Oregon beginning to blaze his own trail on turf

DEL MAR, Calif. – Oregon, once best known as the workmate for his younger stablemate Gormley when Gormley was preparing for the spring classics, is starting to blaze his own trail.

Oregon has won two straight races on turf, one at Santa Anita, one here at Del Mar, and will go for three Saturday in race 7, an optional claimer at one mile on grass.

“We’re very excited about him,” his trainer, John Shirreffs, said at his barn Thursday morning. Shirreffs said he has his “fingers crossed” that Oregon is developing into a stakes horse.

Oregon, 4, is a son of Mizzen Mast who took five starts to finally beat maidens. Shirreffs said his development was delayed because he was used as a workmate this spring. It was a necessary move, though, as Oregon is a terrific work horse. And it was politically palatable, as both Oregon and Gormley are owned by Jerry and Ann Moss.

“That threw him off his game, but it’s hard to find a work horse that can match strides with a precocious 3-year-old. He fit the bill,” Shirreffs said.

Both of Oregon’s wins have been earned since Gary Stevens took over as his rider, and he’s back aboard Saturday.

◗ Paradise Woods, the Santa Anita Oaks winner, had her final tune-up for the Grade 3 Torrey Pines on Sunday when she worked three furlongs in 37.40 seconds Thursday morning for trainer Richard Mandella.

◗ International traveler Mubtaahij, now with Bob Baffert, worked five furlongs in 59.80 on Thursday morning as he readies for his first start since finishing fourth in the Dubai World Cup in March. Mubtaahij is best known for winning the United Arab Emirates Derby in 2015.

◗ Jockey Flavien Prat has been suspended for three days, beginning Sunday, for his ride aboard Vyjack in the Del Mar Mile last Sunday. Vyjack bulled his way out from a tight spot in midstretch by colliding with Om and went on to finish second. Om was third. There was no disqualification, as the stewards opined that the incident did not alter the original order of finish.