Irideo (inside) rallying pat Much Del Oro for the win. (Ernie Belmont/Past The Wire)
Fellow Chileans Polanco & Laprida Team For Nose Win Over Hillside Turf
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—In his first ever ride down Santa Anita’s one-of-a-kind hillside turf course, 28-year-old Chilean native Jeremy Laprida rode a perfect race in Sunday’s $100,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes aboard 8-year-old Argentine-bred gelding Irideo, as he cut to the rail a sixteenth of a mile out in a dramatic stretch run that resulted in a nose victory over Mucho Del Oro. Trained by fellow Chilean Marcelo Polanco, Irideo got about 6 ½ furlongs in 1:12.12.
Last, about 10 lengths off the lead at the half mile pole, Irideo, who was handled with consummate patience, followed Daniel’s Magic to the dirt crossing and when both he and the pacesetter, Hamwood Flier drifted out, he cut to the rail late and was just up on the money.
Winless, but second on one occasion from two lifetime tries down the hill, Irideo, who was also winless in eight starts last year, had been idle since finishing a fast closing fifth in a one mile turf allowance at Del Mar.
The longest shot in a field of 10 older horses at 19-1, Irideo paid $40.60, $14.20 and $7.40.
Represented locally by veteran agent Patty Sterling, Laprido, who has been well known to Polanco for many years, had most recently been riding regularly at Parx Racing near Philadelphia.
Owned by his breeder Pozo de Luna, Inc., Irideo, a Group I winner at age two in Argentina, notched his second restricted stakes win from 17 starts with Polanco today and improved his career resume to 23-6-5-0. With the winner’s share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $394,344.
For Mucho Del Oro, who had been idle since claimed out of a $50,000 hillside turf win on June 3, it was a bitter defeat, as he tracked Hamwood Flier down the hill, made the lead a furlong out and opened up by two lengths but was just tagged on the money by the winner who surged late at the rail.
Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Mucho Del Oro was off at 4-1 and paid $6.40 and $4.60 while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of 5-2 favorite Sumter.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli and trained by Richard Mandella, Sumter, who paid $3.20 to show, broke from the far outside and had no apparent excuses.
Fractions on the race were 21.43, 43.64 and 1:05.75.
Racing resumes on Friday with first post time for an eight-race card at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m. and fans are treated to free admission and parking as well as $3 beers and $5 margaritas on all Fridays.
$100,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes Quotes
Jockey Quotes
Jeremy Laprida, Irideo, Winner: “I’m very happy, thank you to the owner and Marcelo for the opportunity to ride, this is my dream, I’m very happy.
“It was my first time on the hillside course. I studied the race every morning with Marcelo and that was the plan. Waiting, waiting find an opening at the rail and let’s go. It was very tight, but I thought I won.”
Trainer Quotes
Marcelo Polanco, Irideo, Winner: “We studied the race all morning long and it came out the way we wanted, so we are super happy.
“He kind of lost weight when we went to Del Mar, and we had planned on this race, so we just took it easy on him. Easy gallops, he is a horse that knows what to do. He put on some more weight, and he is doing good.
“I know Jeremy (Laprida) for a lot of years, he is from Chile, so we all get together most of the time when I go on vacation. He was riding at Parx for a long time, and I’ve seen his races he’s really good, when you compare Hector Berrios with him, it is pretty much the same, both are very patient.”
