Primo Touch finds dirt footing in Turf Paradise Derby

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The question for Primo Touch coming into Saturday’s $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby wasn’t one of talent. After all, the 3-year-old son of Midas Touch was coming off a 12 1/4-length romp in the Startac on turf here Jan. 20.

It was, instead, a question of surface: His three career wins had all come on turf and he had four third-place finishes in his five dirt starts, so he hadn’t flourished on this footing.

Well, that all changed here as Primo Touch ($15.40), owned by Dino Bates and trained by Dan McFarlane, showed he could indeed take his game to the main track and won the top event for 3-year-old males at the Phoenix track.

From his outside slot he broke well under Andrew Ramgeet in the 1 1/6-mile race to be third early as Soul of Discretion and Buggy Brown dueled through a strong opening quarter, took over from those rivals going into the backstretch, set a brisk pace, opened up into the lane and didn’t have a nervous moment thereafter, winning by 3 1/2 lengths.

Fortified Effort, back to his home track after finishing third in Sunland Park’s Riley Allison on Jan. 28, sat midpack early and ran on decently for second, though he was never really a danger to the winner. Bocephus sat well back and ran on for third in the field of 10 and while he remains a maiden this son of Medaglia d’Oro has shown talent as he now has four seconds in five starts, three of those coming in stakes.

Primo Touch ran the distance in 1:44.30. The winner’s share of $29,450 gives him earnings of $77,877 from four wins in 11 starts.

* On paper Gorgeous Ginny dominated the $30,000 Arizona Oaks here Saturday, and that’s the way it worked out on the track as the 3-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy had her way here.

Owned by Randy Howg and trained by Robertino Diodoro, Gorgeous Ginny ($2.10), sat second as Foggia set a strong pace in the mile main-track race for 3-year-old fillies, moved up to engage that rival on the turn while travelling comfortably under Glenn Corbett, took command there and opened through the lane, reporting home a comfortable 5 3/4-length winner.

Foggia stayed on well for second while I’m the Queen ran on for third in the field of 10.

Gorgeous Ginny ran the distance in 1:37.32. The winner’s share of $17,670 gives her earnings of $115,116 from four wins in six starts. Her last three starts, all wins, have come here: a dirt sprint (the Arizona Juvenile Filly), a turf event (Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. Stakes) and this dirt route.