Beer Can Man Upsets Cecil B. DeMille

DEL MAR, CA – Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables’ Beer Can Man closely stalked the early pace, then surged in mid-stretch to upset Sunday’s $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

Beer Can Man was dismissed at 19/1 odds (off an 8/1 morning line) as he broke from post 4 under Juan Hernandez in his first start since being privately acquired from owner/breeder Ron Patterson.

Settling just off the pace, Beer Can Man saved ground while Commander Khai posted opening fractions of :22.53, :46.84, and 1:11.48.

Still hugging the rail as he rounded the far turn, Beer Can Man tipped out once straightened for home and began reeling in the loose leader.

Taking command in mid-stretch, the Mark Glatt trainee crossed a 1/2-length clear of a late-surging Caisson, completing the firm turf mile route in 1:34.75.

“One jump out of there, he came (back) to me,” Hernandez said. “He settled real well. I just found my spot tracking the leaders and I was happy. At the 1/4 pole, I asked him to go and he did. He really fired. He didn’t want to let horses go past him, either. He’s a nice horse.”

Though caught late, Commander Khai dug in to save third by a pair of heads over Ebeko and Big Fish.

Party Game, the 9/5 favorite Cairo Prince, Cotopaxi, Harlan Estate, Coastal Kid, and Wootton Asset completed the order of finish.

Beer Can Man’s win was his third straight following a pair of 5-furlong sprints over the Indiana Grand lawn and improved his record to 5-3-0-0. The Can the Man colt has now earned $100,580 lifetime.

“We’ve had him about 6 weeks,” Glatt said. “We entered him the first weekend of the meeting, thinking we could run then and then come back in this race, but that race didn’t go. So (the owners) told me to get him ready to go a mile. I was a little skeptical. to be honest, but the horse relaxed great, Juan put a nice ride on him, and he got the money.”

Beer Can Man returned $41.20 to win, $14.80 to place, and $10.60 to show. Caisson brought back $6.20 to place and $7.20 to show, while Commander Khai paid $10.40 to show.