Dr. Schivel works for Futurity

DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Schivel, expected to be favored in the Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7, worked a quick half-mile in 47.20 seconds on Monday at Del Mar under trainer Luis Mendez.

Mendez often works his own horses at Del Mar this summer since jockeys are not permitted in the stables because of the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. Schivel had one of the fastest half-mile workouts Monday. Mendez said he was left impressed by Dr. Schivel’s stretch run in the workout.

“I sat behind two horses,” Mendez said. “By the time I asked him, he didn’t have a problem. He was really good.”

Dr. Schivel won a maiden special weight race at six furlongs by 5 3/4 lengths in his third start on Aug. 8 to join the list of probable starters for the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs.

The Del Mar Futurity is expected to have a small field, which will include the undefeated Weston, who won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 8.

Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante is likely to have a small field. Two contenders – recent maiden race winners Forest Caraway and Princess Noor – had workouts Monday.

Forest Caraway, trained by Peter Miller, worked five furlongs in 1:00, while Princess Noor, trained by Bob Baffert, worked the same distance in 1:01. Princess Noor may be favored, although there will be support for My Girl Red, who won the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 7 for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

Chew to retire

Veteran trainer Matt Chew is retiring in coming weeks.

Chew, 60, plans to have his last runner in Southern California at Del Mar on Monday’s closing day of the summer meeting and said Sunday that he will have a few more starters at Golden Gate Fields before disbanding his 10-horse stable.

Chew said he will focus on a horse farm in Hayden Lake, Idaho, where he and his wife, Candy, have property.

“We plan on having a horse center for special-needs kids and veterans,” Chew said between races Sunday.

Chew began training in 1982 and has trained throughout California. In recent years, his stable has raced primarily at Del Mar and Santa Anita, where his wife is a marketing executive. A devoted outdoorsman, Matt Chew said a milestone birthday this year played a role in his decision.

“I’m 60 this year,” Chew said. “I had to make a decision to do something else or stay in this forever. I’m not familiar with what’s outside of these gates.”

Through Sunday, Chew had six wins this year. The stable has numbered approximately 15 to 20 runners in recent seasons.

Chew’s top runner in recent years was Singing Kitty, a three-time stakes winner at Santa Anita in 2015. Her richest win was the $200,000 California Cup Oaks for statebreds.

Fuentes gets 11 days

Jockey Ruben Fuentes has been suspended 11 racing days – from Saturday through Oct. 4 – for causing interference in races on Friday and Saturday at Del Mar.

During the time of the suspension, Fuentes will be restricted to riding graded stakes, which are exempt from routine suspensions in California.

Fuentes was cited for failing to maintain a straight course on Quiet Secretary in the ninth race Friday, resulting in a fourday suspension. Quiet Secretary ($133.80) drifted out in the stretch, forcing runner-up Constantia to be steadied. The stewards conducted an inquiry but did not change the order of finish, concluding the incident did not cost Constantia a better placing. Quiet Secretary won by 1 1/4 lengths.

The suspension covers the final three days of the current Del Mar meeting – Saturday through Sept. 7 – and Sept. 19, the opening day of the Santa Anita autumn meeting. There is no daytime Thoroughbred racing in Southern California from Sept. 8 until Sept. 19.

Saturday, Fuentes was cited for his ride on Le Tub, who was disqualified from first to eighth for causing interference in the fifth race, for maidens at five furlongs on turf.

With racing conducted largely on a Friday-throughSunday basis in Southern California this year, the seven-day suspension for that infraction stretches from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, the eighth day of the Santa Anita meeting. Fuentes was hit with a seven-day ban because his penalty on Le Tub was the third instance of a careless riding offense in the last 60 days, according to a ruling published by Del Mar stewards

Through Sunday, Fuentes was tied for 10th in the standings at the Del Mar summer meeting with six wins. The 23-year-old rider has three graded stakes wins this year, including the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita in January on Queen Bee to You.

Trainer Bonde fined

Trainer Jeff Bonde was fined $500 by Del Mar stewards over the weekend after Raging Tiger tested positive for the prohibited anti-inflammatory Triamcinolone Acetonide following a workout May 20 at Santa Anita.

Raging Tiger was on the veterinarian’s list and underwent a five-furlong workout in 1:01.80 as part of the process to be removed from the list. The procedure includes a post-workout drug test.

Raging Tiger is winless in five starts.

BENOIT PHOTO Dr. Schivel wins his maiden at Del Mar in his third start.