No Problem looking north for next start

DEL MAR, Calif. – With a victory on a synthetic surface on his résumé courtesy of his win in the Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar on Saturday, No Problem may be heading north to Golden Gate Fields for his next start. That could come in the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes on Dec. 6, according to his trainer, Michael McCarthy.

“That race could fit him well, at a flat mile,” McCarthy said on Sunday. “But we’ll wait and see how he comes out of this race. So far, he looks to have come out of it well.”

No Problem scored a 17-1 upset in the Bob Hope, and his victory knocked out the remaining live tickets in that day’s pick six. It was the second win in three starts for No Problem, who lost his debut against straight maidens, then dipped into a maiden $75,000 claimer and won.

So, he now owns a win on dirt at Santa Anita, and on Polytrack at Del Mar, both in sprints. The Gold Rush is run on Tapeta.

McCarthy was up early Sunday morning to leave Del Mar and head back to Santa Anita with his wife, Erin, and daughter, Stella, who turned 4 Sunday.
“We left at 4, so like any good father I woke her up at 3:30,” McCarthy said.

No Lasix for Power Ped

Power Ped, who runs in the featured seventh race on Thursday, is one of the few horses who does not race with Lasix. His trainer, Neil Drysdale, offered a simple reason why.

“He doesn’t need it,” he said.

Power Ped finished second in the Lure Stakes at Santa Anita last time out on Oct. 26. He had an easy half-mile workout in 49 seconds on the Del Mar turf on Sunday morning.

“I brought him down here to school him more than anything,” said Drysdale, who is stabled at Santa Anita.

◗ Peter Miller won three races on Sunday to lead the trainer standings with six wins. Tyler Baze and Elvis Trujillo are tied atop the jockey standings with six wins each.