San Diego, CA
Stay Hot keeps cool to score win in La Jolla Handicap
DEL MAR — Sometimes, a long road trip turns ugly.
Ask Stay Hot. Actually, ask his trainer Peter Eurton.
After three straight wins by a head or neck in Southern California — starting with the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last December — Stay Hot was shipped to Churchill Downs last May to compete in the Grade II American Turf on Kentucky Derby Day.
It didn’t go well. Stay Hot finished last in a field of 14.
Sunday, Stay Hot raced for the first time since that defeat and won the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap with a strong stretch run under jockey Antonio Fresu — defeating another 3-year-old seeking redemption in King of Gosford.
“That’s about as good as he’s ever done,” Eurton said of Stay Hot, who finished 1½ lengths ahead of King of Gosford, running the 11/16 miles on the turf in 1:40.98. “Welcome home. He just loves being fresh and he gets back to where he wants to be. He was just not a happy horse in Kentucky.”
Eurton discussed Stay Hot’s ill-fated Kentucky trip before the La Jolla Handicap.
“I don’t think he shipped well,” said the trainer. “Physically, he was fine. But mentally, it was just a little much for him after the three races (in 3½ months). He may have needed some space. And it was hot and humid in Kentucky. He schooled nervous and I don’t think he liked the surface.”
Home, sweet home.
Favorite Final Boss (J.J. Hernandez) took the lead out of the gate, turned back several challenges on the backstretch and was still a head on top entering the stretch. But Stay Hot and King of Gosford (Umberto Rispoli) were moving as Final Boss — who was coming off back-to-back, wire-to-wire wins at Santa Anita — began to fade to fourth.
“He ran his race today,” said Fresu of Stay Hot. “From the outside post (in the field of five), I just wanted to get in a good spot early and get him to relax. He did that. We saved ground. He was ready in the stretch. He’s got that turn of foot and he used it.”
“The ride was perfect, staying on the fence and not trying to go out wide,” Eurton said of Fresu’s efforts.
Meantime, King of Gosford returned just two weeks after placing a disappointing sixth in the Oceanside Stakes on opening day.
Eurton said the Del Mar Derby could be the next stop for the son of Summer Front.
Air’ Tight
Daughters of Stay Thirst ran 1-2-3 in Sunday’s other $100,000 feature — the 5½-furlong California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for 2-year-old Cal-bred fillies.
Favored In the Air Tonight (Tiago Periera) finished 5¼ lengths in front of Thirsty Mama (Kyle Frey) with Thirsty in Vegas (Fresu) third another 2½ lengths back. The winner and third-place finisher are both trained by Steve Knapp.
The CTBA was the first of 10 stakes races for 2-year-olds at Del Mar during the summer meeting. Three more will be held next weekend with Friday’s Graduation (5½ furlongs for Cal-bred colts and geldings), Saturday’s Grade III Sorrento (six furlongs for fillies) and Sunday’s Grade III Best Pal (a six-furlong prep for the Grade I Del Mar Futurity).
In the Air Tonight ($6.20) surged after running fifth in the field of eight at the three-eighths pole — finishing strong just as she did when overcoming a 2½-length deficit to win her debut at Santa Anita on May 26.
“She didn’t break right, but the way she had been training, we just knew she was going to run a real big race,” Knapp said of In the Air Tonight. “I really wasn’t concerned with the speed. I thought she would be closer, but I knew she had a real good turn of foot.”
“I saw the split in the race and so I tried to get close and she responded,” said Pereira. “I knew she would finish strong.”
Notable
With two wins Sunday, Hernandez leads the jockey standings with 15 wins after eight days of the 31-day summer meeting. Umberto Rispoli is second with 11 and Hector Berrios is third with 10 while Fresu’s two wins Sunday moved him into a tie with Frey for fourth with eight.John Sadler leads the trainer standings with eight wins. Defending champion Phil D’Amato is second with seven and Michael McCarthy, Bob Baffert and Mark Glatt are in a three-way tie for third at six.
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