Rainbow North sitting on another good one
DEL MAR, Calif. – Rainbow North has yet to win a race for trainer Dan Hendricks since he was claimed for $16,000 back in February, but his form has improved demonstrably since being sent two turns on turf. He comes off a pair of runner-up finishes and has a good chance to go one better Thursday in the featured seventh race at Del Mar.
“Claimed for $16,000, and now he gets to run for a $72,000 pot,” Hendricks said, referring to the lucrative purse for the first-level allowance for older California-breds. “We claimed him to run long on the turf, but we didn’t get a chance to do that until his last two starts.”
Rainbow North had to be sent to Golden Gate Fields for a starter allowance May 31. He ran second, then was second going a mile last time out here July 30 in a race nearly identical to Thursday’s, except Rainbow North gets an extra 110 yards to work with.
“He ran super last time,” Hendricks said. “The rails were way out, and he was wide on both turns.”
The rails are scheduled to be set at 24 feet on Thursday, which could compromise Rainbow North’s chances. He has two other potential hurdles: There doesn’t appear to be much pace in the race, and rival Temple Keys looks like a formidable opponent with this drop in class after racing in stakes in his last four starts.
Seven others are entered in the race, including Unusually Green, who, like Rainbow North, comes off a second-place finish in a similar spot earlier in the meet.
KEY CONTENDERS
Rainbow North (Last 3 Beyers: 84-74-68)
◗ The lack of pace could work to his advantage. He has shown an ability to lay close to the front, and if so inclined jockey Joe Talamo could have him far more forwardly placed than he was last time, when he was eighth of nine midway through the race.
◗ Drayden Van Dyke rode him last time, but he defected to class dropper Temple Keys.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Rainbow North. Trainer Dan Hendricks is 28-1-2-5 with a $0.40 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Del Mar. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Temple Keys (Last 3 Beyers: 76-85-74)
◗ After defeating maidens in February, he has run in four straight stakes races, so he’s finally taking advantage of his first-level allowance condition.
◗ He was overmatched last time when facing older horses for the first time in the California Dreamin’ on July 26. He drew the outside post in a field of 10 in that race.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Temple Keys. Trainer Tom Proctor is 71-3-12-11 with a $0.35 ROI over the past five years in turf routes in Southern California with jockey Drayden Van Dyke aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Unusually Green (Last 3 Beyers: 84-84-76)
◗ He was second in his last two starts, both at this level, including at this 1 1/16-mile distance last time out July 16, when he finished furiously after getting fanned quite wide into the lane.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Tiz Futurity. Trainer Michael Pender is 29-7-5-6 with a $3.42 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Del Mar. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan