Weekend Notes
– Even-money favorite Tiago won the Swaps at Hollywood on Saturday by 2 1/2 lengths after jockey Mike Smith guided the half-brother to Giacomo through an opening on the rail to the inside of pacesetter Desert Code. This was a really nice move by horse and rider: Tiago, settled into fifth, four lengths off the lead, until the field turned into the stretch, could have as easily swung to the outside and taken the lead, but Smith and his willing colt charged through on the rail with confidence (video). “Normally, I would have chosen [to go wide], but a horse like this absolutely loves the fence,” said Smith. “He’ll run through anything, so I wasn’t worried. All he needed was a little room to get his head through and he just goes” (LA Times). Albertus Maximus finished second, Souvenir Slew third. Tiago, carrying the highweight of 122, is the fourth horse to win both the Santa Anita Derby and the Swaps, and earned a 103 Beyer for the 1 1/8 mile race run in 1:48.76.
– Todd Pletcher upset Todd Pletcher in Sunday’s Delaware Handicap. Positioned third, less than a length off the pedestrian pace set by Peak Maria’s Way through the first three quarters, Pletcher’s 8-1 Unbridled Belle drew off easily to win the Delaware Handicap by 7 3/4 lengths (Blood-Horse). The trainer’s much favored Indian Vale finished fifth with no excuse.
– Sunriver proved his first race on the turf wasn’t a fluke by following up on that allowance win with a stakes victory on the grass. The four-year-old went wire-to-wire in the Bowling Green Handicap at Belmont on Sunday, winning by 1 1/4 lengths. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunriver would start next in the August 11 Arlington Million.
– Chalk another up for Posse: Bet the Diva became her freshman sire’s 10th winner with a maiden special score at Belmont. The Gary Contessa trainee broke smartly from the gate, took the lead early, and won by 3 1/4 lengths.
– Del Mar opening day entries are up and Bob Baffert’s much talked about two-year-old Maimonides, a $4.6 million Vindication colt with several bullet works, is set to debut in race three on Wednesday has been scratched from the day’s third (DRF). Vindication was undefeated in four starts as a two-year-old and named the 2002 champion juvenile; he was retired in early 2003 with a suspensory injury. His first crop is hitting the track now and has so far yielded two winners from seven starters.
– Apprentice Michael Baze, with 73 wins, became the youngest jockey to win Hollywood’s riding title since Hall of Famer Bill Shoemaker in 1950. “It’s unbelievable,” said the 20-year-old of his achievement (LA Times). The Hollywood trainer race was tight to the end, with Jeff Mullins and Doug O’Neill finishing in a tie (Bob Ike).
