Papacoolpapacool is recharged for Oceanside Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. – Guaranteed winners are like unicorns – there is no such thing. But when Del Mar opens its eight-week summer meet on Thursday, the richest race will include a horse that some might consider a “cannot lose” proposition.
Papacoolpapacool is expected to be strongly favored in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes, a mile turf race for 3-year-olds which is the traditional opening-day feature. Phil D’Amato trains Papacoolpapacool, whose main rival is sharp recent stakes winner Soul Driver.
After winning two stakes at Santa Anita, Papacoolpapacool shipped to Penn National for the Grade 3, $500,000 Penn Mile. D’Amato instructed jockey Elvis Trujillo to use the gelding’s speed and establish a forward position.
“The instructions I gave weren’t followed,” D’Amato said. “I told him, whatever you do, put the horse in position in that first turn – use him. He’s ready. He put him in position and then he saw everyone else doing the same thing, and he took him back to last.”
Papacoolpapacool rallied wide and finished with a rush. It was too late, and he crossed the line in seventh place. He finished only 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, Force the Pass, who returned to win the Grade 1 Belmont Derby.
It was frustrating for D’Amato.
“If I had better position anywhere in that race, I think I’m right there,” he said. “It was a very solid field.”
D’Amato brought Papacoolpapacool home. “I just kind of recharged his batteries, pointing for the Oceanside and then the Del Mar Derby,” he said.
The Del Mar turf series for 3-year-olds includes the Grade 3 La Jolla on Aug. 9 and Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6.
On Thursday at Del Mar, Papacoolpapacool is reunited with Gary Stevens.
“Gary rode him spectacularly the only time he rode him,” D’Amato said, referring to a romping stakes win in April.
Papacoolpapacool and Soul Driver, the only other California stakes winner in the field, are likely to dominate the betting. It’s a race without an obvious third choice. Others in the 12-horse field include dirt-to-turf Tried and True, Turf Paradise stakes winner Ride Hard Kowboy, European import Thanksgiving Day, and stakes-placed Anytime Anyplace.
KEY CONTENDERS
Papacoolpapacool (Last 3 Beyers: 85-87-87)
◗ Since being transferred to D’Amato, Papacoolpapacool has won 3 of 4 starts. He is 4 for 9 overall.
◗ Papacoolpapacool is from the first crop of the Dynaformer stallion Temple City, whose top runners are turf specialists, including Grade 2 winner Startup Nation and stakes winner Bolo.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 10 Papacoolpapacool. Trainer Phil D’Amato is 76-24-8-10 with a $3.70 ROI over the past year in turf routes on the Southern California circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Soul Driver (Last 3 Beyers: 94-81-78)
◗ After a series of compromised trips, Soul Driver put it all together last out. He won a Santa Anita stakes by 4 1/2 lengths while earning the highest Beyer Speed Figure (94) of any in the Oceanside field.
◗ Stevens rode Soul Driver last out; Mike Smith picks up the mount Thursday. Stevens was the regular rider last summer on Enterprising. When Stevens was sidelined, Smith picked up the mount on Enterprising and won the Oceanside.
◗ Soul Driver is trained by Jeff Mullins, who was the original trainer of Papacoolpapacool. Soul Driver, a colt by Street Boss, has won 2 of 8 starts.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 11 Soul Driver. Trainer Jeff Mullins is 45-12-7-2 with a $2.52 ROI over the past four years in turf routes on the Southern California circuit with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Thanksgiving Day. Trainer Neil Drysdale is 19-4-3-5 with a $2.93 ROI over the past five years in turf races on the Southern California circuit with foreign shippers in the first start following a trainer switch. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan