pace for 1 1/4 miles worked ideally for Lone Rock in Saturday’s Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Del Mar.
Lone Rock ($5) followed pacesetter Tizamagician to early stretch before taking the lead en route to a 1 1/2-length win in the $250,000 race at 1 5/8 miles.
The winning time of 2:42.61 essentially set a modern track record, improving on the previous mark of 2:45 set by Omolu in 1957. Del Mar has not run a race at the distance in at least 30 years.
Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Lone Rock tracked Tizamagician through the extended distance. Vazquez, Lone Rock’s rider in six starts since mid-April, said there was no urgency to challenge for the lead.
“I’m very confident in my horse,” Vazquez said. “I wanted to take a better spot. I was waiting until the end.”
Tizamagician, the 6-5 favorite, held second, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of 5-1 Cupid’s Claws. Hapi Hapi and Locally Owned completed the order of finish.
Tizamagician, trained by Richard Mandella, finished second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic here in August, the track’s leading annual race.
“The other horse was better,” Mandella said of Lone Rock. “He ran great.”
Lone Rock, a 6-year-old gelding by Majestic Warrior, has won 6 of 8 starts this year, including four stakes at distances of 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/4 miles. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes was Lone Rock’s first start since a second in the American Jockey Club Stakes at 1 5/8 miles at Belmont Park on Sept. 18.
Trainer Robertino Diodoro said earlier this week that Lone Rock was briefly out of training prior to that race because of a “foot issue.”
Owned by Flying P Stable and R.A. Hill Stable, Lone Rock has won 13 of 36 starts and earned $1,024,921. The $150,000 winner’s share of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes pushed him past the seven-figure mark in earnings.
Lone Rock was claimed for $40,000 at Churchill Downs last November. He has since earned $722,884.