Gerald Gibbs’ All Star Heart, the 6-5 favorite trained by Hall of
Famer Ron McAnally, dashed through an opening along the rail in the
stretch under Brice Blanc to outfinish Miss Mittagong and win the
featured $70,000 U.S. Bank Purse Thursday at Del Mar.
All Star Heart, a Canadian-bred four-year-old daughter of Arch, was
scoring her second straight victory since a bizarre incident at Santa
Anita in early February when she lost her footing and fell turning for
home in a mile and one-eighth contest on the grass.
Given five months off by McAnally to recover from the effects of that
mishap, All Star Heart returned to action at Hollywood Park July 7 and
was an impressive winner on the turf.
Outrun in the early stages of Thursday’s race, All Star Heart
displayed her determination in winning by a half-length over Miss
Mittagong, an 8-1 outsider piloted by Rafael Bejarano. Berg Bahn was
third, a length behind the runner-up, with Fashion Trend fourth in the
field of older fillies and mares.
All Star Heart ran the mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf
Course in 1:34.16 and returned $4.60, $3.40 and $3 after recording her
third success in a dozen starts. Miss Mittagong paid $6.40 and $4.40
while Berg Bahn returned $4.60 to show.
Joel Rosario, Del Mar’s defending riding champion who has experienced
a slow start this season, struck for a triple Thursday, winning the
second and third races aboard Malusita and Sheskey, respectively, for
owner Tricar Stable and trainer Sal Gonzalez, and completing his
three-bagger aboard Via Verde in the fifth.
Thursday’s attendance was 10,969.