Strongconstitution boosts Cedillo's big day with Let It Ride win

Strongconstitution rallied on the rail in the final furlong to win Sunday’s $81,500 Let It Ride for 3-year-olds at Del Mar, giving jockey Abel Cedillo his fifth win on the program.

Cedillo won four of the first five races on Sunday’s nine-race card. The milestone day was his first five-win afternoon since May 18, 2019, at Golden Gate Fields, and his first at a Southern California track.

Cedillo gave Strongconstitution a patient and ground-saving trip that proved to be the difference in the one-mile restricted turf race.

Strongconstitution ($7.20) stalked early pacesetter Dominant Soul and stalker Jammers Justice while racing in third on the inside through early fractions of 22.32 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.62 for a half-mile.

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Cedillo waited with Strongconstitution entering the stretch before he positioned the colt for an inside move. Strongconstitution responded rapidly and held off a late rally from Heywoods Beach to win by a head, finishing in 1:34.09. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Cedillo said a stalking trip was not his first choice.

“I tried to go the lead, but the two horses were way faster than mine,” he said. “I got lucky, I got through. My horse helped me. He got through perfectly.”

Lane Way, the 2-1 favorite, closed with interest between horses to reach contention in the final furlong, but could not threaten the first two finishers.

Lane Way finished three-quarters of a length behind Heywoods Beach.

The Let It Ride Stakes was restricted to non-winners of a stakes with a first-place purse of $60,000 or more to the winner, other than statebred stakes, at a mile or over since April 1.

Strongconstitution, a colt by Constitution, races for Roadrunner Racing and Sayjay Racing and trainer Doug O’Neill.

Strongconstitution has won 2 of 7 starts and has earned $135,500. The Let It Ride Stakes was his stakes debut on turf. Last year, Strongconstitution was second in the restricted Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar.