Sadler sweeps weekend Grade 1's, has Jasikan for La Jolla Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – It’s been feast or feast this summer at Del Mar for trainer John Sadler.

He’s won five races, all stakes, including a sweep of the Grade 1 races last weekend, with Cistron in the Bing Crosby and Ollie’s Candy in the Clement Hirsch. Those five stakes wins have propelled Sadler into fourth on the all-time stakes win list here among trainers with 72, behind only Bob Baffert (128), Ron McAnally (77), and the late Charlie Whittingham (74), all of whom are in the Hall of Fame.

Sadler will try to add to that total on Sunday and move within one of Whittingham. He has decided to wheel back Jasikan, winner of the opening-day Oceanside, in the Grade 3, $150,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds following a half-mile turf workout on Sunday in 50.40 seconds.

“Really liked the way he went on the grass so, yes, he’s running,” Sadler said.

Jasikan, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, was assigned 122 pounds, two fewer than Neptune’s Storm. Besides those two, others expected for the 1 1/16-mile grass race are Golden Birthday, Gregorian Chant, King of Speed, Proud Pedro, Stubbins, and possibly Gray Magician, who was supplemented to the race for $1,500.

Espinoza closing in on Stevens

Victor Espinoza teamed with Sadler to win the Bing Crosby with Cistron, which gave Espinoza 98 stakes wins at Del Mar, fourth on the all-time jockeys’ list here and only two back of third-place Gary Stevens.

Many of those wins have been in concert with Sadler, who praised Espinoza for returning after suffering serious neck and spinal injuries in a training accident here last summer.

“Great that he’s back. I think we all know now the injury last year was a lot worse than everybody first knew,” Sadler said. “For him to come back is pretty amazing.

“He’s always been a great ambassador for the sport, like during the Triple Crown with American Pharoah. He puts a good face on racing.”

The six-furlong Bing Crosby was a Win and You’re In towards the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which now becomes the main year-end goal for Cistron. Sadler said Cistron had come out of the race “real good” and would be considered for the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O’Brien going seven furlongs here on Aug. 24.