Shadow Nation good to go in Del Mar Juvenile Turf despite missing works

DEL MAR, Calif. – A midsummer hiccup is not likely to prevent the 2-year-old colt Shadow Nation from picking up where he left off Saturday at Del Mar.

Three months after a flashy debut in a turf sprint at Santa Anita, Shadow Nation stretches to a mile in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf. The race always was Shadow Nation’s target, though his preparation hit a bump in the road after arriving at Del Mar in July.

“This was always the plan, to wait and go here,” Mike Puype said. “We got here, everything’s good, and he ended up getting cast in his stall. You’ll see a little gap in his works. I missed two works.”

Despite leg cuts from the stall incident, Shadow Nation was able to train. But for three weeks, he could not work. Fortunately, he already had five works after his debut. Shadow Nation did not lose significant fitness, and needed only three works to catch up.

“I missed two works, but I’ve come back and worked a half, worked five, worked five again [Aug. 29],” Puype said. “So, he’s fine. He’s back caught up to where he needs to be.”

The field for the Del Mar Juvenile Turf includes Hoaxer, a maiden wheeling back nine days after a promising third-place debut; Midwest shipper/debut turf route winner Observed; and local debut turf-sprint winners Golden Sentry and Off in the Corner.

Shadow Nation crushed his May 31 debut by more than six lengths, after which options were to ship or wait for the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Puype chose to wait three months with a colt he holds in high regard.

“He gallops and trains like an older horse. He’s a very good horse,” Puype stated. Joel Rosario works and rides Shadow Nation, an Irish-bred by Sioux Nation with stamina in his female family. Distance is not an issue; Puype believes two turns is perfect.

Hoaxer wheels back nine days after a promising third-place debut. He will try to become the third maiden to win the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, following King of Speed (2018) and Daddy D T (2014).

Bob Baffert trains Hoaxer, who went last to third in his turf sprint debut. He galloped out super past the wire. “I thought he’d win, but he didn’t get away at all,” Baffert noted. “I was really impressed. I’m going to run him right back.”

Baffert will consider removing blinkers, though no change was indicated on the overnight. Ricky Gonzalez rides Hoaxer, whose debut jockey, Juan Hernandez, will ride Observed.

Observed won his debut in a turf route at Horseshoe Indianapolis, shipped last week to Del Mar, and worked a half-mile on turf Aug. 30. Observed worked well, second best behind older stakes-winning filly Whiskey Decision.

Jonathan Thomas trains Observed, professional debut winner over a rival who won his next start by more than six lengths. The Del Mar Juvenile Turf should unfold at a quicker pace. “It’s going to be different, there are a lot of horses coming out of sprints,” Thomas said. “There’s going to be a lot of pace.”

Five of the 10 entrants are stretching out.

Observed “is going to get out-footed for probably the first three-quarters, and hopefully he’s got a turn of foot,” Thomas said. “It looks like it’s going to be a completely different scenario”

Off in the Corner’s trainer Peter Miller is confident his colt, a debut turf sprint winner, will run long. “He acts like he’ll handle it; his pedigree says he will,” Miller said. “We worked him three-quarters on the grass. He finished strong and galloped out big.” Hector Berrios rides Off in the Corner, as debut rider Rosario stays with Shadow Nation.

Golden Sentry defeated California-bred maidens first out for trainer Carla Gaines, who believes he wants two turns. Kazushi Kimura rides Golden Sentry. Others entered are Cosmic Charlie, Itinerary, Dang Son, Automatic Press, and Missed Fortune.

The Del Mar Juvenile Turf is race 7 Saturday. Favorites have won four of the 14 editions.