DEL MAR, Calif. – George Krikorian’s homebred Mucho Unusual, who has been facing high-line graded stakes company for the past year, drops into a seemingly ideal spot against state-bred runners in Saturday’s $125,000 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar. Naturally, she figures to be a solid favorite in the filly-mare test at a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Seven California-breds in all have entered the 27th edition of the Solana Beach, which goes as the 9th of 11 races on the weekend card.
Mucho Unusual is by the stallion Mucho Macho Man out of an Unusual Heat mare named Not Unusual, thus coming by her name readily enough. She’s run 14 times all told with 10 of those being stakes races and she’s registered four wins, three seconds and three thirds for earnings of $507,715. She won in open company last year at Del Mar at this same distance when she captured the Grade II San Clemente Stakes. Subsequently, she ran in seven Grade I or Grade II stakes with a second and three thirds for her efforts.
Flavien Prat will handle the 4-year-old filly Saturday for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Mucho Unusual’s chief threat may be her stablemate Cordiality, also trained by Yakteen. The 7-year-old mare by Papa Clem is already a winner at the meet, having captured the Osunitas Stakes on July 12, a race also run at eight furlongs on the lawn. Cordiality has won 11 times in 31 starts and shows a bankroll that reads $557,635. She won the Solana Beach in 2018 when she was trained by Mark Glatt.
Big Sweep, also bred by Krikorian, is a 3-year-old by Mr. Big who has only raced four times in her brief career, though she’s come away a winner in three of them. She tallied in the Fleet Treat Stakes for Cal-breds at seven furlongs on the main track on July 24. The Solana Beach will be her first outing on grass.
Sedamar, a Richard’s Kid filly bred by her owner and trained by Shelbe Ruis, has won four of 14 starts and $246,904. Twelve of her 14 outings – and virtually all of her wins and earnings – have come on the greensward.
Lynne’s Legacy wins the 2019 Solana Beach at Del Mar
Solana Beach Field
Race 9, post time 6:00 p.m. PT, 9:00 p.m. ET
Purse $125,000. For Golden State Series Eligible California-bred Or California-sired fillies and mares, 3-years-old and upward. 1 Mile (turf)
Post, sire, trainer, jockey, owner, MLO
1. Sedamar (Richard’s Kid) – Shelbe Ruis – Brice Blanc – Ruis Racing – 5/1
2. Cordiality (Papa Clem) – Tim Yakteen – Umberto Respoli – Donnie Crevier – 3/1
3. Big Sweep (Mr. Big) – Mark Glatt – Abel Cedillo – Red Barons Barn or Rancho Temesca – 5/1
4. Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man) – Flavien Prat – Tim Yakteen –
George Krikorian – 8/5
5. Pulpit Rider (Lucky Pulpit) – Mike Puype – Juan Hernandez – Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams – 6/1
6. Smiling Shirlee (Smiling Tiger) – Jeff Bonde – Victor Espinoza – Brown Jr., Klein or Lebherz – 12/1
7. Kitty Boom Boom (Tizbud) – Richard Baltas – Mike Smith – Pamela Ziebarth – 12/1
Del Mar Entries for Saturday, August 15
First post for the Saturday card is 2 p.m.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR081520USA-EQB.html
Edited Press Release
Photo: Mucho Unusual. Credit: Benoit Photo
