The first and third-place finishers in Wednesday’s Oceanside Stakes, Mr.
Commons and Extensive, came out of the race in good order, trainers John
Shirreffs and Tom Proctor reported. But a decision on a next race has not been
made in either case.
On the other hand, Oceanside runner-up Burns has been entered in Sunday’s
California Dreamin’ Handicap and, five days after missing by 1 1/2 lengths in
the one-mile opening day feature, could be running a sixteenth of a mile longer
on the Jimmy Durante Turf course.
Fast returns for horses are not unprecedented when the trainer is Barry
Abrams, especially at Del Mar. In 2008, Abrams’ Lethal Heat made three stakes
starts in a 27-day span, winning the Fleet Treat on July 20 and the Real Good
Deal on August 8 before finishing third eight days later in the Del Mar Oaks.
In 2009, Lethal Heat ran four times at the meeting, the shortest turnaround
being 11 days between the Del Mar Mile Handicap and the Palomar Handicap.
“We’ll see what Barry wants to do,” said Abrams assistant Richard Baltas,
on-site manager while Abrams remains at his Arcadia home undergoing treatments
for cancer. “Either way it’s going to be a big weekend. We have five in
(Saturday) and one more (in addition to Burns) on Sunday.”