Tangelo will try to calm nerves with proper warm-up
DEL MAR, Calif. – Tangelo is a nervous filly, so much so that trainer Ben Cecil has been concerned in past races that she would lose her race before the gates even opened.
When Tangelo made her last start on Oct. 18, Cecil instructed her regular rider, Mario Gutierrez, to walk her in the post parade. But when the gates opened, it took Tangelo a while to find her best stride, and Cecil believes that might have cost her the race.
But what to do about that nervousness? Cecil believes that in the nearly four weeks since that race, Tangelo has acted with more maturity. She’ll get a proper warm-up before the featured seventh race at Del Mar on Thursday, and Cecil is hoping that will get her over the hump and into the winner’s circle.
“She broke okay last time, but it took her a while to get going and she ended up too far back,” Cecil said. “Now I think we can warm her up a bit more. I feel good about her turning the tables.”
Tangelo finished third in that Oct. 18 race, run at one mile on the Santa Anita turf. She stretches out to 1 1/16 miles on the turf on Thursday, but has to get past, among others, Winninginfashion, who was second in that Oct. 18 race, a similar optional claimer for California-bred fillies and mares.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Tangelo. Trainer Ben Cecil is 23-6-4-4 with a $2.89 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with horses making their third start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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They all, however, have to beat Demonica, who looked like she found a new home when crushing maidens in her turf debut on Oct. 19 at Santa Anita.
KEY CONTENDERS
Tangelo (Last 3 Beyers: 77-79-77)
◗ Her lone win in five starts came on this course during the summer meet, so she figures to improve.
Demonica (Last 3 Beyers: 79-49-56)
◗ She had been a terrible underachiever through the first four starts of her career, but she looked like a different horse when she went two turns and was placed on the turf last time. She set legitimate fractions and kicked clear for an easy 5 1/2-length victory.
◗ Joe Talamo, who missed the first three days of the meet because of a suspension, is back on Thursday. He rode Demonica for the first time in that turf win.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Demonica. Trainer John Sadler is 42-6-6-7 with a $1.00 ROI over the past five years in turf routes following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Winninginfashion (Last 3 Beyers: 80-72-79)
◗ She set the pace and held on to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Tangelo, in the Oct. 18 race they exit. That was her first race on turf, and she got the best Beyer Speed Figure of her career.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Winninginfashion. Trainer Michael Pender is 23-4-4-1 with a $2.55 ROI over the past five years in turf routes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Irene’s Cherub (Last 3 Beyers: 78-66-67)
◗ She has been facing claiming company of late, and is in for a tag here because she’s already won at this allowance condition.
◗ She is moving from open company into a race restricted to California-breds, so the subtle class drop should be of benefit.