Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
O’Neill equals own win record
DEL MAR, Calif. – The winners arrived early and late for trainer Doug O’Neill at Del Mar on Wednesday.
O’Neill won five of the seven races to equal a single-day record for wins in a day at Del Mar that he set in 2015.
From a surprise win by So Gucci ($49.20) in Wednesday’s first race to Ocean Fury’s win at $6.20 as the second choice in the final race, O’Neill had a brilliant day with seven runners.
“It was an awesome day,” he said on Thursday. “I thought we had a couple of good chances, but I didn’t seen it coming.”
None of O’Neill’s winners was favored. After So Gucci won the first race, O’Neill won with his next three starters – Oil Can Knight ($24.60) in the third race, Vegan ($15.80) in the fourth, and Convince ($15.40) in the fifth. Convince drew into the race from the also-eligible list.
Four riders accounted for the five wins – Evin Roman, Abel Cedillo, and Mario Gutierrez each won once, while Bejarano rode Convince and Ocean Fury.
“Bejarano had a couple of rides that were Hall of Fame quality,” O’Neill said. “We had some huge jockey help.”
The five-win day vaulted O’Neill into a tie for the lead in the trainer standings with Peter Miller through Wednesday. Both won nine races in the first 11 days of the 36-day meeting.
Saturday, O’Neill has five runners in four races, most notably Comical in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Comical, unbeaten in two starts, won the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga on July 11 in her stakes debut.
O’Neill plans to have runners in several of the track’s leading races. The multiple stakes winner Pavel is a candidate for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 17, while the recent maiden race winner A Thousand Dreams is likely to run in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 2, the closing day of the summer meeting.
On Sept. 2, Defense Wins, second in a maiden special weight here on July 21, may start in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.
Bulletproof One has options
Bulletproof One is likely to stay in the California-bred 2-year-old filly division after a convincing win in her Southern California debut in Wednesday’s $100,702 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for statebred fillies at Del Mar.
Bulletproof One led throughout the CTBA Stakes, winning by 6 1/4 lengths without being urged late by jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. Bulletproof One ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.70, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 76.
Bulletproof One had her first start on Wednesday for owners Gary Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Adam Wachtel, and trainer Peter Miller. The partnership bought the filly privately in mid-July after Bulletproof One won the Everett Nevin Stakes for California-breds by 9 1/4 lengths at Pleasanton on July 6 for previous owner and trainer Ellen Jackson.
“She’s been very straightforward,” Miller said. “We’ve only had her for two weeks. She came to me in great shape.”
Miller said the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs on Aug. 28 is likely to be Bulletproof One’s next start. Later this year, she could start on turf, although there are stakes for statebred fillies at Santa Anita in November and Los Alamitos in December that will be considered.
By Idiot Proof, Bulletproof One began her career with an eight-length win in a maiden race for open company including males at Golden Gate Fields on May 11. The CTBA Stakes was her first start against fillies. Bulletproof One has earned $137,400 in her three wins.
High expectations for Eclair
Eclair, the most expensive horse at the Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita sale of 2-year-olds in training in June, will have her career debut amidst high expectations in Saturday’s first race at Del Mar.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Sarah Kelly and Jane Wiltz, Eclair is part of a field of five in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs for fillies. Drayden Van Dyke has the mount and has worked Eclair.
“She’s very athletic,” Van Dyke said. “She gets over the ground well.”
By Bernardini, Eclair was purchased for $420,000.
There are three first-time starters in the field, including Bristol Bayou, trained by John Shirreffs, and Lazy Daisy, trained by Doug O’Neill.
Lazy Daisy was scratched on July 20 because of a paperwork issue, O’Neill said. O’Neill has been impressed with her recent workouts.
“If the race was in the morning, she’d be a Grade 1 horse,” O’Neill said. “She’s training very well.”
The two fillies with experience were second in their last start – Gold Included in a maiden race at Del Mar on July 20 and Greg’s Diva in a maiden race at Ellis Park on July 4.