Published: Sunday, July 25, 2010, 10:00 AM     Updated: Sunday, July 25, 2010, 2:26 PM

She walked into the paddock to an ovation, looking the part of a champion, but as she made her way down the backstretch Saturday, it appeared she had lost some of the flash she used to capture the horse racing world last summer.

That was until she turned for home at the top of the stretch.

All it took was a firm shake of the reins by jockey Calvin Borel to coax reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra past jockey Joe Bravo and Queen Martha into to the lead and to victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.
 
She covered the 1 1/8 mile course in 1.49:78 and paid $2.20 to win.

It certainly wasn’t as flashy as last year’s Haskell triumph, but Rachel Alexandra continued her reign at Monmouth Park with a three-length victory over a very game Queen Martha, who appeared like she might steal the spotlight, in front of 12,859 fans who endured the oppressive 100-degree heat.

After Queen Martha, it was 10 more lengths back to third-place finisher Ask the Moon.

Trainer Steve Asmussen maintained there were no anxious moments as he watched his horse sit second, a length behind second choice Queen Martha throughout the backstretch run.

“She was very relaxed,’’ Asmussen said. “I think that she was in a very good rhythm. Calvin said she came home well. … I think that most of her success has been galloping them off their feet.’’

Borel was more than happy with his position throughout the race. He said he feels most comfortable when Rachel can sit just off the pace and make her move around the far turn, and always a good measure of Queen Martha.

“I was comfortable where I was, going at that speed,’’ Borel said. “I was really happy with her last quarter mile. I think it was one of her best races, she just ran her race.”

Saturday’s was the second consecutive victory for Rachel Alexandra. She recovered from a difficult start to her year that saw her finish second in her first two races in the early spring by tallying a 10 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 12, but the future is still up in the air for the super filly.

Asmussen said owner Jess Jackson, who did not make the trip to Monmouth Saturday, is looking at two races between now and the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, with the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 29 as a possible target for the first.

Asmussen said Rachel would be shipped to Saratoga Monday, where Jackson will visit with the horse later this week to determine what will be next.
 
The mere three lengths victory was a workmanlike performance for the Rachel Alexandra, who captured the Preakness and Haskell last season against an underwhelming field. None of her competitors had ever won a graded stakes in their career. Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra won seven graded stakes last year alone.

Still, Rachel’s camp was encouraged by her performance Saturday. The victory kept her on track for a possible showdown with last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta, who is still undefeated and racing as a 6-year-old mare.

“I love where her mind is, at this stage,’’ Asmussen said. “She’s more mature and carrying a little more weight. She’s very focused and nothing surprises her. She knows it’s race day, and she accepts and it’s been very rewarding for her.’’

NOTES

Saturday’s handle of $11,421,794 was the largest handle outside of a Haskell or Breeders’ Cup day in Monmouth Park history. The previous record was $9,787,620 earlier this season on July 3.

There was $1,234,515 bet on Rachel Alexandra to show (paying $2.10) Saturday. In comparison, there was just $151,404 bet on her to win.

John Sutton: jsutton@starledger.com

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DEL MAR, Calif. — The California Horse Racing Board has voted to allow Patrick Valenzuela to resume riding in the state under strict conditions that require the jockey with a history of substance abuse to submit to hair follicle testing.

The board voted in closed session Thursday on the agreement that is unprecedented because of its ongoing nature and severe stipulations.

Valenzuela, 47, has been riding in New Mexico and Louisiana the last two years after he previously failed to regain his license in California during a career marred by substance abuse and suspensions.

The hair follicle testing will be conducted under the auspices of the racing board and the results will be known before he is licensed. The agreement will be in force as long as Valenzuela is licensed to ride in California.

CHRB chairman Keith Brackpool says California racing officials were told by the state steward in Louisiana that Valenzuela has passed all drug and alcohol tests over the last two years. Steward Roy Wood told the board that the jockey has matured in the last few years and been a good citizen.

Brackpool says the board believes that the strict licensing conditions for Valenzuela will protect the public, other riders, horses and the jockey himself.

The conditions of the agreement require that Valenzuela must completely abstain from the possession, injection or consumption of all mood-altering drugs, including alcohol, and be subject to random testing. The board has the right to charge Valenzuela for the cost of such testing.

Before he’s allowed to apply for a license, Valenzuela must attend thrice-weekly meetings of an alcohol recovery program. He must obey all laws and must provide a full account of any violations to the racing board in writing within 72 hours of an occurrence.

If Valenzuela fails to participate in the random testing or has any confirmed findings of alcohol or drugs in his body, his license will be immediately suspended.

Valenzuela’s conditional riding license in California was revoked in 2008 after a drunken driving arrest, and the board said then he wouldn’t be able to reapply.

He rode Sunday Silence to victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1989.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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DEL MAR NOTEBOOK

By Ed Zieralski, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 10:15 p.m.

Del Mar — Jockey Tyler Baze was injured before the start of the start of the fifth race Saturday when his horse reared up, head-butted him and then stepped on his calf before running off.

Baze was taken to Scripps Hospital. Initial reports indicated he had a badly swollen eye and a bruised calf, but later, his agent, Vic Stauffer, said Baze requested that any further medical information be withheld until he receives a second opinion from another physician.

Baze was getting ready to load Night Justice, a 3-year-old gelding, for the fifth race when the accident happened. He was taken by ambulance, initially to the Del Mar Racetrack First Aid area and then to the hospital.

Baze missed two weeks in mid-August last meeting here when he was unseated in the post parade and broke a pinkie finger.

Before this accident, Baze had won four races in the first three days of the meeting.

Osunitas Stakes

Lilly Fa Pootz, with jockey Joseph Talamo, won the 59th running of the Osunitas Stakes Saturday for fillies and mares 3 years old and up over 1 1/16 miles on the turf course. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Lilly Fa Pootz is a 5-year-old mare by Gilded Time out of Dark Rhythm. The third choice in the betting, Lilly Fa Pootz paid $15.20, $6.60 and $4.40. Burg Berg with jockey Joel Rosario was second. Betting favorite U R All That I Am finished fifth.

Notables

•Trainer John Shirreffs said Saturday that super mare Zenyatta will work next at Hollywood Park “around the 31st” of July. Shirreffs would not say whether Zenyatta, who is undefeated in 17 straight races, was going to race here on Aug. 7 in the Clement L. Hirsch on the Polytrack, which the mare has won in the last two meetings here. When asked what he thought of the Polytrack, he said. “I just got here.”

Asked if he might make a decision soon on whether to bring Zenyatta here, he said: “Not really. She’s scheduled to work next week, and so we’ll put off any decision until after she works.”

•Trainer Doug O’Neill, fresh from winning the training title at Hollywood Park, is off to a great start here.

O’Neill missed 15 days of the Hollywood meeting due to a suspension in Illinois when one of his horses, Stephen’s Got Hope, was tested and found to have an excess level of carbon dioxide (TCO2). The test is used to determine whether horses get an overload of bicarbonate before racing, a practice known as milkshaking. It reduces lactic acid build-up and prevents fatigue in race horses.

O’Neill’s Stephen’s Got Hope finished seventh in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. O’Neill was suspended in Illinois, and rather than fight to appeal the suspension and race in California, O’Neill consulted with his owners and then decided to shut his barn down and rest his horses.

In four days of racing here, O’Neill has taken those rested horses and jumped out to the early lead in the trainer standings with six wins. Two of those were for the colorful Great Friends Stable, an ownership syndicate started by Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith of the morning show on XX Radio 1090-AM, with oversight of that wild herd by Craig Dado, senior vice president of marketing of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

“Unbelievable start,” O’Neill said after taking third in the seventh race. “We knew we had some fresh horses, and when we opened up the condition book there were a lot of spots that really fit our horses. We feel really blessed. It’s a great start, and now we have to keep it going.”

O’Neill started with four victories in the first three days and then added two, back-to-back yesterday, winning with the 3-year-old gelding Thomas Baines ($8 to win) in the first race for AJL Productions. He followed that by saddling Call Me Honcho ($5.80 to win) for Great Friends Stable.

“That’s a great group, that Great Friends Stable,” O’Neill said. “They put together a great group of guys who are in it to have fun, make a little bit of money and it’s working out so far.”

•Jeff Bloom rode as an apprentice jockey in 1982 at Del Mar. Now vice president of western operations for West Point Thoroughbreds, the San Diegan plans to ride in a one-race, one-time comeback at Del Mar. Bloom has been training by galloping West Point Thoroughbred horses, first at Hollywood and more recently at Del Mar.

Bloom said his friend and fellow horse owner, Mike Shustek, thought of the idea, and Bloom embraced it. “I thought it would be a nice thing for my kids to be able to see me ride,” Bloom told the DMTC staff. “Obviously, they weren’t born while I was riding.” Bloom has two daughters, Hannah, 14, and Ashley, 12. Bloom believes he’ll ride the syndicate’s filly, Nefarious, in about three weeks. Bloom rode tracks in Western Canada and was done riding in early 1990.

•Jockey Patrick Valenzuela hasn’t even arrived yet, but he’s already stirring up things at the track, and even in the press box. Handicapper and horse owner Bob Ike, who also picks horses for the San Diego Union-Tribune, and Kurt Hoover, the talented TV host with HRTV and Hollywood Park, have a bet on how many races the man known as P-Val will win. Hoover was thinking more like 15. Ike went low, saying 6. They compromised on an over-under bet of 9½. There will be some big stakes (pun intended) here. The loser has to buy dinner for four – Ike and his wife, Kim, and Hoover and his wife, Tina, at Michael’s in Long Beach. I’m going with Hoover on this one. Valenzuela’s battles with cocaine, amphetamines and booze are documented in a rap sheet provided by the California Horse Racing Board, but the man is fit, according to his agent, Tom Knust, and can still ride. Knust said Valenzuela didn’t get any horses for Wednesday, but he believes the jockey will get some mounts Saturday and Sunday.

•Handicapping Contest: Now starts the “Sunday $50 Handicapping Contest. Players compete for weekly prizes and a spot in the $1 million Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas in January. Bettors put up a $20 entry fee and a $50 live-bankroll buy-in on a Player Card available at sign-up booths today at the track. Players must bet five Del Mar races ($5 win, $5 place on each race). The player with the most money wins a weekly prize of $1,000. Second place is worth $500, and third gets $250. Of course, players get to keep all their winnings, too. The top 10 finishers each week are invited back to the final contest on closing Sunday of the meet, Sept. 5. Those 60 players get a $50 free bet voucher. That day’s winner gets a free ride to the National Handicapping Championship set for Jan. 28-29 at the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. It covers admission, travel and accommodations for the winner.

•Here’s a list of the best workouts Saturday morning at Del Mar:

3 furlongs – Miss Picaboo (trainer A.C. Avila) :34.20 handily.

4 furlongs – Road Ready (trainer Jeff Bonde) :46.80 handily

5 furlongs – Avid (trainer Richard Mandella) :59.40 handily

6 furlongs – (tie) Sky Lake (no trainer listed) and Zulu King (Bruce Headley) 1:12:20.

7 furlongs – Golden Mexico (Ireland) (trainer John Sadler) 1:26.20.

Helping Horses: After the Finish Line, a non-profit group supporting other groups financial who rescue thoroughbreds after they’ve finished racing, has a charity fund-raising reception, dinner and auction set for Aug. 5 at the Hilton Hotel across from the racetrack. It goes from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Call Dawn Mellen at (858) 945-1571 or go to www.afterthefinishline.org.

•Promotions: Del Mar offers a lot of ways for fans to enjoy many aspects of the game prior to race day. “Daybreak at Del Mar” is held in the Clubhouse Terrace Restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays. It goes from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.. Fans get to eat breakfast and watch horses go through their workouts.

Candy Time: Trainer John Sadler said Twirling Candy, who won the Oceanside Stakes in fine fashion, could race in the Aug. 14 La Jolla Handicap and then the Del Mar Derby on Sept. 5. Sidney’s Candy could run in the La Jolla and push Twirling Candy to the Derby. Sidney’s Candy was second in the Swaps at Hollywood after getting nipped by Skipshot.

Both are sons of Jenny Craig’s Candy Ride, who won the 2003 $1 million Pacific Classic.

•Healing: Long-time trainer Leonard Dorfman, who was at Del Mar when Bing Crosby welcomed the first fan in 1937, is recovering from a stroke in his home in La Verne. Now 88, Dorfman had three stakes wins here

Trainer Peter Eurton is healing from injuries he received in an accident last Wednesday on the track during morning workouts. Eurton was aboard his pony and walking one of his horses to the starting gate. Eurton told the DMTC staff that he watched as the rider got off the horse that was going to work because the horse was acting up. The horse then reared up and broke free. The horse turned back toward the gate, but then went right for Eurton and his pony. When Eurton turned the pony, the horse grabbed him in the back, picked him up and threw him to the ground. He landed on his head, but luckily, had his helmet on. He has a souvenir, a huge hematoma on his back and a big bruise on his right knee. Eurton said the gate crew saved him from further injuries.

•Racism at the races: On the surface, it looks like a colors man (silks custodian) and horse owner just got carried away with their logos and didn’t conform to the proper dress code for racing silks on the jockey. But upon further review, and it will be reviewed and litigated, the action taken recently by the California Horse Racing Board against jockey silks custodian (colors man) Antony Baze and horse owner William Wilbur goes much deeper. Like Deep South stuff. The CHRB alleges that Wilbur’s horse, Mute Rudolph, named for Ken Rudulph, a host for the horse racing network TVG, won its racing debut in colors that included the Confederate flag, which didn’t match Wilbur’s regular colors. Ken Rudulph is an African-American, and this clearly is being seen as a racial slur against Rudulph by the CHRB.

According to the complaint, “On or about July 15, 2010, colors man Anthony “Tony” Baze received financial consideration and conspired to aid and abet with owner William “Bill” Wilbur for allowing colors to be worn that did not belong to Wilbur on the horse Mute Rudulph during the 4th race at Cal Expo. The colors change was not reported to the clerk of the course prior to the start of the race.” Mute Rudulph finished first in the race for $12,500 maiden claimers. The stewards at Santa Rosa have scheduled an August 7 hearing for these complaints.”

Wilbur’s horses usually run in silks that emulate the Sacramento Kings’ colors of black, white and purple.Baze and Wilbur face possible license revocation or suspension “for conduct detrimental to horse racing” under rules pertaining to proper attire for a jockey and for solicitation to participate in a prohibited act. The violations are also grounds for future license denial. The stewards at Santa Rosa have scheduled an Aug. 7 hearing.

Jockey Michael Martinez rode Mute Rudulph, a son of Sea of Secrets.

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DEL MAR, CALIF. (AP) —Evening Jewel won Sunday’s $150,000 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length at Del Mar.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Evening Jewel ran a mile on the turf in 1:35.36 and paid $5.40, $3.20 and $3.60 as the 8-5 favorite. She carried high weight of 123 pounds.

City to City returned $7.20 and $5.40, while Weekend Magic was another length back in third and paid $10 to show. Crisp, second in the Kentucky Oaks in May, was bothered by traffic and finished fourth in the field of 10.

Evening Jewel has been worse than second just once in her 11-race career. She earned $90,000 to increase her career earnings to $696,943, with five wins.

The win capped a big weekend for Espinoza and trainer Jim Cassidy, who combined with The Usual Q.T. to win Saturday’s $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes.

In the co-featured $100,000 California Dreamin’ Handicap for older horses, Bruce’s Dream rallied from behind to win for the fifth time in six starts.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Bruce’s Dream beat Colgan’s Chip by a head, covering 1 1-16 miles on the turf in 1:40.96. Bruce’s Dream paid $5.80, $3.80 and $3.40.

Two-time winner Bold Chieftain was sixth and last.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP)—Maybesomaybenot led from gate to wire to win the $150,000 Sanford Stakes for 2-year-olds Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.

Julien Leparoux rode Maybesomaybenot, who ran six furlongs in 1:10.97 and was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Nacho Saint. Another Silver Oak was third of seven. Favored Bail Out the Cat was eliminated at the start when he broke awkwardly and well behind the field. A stewards inquiry determined that he was not impeded by the assistant starter.

The victory was the second in three starts for the Michael Maker-trained Maybesomaybenot, who earned $90,000 for owners Carolyn and Karen Scisney and paid $21.20, $10.60 and $7. Nacho Saint paid $7.50 and $4.80. Another Silver Oak paid $7.40 to show.

Earlier on the Saratoga card, jockey Javier Castellano rode the winners of five consecutive races.

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OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP)—Rachel Alexandra kept cool on a wilting afternoon at Monmouth Park, defeating six rivals Saturday in the $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes for fillies and mares.

It was the second straight win for the reigning Horse of the Year following a pair of losses to start the season.

Rachel Alexandra beat the heat, in addition to the competition, as temperatures pushed into the upper 90s. Combined with the humidity, the heat index topped 100.

Calvin Borel was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen as Rachel Alexandra beat Queen Martha by three lengths. Queen Martha, the second choice at 8-1, set the pace with Rachel Alexandra tracking in second. They hooked up on the final turn with Rachel Alexandra taking charge at the top of the lane before pulling clear in the deep stretch.

“We’re very pleased with her, how she ran today,” said Asmussen. “It was an awfully warm day and she kept her composure. She was very relaxed off the other mare. The first thing Calvin said when he came off her was that he loved how she came home today. I think that will be the key to her future success.”

Her next start will be decided next week when Asmussen meets with owner Jess Jackson in Saratoga.

It was a triumphant return to Monmouth where Rachel Alexandra beat the boys last summer in the $1 million Haskell Invitational, one of the key victories that propelled her to the championship in an 8-0 campaign.

After a slow start this season with a pair of a narrow loses, Rachel Alexandra seems back to her old dominant self. She rolled to a 10 1/2 length win in her previous outing, the Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs.

To lure Rachel Alexandra back to Monmouth, the Lady’s Secret underwent a major overhaul. The race was originally slated for Aug. 1 with a purse of $150,000. The additional $250,000 was contingent on Rachel Alexandra competing in the race. The distance was also lengthened from 1 1-16 miles to 1 1-8.

The race comes a week before the Haskell, which will feature Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

The time was 1:49.78.

The 1-10 favorite, Rachel Alexandra paid $2.20, $2.10 and $2.10. Queen Martha returned $2.80 and $2.40. Ask the Moon paid $3.80 to show.

Stage Trick was fourth followed by Hark, Yes She’s a Lady and Fabulous Babe.

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DEL MAR, Calif. (AP)—Patrick Valenzuela could return to riding in California as soon as next Wednesday.

The 47-year-old jockey with a lengthy history of alcohol and substance abuse was granted a probationary license on Thursday by the California Horse Racing Board. The same group revoked his license in 2008 after Valenzuela was arrested for drunken driving.

Agent Tom Knust said Friday that Valenzuela could be named to ride on Wednesday’s card at the seaside track.

Knust says he’s had good responses from several trainers interested in booking Valenzuela, who won the 1989 Kentucky Derby with Sunday Silence. Valenzuela has won five riding titles at Del Mar.

He’s been riding at Louisiana Downs since getting banned from California.

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The brilliant Rachel Alexandra will look to prove that she really is back when she takes on six rivals in the $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park this Saturday.

The Lady’s Secret is one of Monmouth Park’s biggest races of the meet.

The fact that Rachel’s entered makes it an even bigger race this Saturday.

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Here’s a quick look at the 2010 Lady’s Secret Stakes as well as an analysis regarding Rachel Alexandra’s true chances of winning.

2010 $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes

• When: July 24th, 2010 at 5:50 pm EST
• Where: Monmouth Park, Oceanport, NJ
• Distance: 1 1/8th miles over dirt

2010 $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes – Horse Betting Analysis

Although Rachel looked spectacular in her last, there were some specific things about that race that put it all in Rachel’s favor.

First, she ran over the Churchill Downs racing strip, the site of her 2009 Kentucky Oaks victory, with Calvin Borel on her back.

Borel owns Churchill Downs. Second, the Churchill Downs racetrack was playing particularly fast that day.

Third, the only other real horse in that race was Jessica Is Back who served as nothing more than a rabbit for the brilliant Rachel.

Saturday’s Lady’s Secret Stakes might be different. Although some might argue Rachel’s biggest win of her career, a victory in the Grade I Haskell Invitational over 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, occurred at Monmouth Park, the truth is that Rachel is by no means a Monmouth Park loving horse.

Her Haskell victory occurred over a muddy racing strip and, to be sure, she was one of the few true front-runners in the group.

In fact, Rachel hasn’t faced more than one true front-runner like herself in a very long time.

Jessica Is Back, who proved she perhaps prefers shorter distances after winning on the Calder Summit of Speed card a few weeks ago, was put in a sincerely tough position because if she didn’t go after Rachel early, or try to scoot away from Rachel, she’d have no chance of winning.

That type of scenario, where Rachel takes the lead early or tracks a single early pace setter, isn’t going to happen on Saturday. Instead, Rachel faces at least three other true front-runners in the Lady’s Secret: Stage Trick, Fabulous Babe and Yes She’s A Lady.

Stage Trick breaks from the rail and no doubt will go for the lead. Fabulous Babe has secured the lead running in 5 ½ furlong races. So, she’s going to the front. Yes She’s A Lady is a Todd Pletcher trainee that will be pressing from the outside if not battling from the outright lead herself.

With so much speed signed on, the best place for Rachel to be will be about 2 ½ to 3, possibly more, lengths off of the pace.

That’s easier said than done. Rachel has shown an affinity to pulling Borel ever since her Grade I victory in the Woodward last summer.

In fact, save for her win in the Kentucky Oaks last year, Rachel has always sat about ½ length to a length behind the other speed. How will she react if she’s 3 or 4 lengths behind horses?

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Del Mar really kicks it into gear this weekend with the Grade I Eddie Read and the Grade II San Clemente.

The Eddie Read is considered one of the best grass races of the summer.  It also marks the return of The Usual Q.T. who ran off 5 straight victories over the Del Mar and Santa Anita lawns last summer and fall.

Let’s take a look at both the Grade I Eddie Read and the Grade II San Clemente.

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West Coast Stakes Races – Saturday & Sunday

Saturday

Del Mar Racetrack – Race 8

Where:  Del Mar, CA

When:  July 24th, 2010 at 8:30 pm EST

TV: TVG

Eddie Read Handicap (Grade I)

Purse $300,000.   For Three-Year-Olds And Upward.

1 1/8 miles over turf

Both Acclamation and The Usual Q.T. are in this race.  Although The Usual Q.T. doesn’t need the lead to win, he can’t let Acclamation get away with soft fractions up front or he’ll never be able to run him down.  If the two get into a speed duel, the door should open up for Crowded House.  The Brian Meehan trainee gets the rail, where jockey Tyler Baze can save ground, and has run against much, much tougher in his career.  If he’s anywhere close to being at his best, he should beat this field by open lengths.  For second, Loup Breton is the logical pick. 

Like Crowded House, he’s going to need Acclamation and The Usual Q.T. to really go after each other.  If that happens, the Julio Canani closer has a shot at winning on Saturday.  Out of the two speed horses, the one most likely to hang on for the victory is The Usual Q.T.  I’m not sure if Acclamation is going to come back and run as well in SoCal as he did before he took a trip to Monmouth and got pummeled in the United Nations Handicap.  The Usual Q.T. is the better horse in my mind.

1. Crowded House
2. Loup Breton
3. The Usual Q.T.

Sunday

Del Mar Racetrack – Race 8

Where:  Del Mar, CA

When:  July 25th, 2010 at 8:30 pm EST

TV: TVG

San Clemente H. (Grade II)

Purse $150,000.   For Fillies, Three-Year-Olds.

1 mile over turf

Evening Jewel will go off as a vulnerable short-priced favorite in the San Clemente on Sunday.  The brilliant winner of the Grade I Ashland earlier this year won the Grade II Honeymoon over the Hollywood turf course by only a head as a 90 cents to the dollar favorite.  There is a lot of other speed in this for the front-runner to deal with.  I prefer the John Sadler trained Switch in this situation.  Switch goes first time on the turf for Sadler but has been training beautifully over the surface.  She picks up jockey Martin Garcia, is bred to love the sod, and should be going off at a square price.  I believe that It Tiz is good enough to step up to this grade two and win it.  The daughter of Tiznow is 2 for 2 on the turf and 2 for 2 at this distance. She should be able to lay 3 to 4 lengths off of the pace before making her run.  Weekend Magic is the only real presser/closer type in this group.  If the pace unfolds the way I expect it to, she’s not without a shot for the victory.

1. Switch
2. It Tiz
3. Weekend Magic

Good luck!

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