Trip Notes for August 22-23: Alabama, Pacific Classic, Del Mar Mile, and more...

Saturday, Aug. 22

Saratoga - Alabama (race 10)

COMMENT: Another 3-year-old filly dirt route, another different winner. While Lovely Maria seemed to have control of the division in the spring that isn’t the case now as Embellish the Lace made it her turn. She dueled and faded badly to end up ninth in the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont June 27. She’d been freshened and had worked well. Embellish the Lace went right out to the lead here, was able to set a very modest pace while holding a narrow lead, spurted clear into the lane and stayed on to keep I’m a Chatterbox at bay. I’m a Chatterbox, DQ’d from last month’s Grade 1 CCA Oaks win here, stalked in fourth, came wide into the lane to launch her run, kept after the winner but just wasn’t good enough while far clear of the others. Curalina, the favorite off wins in the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 CCA Oaks, stalked in third early, moved closer going to the far turn, loomed a threat into the lane and finished third. Include Betty, winner of the Grade 1 Mother Goose, sat last early and could make only modest headway. Lovely Maria pressed the pace but came under a ride on the far turn and gave way in a disappointing effort. That makes for a second straight dull run from her.

Monmouth - Monmouth Oaks (race 11)

COMMENT: Delightful Joy, coming off an allowance win at Belmont, took a big step forward for her first stakes win. She sat well back early as Lady Serena and High Dollar Woman dueled through solid splits, started her move while wide on the far turn and carried that run through the lane. Eskenformoney, favored off a pair of Grade 1 tries, sat not far in front of the eventual winner, moved a tad earlier than that gal on the inside and couldn’t finish with her. White Clover sat midpack, made a nice wide move to grab the lead turning for home, still had the lead in midstretch, and tired to third. Tiger Ride sat back with the top two, made an early threatening run on the turn, was still in the hunt in midstretch but then couldn’t sustain her run.

Arlington - Arlington-Washington Futurity (race 7)

COMMENT: Shogood, who was so good romping over maidens here July 16 in front-running fashion, used his speed again to dominate the proceedings. He set a brisk pace and opened up into the lane to put this thing on ice. Van Damme, a longshot, lagged back early while saving ground, moved closer going to the far turn, and finished decently to be a clear second, though he was never a danger to the winner. Missle Bomb stalked the pace while saving ground, made a mild bid coming into the lane but couldn’t sustain it. Cocked and Loaded, the favorite off a win in Belmont’s Tremont and a sixth in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga, stalked the pace, seemed in a good spot turning for home but never mustered a run.

Del Mar - Pat O’Brien (race 4)

COMMENT: In a field scratched down to four, Appealing Tale showed his versatility while notching his first Grade 2 win. He was coming off a solid second in the Grade 1 Triple Bend (a sprint) and a second, beaten a head, in the Grade 2 San Diego (a route) here in his last two starts. He moved back to 7 furlongs and continued his sharp form. He went right out to the lead, was immediately pressured by Wild Dude, looked in trouble when Wild Dude came up alongside for the stretch run, but rebuffed that rival for the win. His target in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Oct. 30. Wild Dude, winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby here last month, kept after Appealing Tale but wasn’t good enough. Indexical stalked in third, pressing the top two to the far turn, but then couldn’t keep up.

Del Mar - Del Mar Handicap (race 8)

COMMENT: Big John B, who won this last year, sat in last place as Little Jerry set the pace. Big John B remained well back turning for home, swung out into the lane and blasted home for his third straight win. Ashleyluvssugar sat midpack early, made nice run into the lane and grabbed the lead by midstretch, but couldn’t fend off the winner. Ganesh dogged pacesetter Little Jerry, moved up to contest the lead with Ashleyluvssugar in midstretch, and settled for third. Power Ped stalked the pace, loomed a threat into the lane but wasn’t quite good enough.

Del Mar - Pacific Classic (race 9)

COMMENT: The question was not only whether champion mare Beholder could handle boys but whether she could handle 1 1/4 miles. Well, she answered both with an emphatic affirmative here, dominating the proceedings and becoming the first distaffer to win this race. She sat comfortably in third as Bayern set the early pace under pressure from Midnight Storm, surged past those tiring rivals going into the far turn and opened a clear lead, and expanding her margin from there without really breaking a sweat. Maybe this is enough to warrant a shot at the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Trainer Richard Mandella ran one-two as his Catch a Flight came with a solid run from midpack to get second. Red Vine, an East Coast raider, sat just behind Catch a Flight early, moved before that rival to chase after the eventual winner, was a clear second by midstretch but couldn’t sustain his run and lost second in the final half-furlong. Hoppertunity sat midpack, came with a nice run turning for home, but didn’t have enough. Bayern, last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, went right out to the lead, took immediate pressure from Midnight Storm but faltered once headed turning for home. Midnight Storm dogged Bayern from the start but gave way readily turning for home.

Sunday, Aug. 23

Monmouth - Cliff Hanger (race 11)

COMMENT: Middleburg had been knocking on the door with a third in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont May 2, a second in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes here June 7 and second in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap at Arlington July 11, but he broke through and got that elusive first stakes win here. From his rail slot he bided his time early as Inchcape set a modest pace, remained toward the back coming into the lane, angled out and finished strongly to edge Special Envoy. Special Envoy made it an all-Firestone owner/breeder exacta. He dogged pacesetter Inchcape from the start, got the better of that rival in the lane, and stayed on gamely. Lochte, a Grade 1 winner, stalked in third, came with his run between horses into the lane and stayed on to be a good third, beaten just two necks. Inchcape battled back when hooked into the lane and stayed on for fourth, beaten only about a length.

Del Mar - Del Mar Mile (race 8)

COMMENT: The race lost some luster when two-time champ Obviously (2012, 2013) scratched to instead go in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Sept. 13. Avanzare looked poised for a big year when he won the Grade 2 Arcadia at this distance on turf at Santa Anita Jan. 31, but he hadn’t raced since. From his outside post he lagged well back early as Marchman set a decent pace, remained there to the top of the lane, swung very wide into the stretch and blasted home to outfinish Talco. Off this he deserves every shot to target the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Talco, had won three of his prior four, including the Grade 1 Shoemaker. He sat well back, not far behind Avanzare, was still behind that rival coming into the lane, launched a strong run in tandem with Avanzare while wide but just couldn’t quite finish with that foe. Di Giorgio, a Group 1 winner in Argentina in 2013 but winless in five U.S. starts since, was back with the top two early, still behind them coming into the lane and finished smartly just behind them. Kulik Lodge was unlucky. He sat midpack, waited behind horses coming into the lane, was still boxed in by midstretch and only got free far too late. Bal a Bali looked poised to make a run turning for home as he waited for room but the run never came. Jimmy Bouncer, previously undefeated in four starts but stepping well up in class and routing for the first time, chased pacesetter Marchman, grabbed the lead by midstretch but then weakened. Pure Talent, winner of the Wickerr here July 22, sat well back early but took a bad step, was pulled up with a hind leg injury going to the far turn and had to be euthanized.