“In Richard We Trust,” seemed to be
the motto for some major trainers regarding Del Mar’s Polytrack surface. Track
superintendent Richard Tedesco enters his second season in charge of the
synthetic stuff and lessons learned a year ago figure to make the
highly-respected veteran better equipped to handle whatever issues may develop.
“I’m a real fan of Richard Tedesco,”
said trainer Mike Mitchell. “I understand track management here is giving him
complete control and that’s good. After last year I’m sure he knows what needs
to be done for consistency (regarding) watering, harrowing and he’s going to do
what he thinks is best.
“Another thing I like about him is
that he comes to the trainers and riders, asks for their input. He’s
willing to listen.”
Among the first stables to set up at
Del Mar when the stable area opened over the weekend of July 9-10 was trainer
Mike Machowsky.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever
come this early,” said Machowsky, who’ll saddle Caracortado in Saturday’s Eddie
Read. “But with the closing of Santa Anita for major repairs and Richard
Tedesco being in charge here, I felt real comfortable coming down and getting
my horses ready here.”
NEVER
TOO SOON TO THINK YOUNG
The Grade I events that determine
the meet champions in the 2-year-old divisions are seven weeks away. But it’s
never too early to think about the Del Mar Debutante for fillies on Saturday,
September 3 and the traditional closing day Del Mar Futurity on Wednesday,
September 7.
And judging by the number of
nominations – about all we have to go on at this point – the trainers with
2-year-olds to watch for are Bob Baffert, John Sadler and Jerry Hollendorfer.
Baffert, who notched seven straight
Futurity wins from 1996-2002 and has nine in his career, nominated 29 for
the race. Baffert also has 12 on the nomination list for the Debutante, an
event he has won six times, most recently with Point Ashley in 2006.
Sadler, who scored his first victory
in either race with Tell a Kelly in last year’s Debutante, loaded up for a
hoped-for repeat by nominating 23 fillies to the event. With an additional 14
Futurity nominations, Sadler fell only four short of Baffert, 41-37, for the
highest total.
Hollendorfer, who will be inducted
into racing’s Hall of Fame next month, doesn’t have a Debutante or Futurity
among his nine Del Mar stakes wins. But he took second with Eclipse winner
Blind Luck in the 2009 Debutante and has 20 nominated for the race this year
plus an additional nine for the Futurity.