Offlee Naughty's rally gives him San Luis Rey victory
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ARCADIA, Calif. - Offlee Naughty has provided a resemblance of order in the California turf marathon division this spring.
After winning the first stakes of his career in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on April 8 in his 2023 debut, Offlee Naughty followed with a come-from-behind win in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on Saturday.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Offlee Naughty overcame trouble on the turn to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Planetario, who closed with interest through the final furlong. Sent off favored, Offlee Naughty ($5.20) was timed in 2:24.87 in the $101,000 race. Offlee Naughty earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, equaling his career-best.
Rispoli checked Offlee Naughty when racing in traffic, but the 5-year-old recovered quickly even though he brushed the rail.
“He’s the kind of horse that’s one-paced, and you don’t want to stop him,” Rispoli said. “I never gave up. He was the better horse today.”
Offlee Naughty was sixth and then fifth for the first six furlongs, well behind 4-1 Opry, who led by as many as seven lengths through a quick pace of 23.95 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and a half-mile in 47.50.
The field began to close into Opry’s advantage on the turn. Opry led by a length with a furlong remaining, but could not sustain his advantage.
Offlee Naughty was fourth with a quarter-mile remaining, and closed steadily to reach the front in the final furlong.
Planetario (6-1) closed from fifth in the final quarter-mile to finish a neck in front of 8-5 Dicey Mo Chara, the second choice. Opry finished fourth, followed by Rimprotector, Explain This Audit and Midcourt.
A true stayer, Offlee Naughty, a 5-year-old horse by the Tapit stallion Flashback, has won his last three starts, beginning with an allowance race at 1 1/4 miles on the synthetic track at Turfway Park on Dec. 11. Offlee Naughty won that race in track-record time of 2:01.88.
Owned by Jim and Donna Daniell and trained by Michael McCarthy, Offlee Naughty has won 5 of 17 starts and earned $370,645.
McCarthy, and Richard Mandella, who trains Planetario, said their runners would be pointed to the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on June 18, closing day of the current meeting.
Offlee Naughty joins Prince Abama as the only California horse to win two graded stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf or farther in the last year. Prince Abama won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar in November and the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita in February.
Schivel wins comeback
In the race preceding the San Luis Rey Stakes, the two-time Grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel won his first start in 13 months without difficulty against two rivals in an allowance race at six furlongs.
The race was a prep for graded sprint stakes in coming months.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Dr. Schivel led throughout, pulling clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Dr. Schivel was timed in 1:09.19 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105.
C Z Rocket, second in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland last November, finished second after a troubled start. C Z Rocket raced within a half-length over Dr. Schivel on the backstretch, but was unable to keep pace.
The allowance race was C Z Rocket’s first start since an eighth-place finish in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in March.
Clem Labine finished third. None Above the Law, the winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2021, and Escape Route, were scratched from the allowance race earlier on Saturday.
Dr. Schivel, 5, has won 6 of 11 starts and earned $1,119,100. A horse by Violence, Dr. Schivel is owned by Red Baron’s Barn, Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbreds and William Branch and is trained by Mark Glatt.
Glatt won three races on Saturday’s program.
The allowance race was Dr. Schivel’s first start since a third in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai in 2022.
Dr. Schivel won two Grade 1 races earlier in his career – the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs in 2020 and the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in 2021 – and was second in the 2021 BC Sprint at Del Mar.
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