Red Outlaw stays perfect in Real Good Deal
DEL MAR, Calif. – Add Polytrack to the list of what Red Outlaw can handle. After winning on Cushion Track, Tapeta, and turf, Red Outlaw added his fourth surface, at his fourth different racetrack, while keeping his perfect record intact with a front-running victory in the $201,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds on Friday at Del Mar.
Red Outlaw ($13.20) was able to get away with easy fractions for the first part of the seven-furlong race under jockey Edwin Maldonado. While his 11 rivals were either careening off one another or trying to avoid the mayhem, Red Outlaw had a trouble-free journey and held off 13-1 shot Patriots Rule, who had to loop the field, to win by one length for his fourth victory.
Convoy, the second-longest price at 36-1, finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Whine for Wine. Alert Bay, sent off as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite, finished fifth.
Red Outlaw covered seven furlongs in 1:22.68, essentially breezing five furlongs in 1:00 after getting away with a 22.68-second opening quarter-mile and a beneficial half in 46 seconds.
“Our plan was to go to the front,” said trainer Peter Miller, who leads the standings here this summer and was scoring his second victory of the day. “Speed’s been holding well, and inside speed has been really good.”
Red Outlaw, a gelding by Tribal Rule, won first time out at Hollywood Park in June 2013, then was off until earlier this year, when he won an allowance race at Golden Gate in January and then the Baffle Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in February. He was off since then owing to needing a chip removed from an ankle.
“He’s so game. Four tracks, four different surfaces, and winning today off a layoff,” Miller said. “He’s tough to get by. He’s a tough, tenacious horse. Turf, synthetic, Polytrack, Tapeta – this horse runs. He’s a throwback.”
Red Outlaw is owned by a partnership headed by Blinkers On Racing Stable. He earned $110,000 on Friday to bring his career total to $225,200.
All of Red Outlaw’s races have been in sprints. Miller said he might consider stretching him out around two turns Aug. 29 in the $100,000 El Cajon Stakes at one mile.