Battle of Midway drills for Haskell

DEL MAR, Calif. – Fresh off winning three races on opening day, jockey Flavien Prat was busy Thursday morning at Del Mar working several of his top stakes horses, most notably Battle of Midway.

Battle of Midway went seven furlongs in 1:26.40 in preparation for the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on July 30. Battle of Midway, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, is scheduled for one more work here early next week before traveling to New Jersey.

Prat also worked the female turf runner Avenge, who drilled on the main track, going six furlongs in 1:12.60. He also was on the 3-year-old filly Paradise Woods, who went five furlongs in 1:00.60.

Both Avenge and Paradise Woods are trained by Richard Mandella. Avenge is scheduled to run in the Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on Aug. 5, while Paradise Woods is awaiting the Grade 3, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes on Aug. 27.

On the turf course, Collected worked for a potential start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 19. He went five furlongs under jockey Mike Smith in 1:04.20 for trainer Bob Baffert.

Collected’s work was supposed to be in company with the filly Pretty N Cool, but she was favoring her left hind leg and was pulled up shortly after the work began by jockey Martin Garcia. Pretty N Cool was loaded onto the horse ambulance and taken for further observation to Baffert’s barn, where X-rays revealed no fracture, according to Baffert, who said it appears that Pretty N Cool had a stifle lock up on her.

Two horses who could face Collected in the Del Mar Mile also worked on the turf, with Bal a Bali going six furlongs in 1:15.20 under Smith and Om going five furlongs in 1:04.80 under Gary Stevens.

All turf works were around orange cones known as “dogs.”

Bowies Hero eyes Del Mar Derby

Bowies Hero may have a busy Del Mar summer meeting.

After winning Wednesday’s $120,660 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf, trainer Phil D’Amato was contemplating two more starts on turf for the colt in the coming weeks: the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 6 and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 3.

The $250,000 Del Mar Derby is the main goal for D’Amato and owners Mark Martinez and Jeff Hebert.

“We could consider the La Jolla,” D’Amato said Wednesday. “If not, we’ll look at the Derby.”

Bowies Hero needed a touch of luck to win the third stakes of his career in the Oceanside at a mile. Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Bowies Hero ($8.80) overcame traffic problems on the turn to win by 1 1/2 lengths over 21-1 Pioneer Lad.

By Artie Schiller, Bowies Hero has won 4 of 7 starts and earned $201,325.

Smidge, Tyfosha may get rematch

The 2-year-old filly Just a Smidge ran to expectations in Wednesday’s fifth race for maiden fillies at Del Mar, scoring a hard-fought win over Tyfosha in what could be a preview of major stakes for the division.

Just a Smidge, the 2-1 favorite, and Tyfosha were within a head of each other before Just a Smidge drew off in the last sixteenth to win the fivefurlong race by 1 1/4 lengths in 58.12 seconds. Tyfosha, the 5-2 second choice, was 7 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher

Varanasi, the 7-2 third choice.

Just a Smidge was purchased for $425,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic sale of 2-yearolds in training in May. Just a Smidge races for Debbie Lanni and trainer Bob Baffert.

“We’ve been really high on her,” Baffert said. “We liked her in the sale, and she ran to her works. She wasn’t tired. She could go a lot farther.”

Baffert may have a strong group of 2-year-old fillies. He also trains Diamonds and pearls, a $1.7 million purchase as a 2-year-old in training this year who won her debut at Santa Anita on July 2.

Diamonds and pearls is a candidate for the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 5. The main race for 2-year-old fillies at the Del Mar summer meeting is the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs Sept. 2.

Tyfosha is trained by Doug O’Neill, who has a promising juvenile in Gracida. Gracida will have his debut Saturday in a five-furlong maiden race.

Gracida was purchased for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training in March. He drew the outside post in a field of nine.

Chrome’s brother on sidelines

Faversham, a 2-year-old full brother to California Chrome, has gone to the sidelines with minor shin soreness and will get back to training in the fall, trainer Art Sherman said.

“He started to get a little shinny on me, and he’s a later foal than Chrome, so we’re giving him some time off at Harris Farm,” Sherman said.

Faversham was up to five furlongs in his workouts at Los Alamitos before the decision was made to give him time off. His last work was June 3, when he went five furlongs in 1:01.20.

Like California Chrome, Faversham is by Lucky Pulpit, was produced by the Not For Love mare Love the Chase, and was bred by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn. Faversham is an April 12 foal. California Chrome was born Feb. 18.

Gary Stevens changes agents

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens said he is hiring his longtime friend, the former trainer Jason Orman, as his new agent, replacing Mike Ciani.

“Jason has been one of my closest friends for a long time,” Stevens said. “This is something we’ve talked about for a long time. Mike’s done a great job.”

Stevens finished seventh in the standings at the Santa Anita spring meeting that ended July 2 with 17 victories after returning from hip-replacement surgery.

Ciani booked mounts for Stevens at Del Mar for the first condition book, which covers the first two weeks of the meet. After that, any business Stevens has will be secured by Orman. Stevens rides Ashleyluvssugar in the Grade 2 Eddie Read on Saturday.

Ciani said he was informed of Stevens’s decision Tuesday.

Jockey Kayla Stra has been suspended seven racing days from Sunday to Aug. 2 for causing interference that led to a spill in the ninth race at Los Alamitos last Sunday.

Stra was aboard I’m Sassy, who drifted to the inside and caused Valedictoriette to fall, unseating jockey Martin Pedroza. I’m Sassy finished seventh and was disqualified to unplaced.

Through Wednesday, Stra, 32, is winless with 26 mounts this year.