Del Mar Report #6

Three Stars of the Week

– 1st Star: BEHOLDER – What a breathtaking performance in the Pacific Classic…perhaps one of the best of all time as Beholder CRUSHED the boys by over eight lengths in what was merely a gallop.  Her final time was just 2/5th’s off the track record and her beyer speed figure of 114 is the highest of any horse this season.  More importantly the Breeders’ Cup Classic is now squarely on the table as a showdown with Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah would be  a race for the ages.  However, for now lets just sit back and enjoy this unbelievable mare!  We may be looking at one of the greatest race mares in the history of racing.

– 2nd Star: APPEALING TALE – This guy is one tough race horse!  After setting pretty quick fractions and having Wild Dude breathing down his neck it looked as though he’d give up in the lead in the Pat O’Brien turning for home, however that was not the case.  Appealing Tale dug back in when being headed by Wild Dude, and out finished him to the wire in an epic two horse battle.  The win gives him his first graded stakes win of his career after finishing a close second in two prior tries at graded action.  The horse has now won over half a million dollars, and should be pointing for even bigger things down the road.

– 3rd Star: AVANZARE – Jockey Gary Stevens suggested the nearly seven month layoff would not effect Avanzare, and he was certainly right!  Sunday’s Del Mar Mile victory makes him two for two on the year, with both wins coming against Grade 2 stakes company.  In this one Avanzare sat towards the back of the back in seventh as the top of the lane, and then made his move late to win by a half length in the end over a solid horse in Talco.  You would think a race like the Breeders’ Cup Mile could now be the target for this horse down the road.

Flop of the Week

– BAYERN – I’m officially calling him finished.  Yet another “pop and stop” type of performance out of last years Breeders’ Cup Classic winner as he faded to second to last in the Pacific Classic.  As good as his three year old season was…this year has been really bad.  Could be looking at retirement.

Preview to Next Week