Winless for more than two years with a losing streak of 13 races, Tres Borrachos broke through with a vengeance Saturday by scoring an
impressive victory in the featured $200,000 San Diego Handicap.
With Rafael Bejarano in the saddle, Tres Borrachos charged from well
back in the field of eight older horses to notch his first triumph since
an optional claiming race win at Hollywood Park on May 25, 2009. Margin
of victory Saturday was 1 ¼ lengths over Kevlar Kid, the lukewarm 3-1
favorite under Chantal Sutherland who led into the stretch before being
overhauled by the winner.
Spurrier was third, a head behind Kevlar Kid, with Oilisblackgold fourth.
Tres Borrachos, a six-year-old gelded son of Ecton Park, won the 2008
Swaps Stakes as a three-year-old and was runner-up to Rail Trip in the
2009 Hollywood Gold Cup the following summer.
Tres Borrachos, purchased by George Hicker of Los Angeles privately a
month ago and turned over to trainer Marty Jones, returned $18.80,
$8.20 and $5 after scoring just his fourth win in 31 career efforts.
First money of $120,000 increased the horse’s earnings to $760,257.
Kevlar Kid paid $4.40 and $3.40, while Spurrier returned $3.60 to show.
The San Diego Handicap, a steppingstone to Del Mar’s $1 million
Pacific Classic on August 28, is a “Win and You’re In” race for the 2011
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs, meaning that Tres Borrachos
qualified for a pre-paid $30,000 entry fee and travel expenses of
$10,000.
Bejarano won three races Saturday to take over the top spot in the
jockey standings, one head of Joe Talamo who doubled. Bejarano leads
13-12.
In the afternoon’s supporting feature, the $100,000 Fleet Treat
Stakes for California-bred three-year-old fillies, odds-on favored
Sugarinthemorning and jockey Patrick Valenzuela cruised to an easy
victory, scoring by 3 ¼ lengths in wire-to-wire style.
Sugarinthemorning, a daughter of Candy Ride, sped the seven furlongs
in 1:22.90 and returned $3.40 to win after scoring her fifth victory in
nine starts. Longshot Magic School was second, with Zenidekka third in a
small field of five fillies.
Sugarinthemorning is owned by Weissman and Clement and conditioned by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally. For McAnally, it was his 74th
stakes triumph at Del Mar, tying him with the late Charlie Whittingham
for second place behind all-time leader Bob Baffert’s 90.
Because there were no perfect tickets in the Pick Six, Sunday’s
nine-race program will feature a Pick Six carryover of $169,635 starting
with the fourth race.