Pedroza cures dismal summer

CYPRESS, Calif. – Jockey Martin Pedroza, still going strong at the age of 53, found the ideal antidote to a difficult summer Thursday at Los Alamitos.

Pedroza won two races on the first day of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting, or half the number of races he won during the entire 36-day season at Del Mar.

“I needed a double to make up for Del Mar,” Pedroza said. “I should have had a triple.”

Pedroza won Thursday’s fifth race on Kid Koil ($8) and the seventh on Princess Areni ($6.20). He was second in the fourth race on Street Vision, who was beaten by a head.

Pedroza is one of the senior members of the year-round jockeys’ room in Southern California along with Gary Stevens, 55, and Mike Smith and Stewart Elliott, who are both 53. Of those, only Elliott is riding regularly at Los Alamitos this month.

Pedroza and Elliott are fighting for mounts at Los Alamitos with several apprentice jockeys who are thriving in Southern California.

On Sunday, Pedroza does not ride, while Elliott is booked in three of the nine races. The apprentice jockeys Assael Espinoza and Heriberto Figueroa, who tied for the jockey title here in July, are in demand. Both rode winners Thursday.

At Del Mar, Pedroza was winless with his first 46 mounts and had four wins in August. He said a few opportunities on wellregarded horses were lost to late scratches and illnesses.

“I was getting frustrated,” he said. “I thought I’d have a few here and a few there.”

Thursday was Pedroza’s first multi-win day since he won three races here July 12. Thursday’s wins gave Pedroza a record 115 career wins at major Thoroughbred meetings at Los Alamitos. He rode here during the Orange County Fair, which ended in 1991, and has been a regular fixture since daytime Thoroughbred racing resumed in 2014.

Pedroza will be expected to add to his all-time total before the meeting ends Sept. 23. The Del Mar season is behind him, but the challenges of the season gave him a chance to reflect on decades-old advice given by a legendary colleague.

“Bill Shoemaker once told me when things aren’t going your way, don’t change, keep riding the way you’re riding,” he said. “I never forgot that.”

Eurton has Okla. Derby plans

Core Beliefs and Draft Pick are likely to represent trainer Peter Eurton in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Sept. 30.

The $400,000 Oklahoma Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles.

Core Beliefs, owned by Gary Broad, won the Grade 3 Ohio Derby in June and was fourth in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 29. Draft Pick, owned by Lee and Susan Searing, was second in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby in July and second in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer on Aug. 4.

Eurton said Thursday that Cool Bobby, who was fifth in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 25, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Dark Vader, fifth in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby in July, recently resumed workouts after a late summer rest.

Of a more immediate nature, Eurton is considering Giant Influence for the newly created $100,000 Los Alamitos Special at 1 1/4 miles on Sept. 16. The Los Alamitos Special is restricted to horses who have not won a firstplace purse of $50,000 at a mile or more.

Lombo eyes Malibu Stakes

Lombo needed all of the 1,380foot stretch at Los Alamitos to win an optional $62,500 claimer Thursday. Making his first start for Phil D’Amato after having been trained by Mike Pender, Lombo closed steadily under Martin Garcia to win by a head over Street Vision, finishing six furlongs in 1:09.76.

Lombo had not raced since finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 5.

“Those were good, seasoned older horses,” D’Amato said of Thursday’s field. “For him to do that off the break, I like the fight I saw.”

Lombo won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in February for Pender.

Lombo was transferred to D’Amato in early summer.

D’Amato said Lombo will be considered for the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.