Weston, Dr. Schivel eye Del Mar Futurity after wins
DEL MAR, Calif. – Weston won his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar, giving trainer Ryan Hanson his first Thoroughbred graded stakes win in a leading prep race for the Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7.
Two hours later, Hanson saw a runner likely to be rated among the leading contenders for the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs.
Dr. Schivel won his third start in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs in Saturday’s 10th race, closing from fourth in a field of eight to win by 5 3/4 lengths. Trained by Luis Mendez, Dr. Schivel ($14.20) pulled clear to easily beat Spielberg, the 4-5 favorite who is trained by Bob Baffert and cost $1 million as a yearling.
Dr. Schivel was timed in 1:10.49 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86. Weston ran six furlongs in 1:12.72 and earned a Beyer of 61.
Still, Weston is an unbeaten stakes winner for Hanson, who co-owns the gelding with Chris Drakos. Immediately after the Best Pal, Hanson took a pragmatic approach to Weston’s short-term future, knowing the Del Mar Futurity will draw a much tougher field.
Hanson feared jockey Drayden Van Dyke may not stay with Weston for the Del Mar Futurity and could go with a runner trained by Baffert, with whom he is closely allied.
“I didn’t run into any Bafferts,” Hanson said of the Best Pal field. “If I go to the Futurity, I’ll have [to face] four Bafferts and I’ll probably lose Drayden.
“You’ve got to take that into consideration. You have to be realistic.”
Sunday morning, Hanson said Weston had emerged from the Best Pal in good condition.
“The water will get a lot deeper for him,” Hanson said Sunday. “I hope we get to the next race in good shape. He had a good out.”
Hanson lamented the absence of a race option other than the Del Mar Futurity in coming weeks.
:: DRF's Del Mar headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more
“There is no other pool to jump into,” he said.
Hanson, 38, has a background in Quarter Horse racing. He won graded stakes with that breed at Los Alamitos in 2013 and has made the transition to Thoroughbreds in subsequent years. He has a stable of 24 at Del Mar.
“This is what we all try for,” he said of the win.
Weston, by the War Front stallion Hit it a Bomb, was bought for $7,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Hanson recalls that Weston was broken last year at Whittier Narrows, a recreation center in Los Angeles County, south of Santa Anita. Hanson’s wife, racing television commentator Michelle Yu, exercised Weston before his career.
At Del Mar, Weston is typically trained in the first hour of training each day, even before sunrise. Hanson describes Weston as “kind of a loner.”
“You have to train him early,” Hanson said. “He’s a little temperamental. He doesn’t want to be messed with.”
Weston won his debut at Santa Anita in a maiden special weight race at 4 1/2 furlongs on June 21. Weston was 21-1 and easily beat Dr. Schivel who finished a troubled third as the 3-2 favorite.
Dr. Schivel was bred by owners William Branch and Arnold Hill. Trained by Mendez, Dr. Schivel followed the third behind Weston with a second by 2 1/2 lengths to Sonic Brees in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 4 at Los Alamitos.
Sonic Brees finished third in the Best Pal, promoted from fourth following the disqualification of Ambivalent from third to fourth for causing interference in the stretch.
Mendez primarily trains a stable of 2-year-olds and brought 24 horses to Del Mar. Dr. Schivel was his second winner of the meeting.
Dr. Schivel needed time to develop earlier this summer, Mendez said.
“He’s improving from race to race,” Mendez said. “In my opinion, he was not ready. Now he’s more mature. He feels better and better.
“He’s moving up. I think he will improve out of this race. I know it’s crazy to think that.”