Mott will run Del Mar Show in Turf Cup

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Del Mar Show, who has won his last four starts, including the Grade 2 Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap, was committed to Saturday's $300,000 Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star Park Wednesday morning after he worked four furlongs in 50 seconds over the training track at Saratoga Race Course.

"We're planning on going," said Bill Mott, who trains Del Mar Show for the Allen Paulson Living Trust. Mott said the colt was scheduled to arrive in Dallas on Thursday night, and that he would be ridden by Robbie Davis.

Del Mar Show is expected to start as the 120-pound highweight in the Dallas Turf Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race that could also draw Kerrygold, to be ridden by David Flores; Vergennes, Frank Lovato, Jr.; Candid Glen, E.J. Perrodin; Gold Nugget, Bobby Walker, Jr.; El Gran Papa, Garret Gomez; Nat's Big Party, Corey Lanerie; Dignitas Dancer, Ted Gondron; and possibly Royal Spy, Anthony Lovato.

Del Mar Show has not lost a race in four starts this year. He returned from a four-month layoff in February to win an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, then took the $100,000 Royal Palm Handicap at Hialeah in March, the Hialeah Turf Cup in April, and the Grade 3 Connaught Cup at Woodbine in his last start, May 26.

Royal Spy, who rolled to a 9 1/2-length win over 3-year-olds on soft turf in the $200,000 Diamond "A" USA Stakes on May 28, will own the highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 108, in the Dallas Turf Cup, if he runs Saturday. "We're going to enter him, see what we have to run against, and then we'll make a decision on whether we go or not," said Cole Norman, who trains Royal Spy, a son of Peteski.

Norman, who has concerns about taking on older horses with Royal Spy, is hopeful the colt, a winner of both of his turf starts, can run back to the career-best Beyer Figure he earned in the USA. "If he's done it once, he ought to be able to do it again," said the trainer.

Werner considers options for Touch Tone

Trainer Ronny Werner said Touch Tone, who finished third in the Grade 2 Riva Ridge last Saturday at Belmont Park, is under consideration for three races: The $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 6; the Grade 2 Dwyer at Belmont Park on July 8; and the Grade 3 Round Table at Arlington Park on July 28.

The Riva Ridge was the first defeat in three career starts for Touch Tone, and the strapping colt knew it, Werner said. "After the race he was in the back of his stall with his head down, and when he finally came to the front of the stall he literally stuck his head behind the hay bag, and just kept it there like a little kid stuck in the corner," the trainer said. "I felt so bad for him."

Touch Tone won his debut at Keeneland, and in his second career start captured the Alysheba Breeders' Cup at Lone Star. He is stabled at Arlington Park with Wild Hits, another Werner trainee who is under consideration for the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park on July 4. Both horses race for Tom Durant, the leading owner at Lone Star.