Positivity survives objection to claim Graduation Stakes win
DEL MAR, Calif. – The officiating crew at Del Mar has been kind to trainer Luis Mendez in the Graduation Stakes, a sprint for California-bred 2-year-olds.
Exactly one year after Mendez won the first stakes of his career with Graduation runner-up Big Returns, placed first via disqualification, Mendez won the stakes race again Sunday with Positivity, and once again track stewards were instrumental in the victory.
Positivity ($13.20) rallied from third to collar pacesetter Good With People in deep stretch, but the $100,500 Graduation did not become official for at least five minutes while stewards deliberated whether or not to disqualify Positivity for interference on the backstretch.
Positivity and jockey Drayden Van Dyke drifted inward after the start, intimidating even-money favorite Touchdown Brown, who got shuffled to last and did not pick up his feet thereafter. He finished last of seven, after which jockey Evin Roman lodged a claim of foul against the winner. Stewards already were reviewing the backstretch run.
In a unanimous decision, stewards let the order of finish stand. No change, which was a relief for Mendez and Van Dyke.
“I know how it goes and I’ve been here before in this position,” Mendez said. “I was worried. But last year the judges made a call for us, and this year they were on our side again.”
Van Dyke entered Sunday 5 for 53, with 10 seconds and 7 thirds, and expressed relief.
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“Things haven’t really been going my way, a lot of seconds and third,” Van Dyke acknowledged. “I was aware of that horse behind me [Touchdown Brown] coming away from there, but I gave him enough time to work it out. It might have been a little sloppy on my part, but I didn’t think it was too bad.”
After the favorite Touchdown Brown was eliminated, front-runner Good With People appeared to be gone after setting fast fractions. After an opening quarter 22.07 seconds and a half in 45.47, he opened up by four lengths at the eighth pole. However, speed does not carry this summer at Del Mar, and he got collared to finish second by a half-length.
First-time starter Scooby finished third, followed in order by None Above the Law, Rantanen, Jazz Hands, and Touchdown Brown.
Positivity, a colt by Paynter, is now 2 for 2, having won his career debut May 22 at Santa Anita. He is one of 24 horses Mendez trains. Mendez, 35, also gets on his horses in the morning.
As for favorite Touchdown Brown, an impressive debut winner with an in-the-clear trip, he could not overcome adversity Sunday. His rider, Roman, said Positivity “took my line, my horse, he was scared.”
The final time for the 5 1/2-furlong race was 1:05.49.