No denying Collusion Illusion in Best Pal Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Collusion Illusion reached his best stride about the time he arrived at the finish line in front in Saturday’s Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters.

At the quarter pole, jockey Joe Talamo gave Collusion Illusion a few reminders with his whip. The colt improved from third with a furlong remaining to win the $200,351 Best Pal Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths.

“I was very impressed down the lane,” Talamo said. “I think the further the better. I think three-quarters was a little short.”

The fourth choice in a field of six, Collusion Illusion ($17.40) closed from fifth on the backstretch. He finished six furlongs in 1:11.34 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83.

Talamo had Collusion Illusion behind the leaders to the turn before urging his mount.

“I think he’s still learning,” Talamo said. “I don’t know that we saw his best today.”

Wrecking Crew, who hesitated a few strides away from the gate, closed from last with a wide rally to finish second, a neck in front of 9-10 favorite Fore Left.

Wrecking Crew's recovery left jockey Mike Smith wondering what the ridgling could have accomplished without the incident shortly after the start.

“I would have liked to see what would have happened,” said Smith, who turned 54 on Saturday.

“I don’t know what he saw. He propped and went to the left. It surprised me he ran as good as he did.”

Trainer Peter Miller did offer a prediction of how Wrecking Crew would have performed with a trouble-free trip.

“If he breaks, he wins for fun,” Miller said.

Fore Left, who won the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park in June, was beaten for the first time in the Best Pal Stakes. Thanks Mr. Eidson finished fourth, followed by We’re Still Here and Raging Whiskey.

Schrodinger, the impressive winner of a maiden special weight race at Los Alamitos on June 30, was scratched from the race on Saturday morning with an elevated temperature, trainer Simon Callaghan said. Schrodinger was the 2-1 favorite on the morning-line.

Collusion Illusion, by Twirling Candy, races for Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider, and John Xitco, and was bought for $300,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ sale of 2-year-olds in-training in Florida in April.

Trained by Mark Glatt, Collusion Illusion won his debut in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs here on July 21.

“This race come up a little quick,” Glatt said. “I usually like to give a horse more time after his debut, but he’s such a classy horse and he never missed a bite of grain.”

Glatt said Collusion Illusion could start in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 2, the closing day of the summer meeting. Another other option is waiting for the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.