McPeek expects more from Frac Daddy in San Diego
DEL MAR, Calif. – Frac Daddy is a length away from an unbeaten record on synthetic tracks.
Frac Daddy was second by that margin as a heavy favorite in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine on July 1, a loss that still frustrates trainer Ken McPeek in advance of Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.
“We knew he was going to be a pretty heavy favorite,” McPeek said. “I might have left the last work short. We were disappointed to be beaten.”
McPeek expects a bolder performance from the 4-year-old Frac Daddy in the Grade 2 San Diego, run over 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack. Frac Daddy can win the third stakes of his career in a prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24.[bc_video_id:331141:]
Frac Daddy is part of a field of 10 in the San Diego, which lost Dance With Fate, the winner of the Blue Grass Stakes in April, who sustained a stifle injury Thursday during training and had to be euthanized.
Earlier this year on synthetic surfaces, Frac Daddy won the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland in April and the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine on June 1. McPeek feels comfortable with Frac Daddy’s training at Del Mar.
“He loves the surface,” he said. “There is a whole lot to like.”
Owned by Magic City Thoroughbred Partners, Frac Daddy has won 5 of 17 starts and earned $674,036. McPeek has focused primarily on synthetic-track races for Frac Daddy this year after an erratic 3-year-old campaign in 2013. Frac Daddy was second in the Arkansas Derby but unplaced in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Frac Daddy (Last 3 Beyers: 89-100-91)
◗ Frac Daddy will be near the front. He stalked the pace in the Eclipse and led in the Dominion Day, a strategy that might have worked against the colt, McPeek said.
“On the lead, he seems to be a little quirky,” McPeek said. “The last race he was on the lead, and sometimes he gets a little distracted. He drew inside, and he didn’t get to relax too much.”
◗ The San Diego will be Frac Daddy’s first start in California.
Imperative (Last 3 Beyers: 99-107-90)
◗ After a career-defining win in the Charles Town Classic in West Virginia in April, Imperative was third to Majestic Harbor in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28. Imperative was beaten eight lengths, a loss trainer George Papaprodromou blamed on himself for not giving the 4-year-old gelding a race in early June.
◗ Papaprodromou considers the San Diego a prep for the Pacific Classic. The San Diego will be Imperative’s stakes debut on Polytrack. He won twice on the Tapeta synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields.
◗ Papaprodromou was encouraged by Imperative’s five-furlong workout in 1:01 on Polytrack on July 21 under jockey Kent Desormeaux. “He worked good, and Kent said he handled it,” he said.
Fed Biz (Last 3 Beyers: 83-100-89)
◗ Trained by Bob Baffert, Fed Biz has not raced since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last November. Front-runners had an advantage that day. Fed Biz was never closer than third on the backstretch.
◗ A 5-year-old, Fed Biz won the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes over seven furlongs here last summer and the minor El Cajon Stakes over a mile here in 2012.
Summer Hit (Last 3 Beyers: 84-93-90)
◗ Likely to be near the front, Summer Hit has excelled on synthetic tracks, winning 8 of 10 starts. He won the minor Brubaker Stakes over a mile here last August and is a five-time stakes winner for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Summer Hit. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 7 for 17 with a $2.68 ROI over the past two years with horses moving from dirt to synthetic in a route following a layoff of between 31 and 44 days. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
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