Del MarDel Mar — So much for the value of experience.
The most lightly raced horse in the field, ridden by a jockey who had never been to Del Mar and conditioned by a trainer who still hasn’t been here, rallied for an impressive victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I Hollywood Derby.
Annals of Time, making only his fourth career start, was ridden by Javier Castellano for Chad Brown. The latter also trains the runner-up, Beach Patrol, who finished 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner and a half-length in front of Frank Conversation.
Brown sent six horses to Del Mar this weekend because, as assistant trainer Cherie de Vaux said, “It’s important for us to get the lay of the land for Breeders’ Cup here next year.”
The trainer, who was unable to attend himself, sent five horses here last year and the best finish he had was a second by March in the Derby. But Saturday worked out better thanks to the skill of Castellano and the talent displayed by Annals of Time.
The son of Temple City was in front of just two horses with a half-mile remaining in the 1 1/8-mile turf race, but he began to advance along the rail on the far turn, then burst through a hole between Frank Conversation and Free Rose in the stretch. It was the kind of a move a jockey isn’t always a sure a horse, especially an inexperienced one, will be able to make.
“To split horses, it was unbelievable the way he did that,” said Castellano, the Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top jockey the last three years and again the leader this year with more than $26 million in purse earnings. “He’s got so much power. I was very impressed.”
Annals of Time, who was third behind stablemates Camelot Kitten (seventh as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite Saturday) and Beach Patrol in his only previous stakes start, the Hill Prince in October at Belmont, completed the Derby in 1:47.73 and paid $13.80 as the fourth choice in the wagering.
Favorite wins Bayakoa
With Beholder retired and Songbird and Stellar Wind on vacation, the Bayakoa Handicap presented a $200,000 opportunity for other older filles and mares. The winner, as expected, was Vale Dori, the 1-2 favorite trained by Bob Baffert.
A 4-year-old Argentine-bred, Vale Dori took the lead midway around the far turn and pulled away for a 3-length victory over Wild at Heart, with Moyo Honey third. The final time was 1:44.79 for 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
Vale Dori paid $3 to win and earned $120,000. She was ridden by Mike Smith, who said Vale Dori will be a “better mare next year,” but don’t look for him to give up his regular mount aboard Songbird anytime soon.
Notable
- On the same day a dozen protesters gathered at the edge of the parking lot to protest horse deaths at Del Mar, another horse died. Adair, who set the pace in the first race before fading, broke down about 125 yards from the finish line and was euthanized. The 4-year-old colt was running for only the second time in five months and had just two workouts since his most recent race six weeks ago. Adair was the fifth horse to suffer a fatal breakdown here this fall and the fourth in a 26-race span beginning Sunday. His jockey, Christian Santiago Reyes, was not injured, a track official said.
- The 15-day Bing Crosby Season closes today with the featured $300,000 Grade I Matriarch. Eastern shippers Miss Temple City (3-1), Roca Rojo (7-2), Zindaya (9-2) and Time and Motion (5-1) are the top four choices on the morning line (Brown trains Roca Rojo and Zindaya as well as Mexican Gold). There is a mandatory payout on the Pick Six, including a Jackpot carryover of more than $89,000.
- Peter Miller won another race Saturday and clinched the training title when Doug O’Neill failed to win with any of his four starters. There was little movement in the jockey race, where Norberto Arroyo, Jr. is tied with the injured Flavien Prat, one ahead of Drayden Van Dyke. Arroyo has six mounts today, Van Dyke seven.
- California Chrome worked five furlongs Saturday at Los Alamitos in 1:00.40. He is scheduled to make his final start in California on Saturday, Dec. 17, in the Winter Challenge at Los Alamitos, a prep for the $12 million Pegagus World Cup on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.
- Jockey Kent Desormeaux was suspended for three racing days (Dec. 9-11) for his ride on Saratoga San in Friday’s eighth race.
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