DEL MAR — Sunday’s feature at Del Mar was more a study in domination than a race.
Jockey Juan Hernandez stalked Sentient Soon early, found an extra gear with 4-5 favorite Free Closer on the far turn and pulled away to an 8¼-length victory in the $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes.
Free Closer covered the 5½-furlong test for 2-year-old Cal-bred fillies on the main track in 1 minute, 4.40 seconds. Stay Bossy (Antonio Fresu) rallied in the final half to finish second with Strident Miss (Kazushi Kimura) third and Sentient Soon (Kyle Frey) fourth in the six-filly race.
Free Closer was making her third start and first since being flown to Kentucky to finish fifth in the June 28 Debutante at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Pavel is undefeated in two Southern California starts.
“Pretty uneventful,” trainer Michael McCarthy said of Free Closer’s victory. “She broke without incident and broke with the field. Hernandez put her in a comfortable stalking position and when he asked her to go, she took off and won by open lengths.”
Said Hernandez: “McCarthy told me she was very professional and to ride her with confidence. I’d never been on her before but she handled herself well. Nice filly, no doubt.”
While watching the start, McCarthy had a flashback to the Churchill Downs Debutante.
“In Kentucky, she actually didn’t break that poorly,” said McCarthy. “But the horse next to her pushed her out into the middle of the track.”
The win was McCarthy’s second stakes win of the summer meeting. He scored earlier with the since-retired Journalism in the San Diego Handicap.
Led by Free Closer in the CTBA Stakes, favorites had their best showing on the 11th day of the 32-day summer meeting, scoring wins in six of the 10 races.
Through Saturday, favorites had won only 17 of 97 races — a 17.5% success rate that is about half the standard success rate for favorites. After the first 10 days, the average winning ticket paid $14.90. Sunday’s average winning ticket paid $7.80 with the favorite’s winning percentage climbing to 21.5%.
The first 10 days produced winners at odds of 40-1, 35-1, 22-1, 20-1 and two more at over 15-1. The longest price Sunday was 6-1.
The winning favorites Sunday were Avalon Rose (Julian Leparoux, $6.60 in the second), Miss Mandalay (Joel Rosario, $7 in the third), Driftingandreaming (Rosario, $6.80 in the seventh), News At Ten (Armando Ayuso, $6 in the eighth), Free Closer and Dea Matrona (Kazushu Kimura, $6.80 in the 10th).
Rosario rode three winners Sunday to give him eight over the past three days. He moved into second in the jockey standings with 11 wins, two behind reigning champion Hernandez. Rosario won with Essos ($9.80 in the first) and later scored with Miss Mandalay and Driftingandreaming.
Doug O’Neill was winless Sunday but continues to lead the trainer standings with 11. John Sadler scored with Driftingandreaming to move into second with seven wins. Mark Glatt had two wins Sunday to move into a third-place with Phil D’Amato at six wins. Robert Hess Jr. also had two wins Sunday.
Youth served
The first two graded stakes for juveniles this summer at Del Mar will headline next week’s four-day schedule.
There will be a Saturday doubleheader featuring the Grade III Best Pal Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds on the main track that is the prep for the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 6. Saturday’s 10-race program will also include the Grade II Yellow Ribbon, a mile and 1/16th test for older fillies and mares on the turf course.
Sunday’s feature is the Grade III Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, the springboard for the Sept. 5 $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Debutante. The stakes start Friday with the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-old Cal-breds at 5½ furlongs on the main track.
Racing will be Thursday through Sunday, with the first post at 2 p.m. each day.