Say the Word, Acclimate give D'Amato one-two finish in Hollywood Turf Cup

DEL MAR, Calif. – Phil D’Amato’s run to the top of the leaderboard among trainers at the Del Mar fall meeting was enhanced further on Friday when stretch-running Say the Word and pacesetting Acclimate provided the perfect complement to one another with a one-two finish in the Grade 2, $251,000 Hollywood Turf Cup.

Say the Word, last of seven for the first mile of the 1 1/2-mile race, displayed his terrific turn of foot through the lane to run down Acclimate and win by one length. Acclimate held second by a neck over Friar’s Road, with Award Winner a neck farther back in fourth.

Rockemperor, the 4-5 favorite, was another nose away in fifth. He loomed menacingly in upper stretch but flattened out. Cupid’s Claws and Astronaut completed the field.

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Say the Word ($13), the third choice, covered 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:27.62. The win was only his second in seven starts this year.

“He’s been riddled with traffic problems this past year,” said D’Amato, who employed Kent Desormeaux on Say the Word for the first time.

“You could tell Kent was ready to turn him loose,” D’Amato said. “He’s got a big stride, a nice turn of foot.”

Desormeaux said he rode Say the Word “European-style.”

“Shove him up somebody’s tail,” he said, saying he chose Friar’s Road as his target.

Say the Word had finished third in last year’s Turf Cup, and earlier this year won the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland. He was a good second in the Shoemaker Mile to the high-class grass miler Smooth Like Strait, but subsequently was last of seven in the Eddie Read going 1 1/8 miles here during the summer meet, before finishing in a dead-heat for fifth in the 11-furlong Del Mar Handicap in August.

That was his last start until Friday.

“We decided to freshen him up with this race in mind,” D’Amato said.

Acclimate was loose on the lead, put away bids from Award Winner and Rockemperor, and just failed to hold off his stablemate.

“So bittersweet. I love that horse so much,” D’Amato said.

Say the Word, 6, is a gelding by More Than Ready out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Danceforthecause. He was bred by Sam-Son Farm, and is still co-owned by Sam-Son along with Agave Racing Stable.

The win was the seventh in 33 lifetime starts for Say the Word, who earned $150,000 on Friday to bring his career bankroll to $822,792.