Stidham jumps into turf festival with Synchrony, Elsa

DEL MAR, Calif. – Firm turf and graded stakes are a good exacta for trainer Michael Stidham, who will send west the older horse Synchrony and the 2-year-old filly Elsa for Saturday races at Del Mar as the fall turf festival starts to kick into high gear.

The turf festival begins Thursday with the Red Carpet and continues Friday with the Hollywood Turf Cup. It also includes the Seabiscuit and the Jimmy Durante on Saturday, and the Cecil B. DeMille on Sunday. The major races of the meet come on the final weekend – the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Dec. 1, and the Grade 1 Matriarch for fillies and mares on closing day, Dec. 2.

Synchrony goes in the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit at 1 1/16 miles. Elsa is in the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante for 2-year-old fillies going one mile. Joe Bravo will be in to ride both runners.

Both races should have large fields, including other shippers.

Synchrony split the field when seventh of 13 last time out in the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland, and prior to that won two Grade 3 races at Monmouth – the Red Bank and the Oceanport.

“He likes a firm course,” Stidham said. “The Keeneland race, the turf was on the wet side, and he never put in a run.”

Synchrony is expected to face Ann Arbor Eddie, Big Score, Caribou Club, Flamboyant, Fly to Mars, Holiday Stone, Le Ken, Ohio, Pincheck, Secretary At War, and possibly the mare Madame Stripes.

Holiday Stone, trained by George Weaver, has been here for two weeks after racing earlier this year at Saratoga and Keeneland. Irish invader Pincheck is here for trainer Jessica Harrington, but is residing in Richard Mandella’s barn and will remain with Mandella after the race.

Elsa won at Laurel on firm ground in her debut and then was third in a stakes at Saratoga before finishing seventh of 11 on yielding turf when favored in the Selima at Laurel on Sept. 22. She has not raced since.

“She started out nicely when she broke her maiden first out and I think she ran against some really nice fillies at Saratoga, but last time, she broke and just retreated backwards every step,” Stidham said. “It was soft, soft, soft. I want to get her on firm ground.”

In addition to Elsa, the Jimmy Durante is expected to include Cedars of Lebanon, Discreet Diva, Italia, Lakerball, the Graham Motion-trained pair of Monette and Pivottina, the Peter Miller-trained pair of Creative Instinct and Kookie Gal, and possibly Courteous and Der Lu.

Cedars of Lebanon is an Irish import who already has raced nine times. She is now with Doug O’Neill and worked three furlongs on the turf on Sunday at Del Mar in 37.60 seconds. Italia is a French import who is now with Mike Puype. She worked four furlongs on the turf on Sunday in 49.40 seconds.