The Padre rallies in La Jolla to prevail in stakes debut
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DEL MAR, Calif. - A mere three races into his career, The Padre is a two-time winner and a budding star in California’s 3-year-old turf division.
In his stakes debut on Sunday, The Padre, who was favored, rallied from fourth of six to win the $100,500 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, The Padre ($4) closed with a wide move to finish a half-length in front of the two-time stakes winner Freedom’s Not Free, who rallied on the rail through the stretch.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, The Padre was timed in 1:42.76.
The Padre followed Day and Age through a slow pace of 24.66 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.29 for a half-mile. Rispoli had The Padre outside of rivals on the final turn.
“He had the pace against him,” D’Amato said. “He showed a brilliant turn of foot.”
Freedom’s Not Free, the 2-1 second choice, finished a neck in front of 7-1 Artislas, a two-time stakes winner in 2024. Maaz finished fourth, followed by Game Warrior and Day and Age.
Game Warrior won the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on July 18, on the opening day of the current meeting.
The Padre, an Irish-bred colt by the Dubawi stallion Ghaiyyath, races for the partnership of the Little Red Feather syndicate, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.
The Padre won his debut at 33-1 in a maiden race at 1 1/4 miles on the synthetic track at Dundalk, Ireland, on Jan. 29 and was a fast-closing second to Day and Age in an allowance race at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in his first start in the United States on June 13.
D’Amato said The Padre will be pointed to the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 30.
“Umberto jumped off and said there is so much more in the tank,” D’Amato said.
D’Amato won his fourth stakes of the current Del Mar meeting in the La Jolla Handicap, and has 69 career stakes wins at the track. D’Amato ranks seventh on Del Mar’s all-time list behind Bob Baffert, who has 180 stakes wins.
D’Amato is one stakes win from equaling the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel.
“I was fortunate to watch him train at Hollywood Park when I worked for Mike Mitchell,” D’Amato said of Frankel. “I thought he was one of the greatest. Hopefully, I can do a little of what he did.”
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