Mi Hermano Ramon. (Benoit Photo)
Will Then Best in Jimmy Durante
Del Mar Press
DEL MAR, Calif—Outsiders Mi Hermano Ramon and Will Then captured the Seabiscuit Handicap and the Jimmy Durante Stakes, respectively, on Saturday’s next-to-last day of racing at Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season meeting.
Mi Hermano Ramon, owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, came running hard late under Hector I. Berrios to take down honors in the $203,500 Seabiscuit at a mile and one-sixteenth on the lawn. The gelded son of Creative Cause covered the distance in 1:41.07 and returned $24.80 to his backers. He’s trained by veteran Mark Glatt, who may have used the score to put a check on his quest to be leading trainer at a Del Mar meet for the first time.
“He’s going to run his race. He’s going to fall back. He’s not a horse that can quicken so we just wanted to keep him in the clear, said Glatt.
“Don’t want to lose any momentum with him because once he gets going he comes pretty good. Hector (Berrios) put a perfect ride on him, they parted the seas for him and he got a spot and got the ‘W’.”
Klaravich Stables’ Redistricting, the 3/2 favorite in the Grade II testing, had to take the overland and finished fastest before running out of turf course. He was a neck better than Bamford or Tabor’s Astronomer.
“They went fast early, and we just got comfortable. He was fine. Then I started following Kazushi (Kimura on Astronomer) and on the turn we found a spot. When I asked my horse, he really went. He’s a nice horse. At the end he was looking around for another horse to beat,” said Berrios.
Mi Hermano Ramon picked up a check for $120,000 for his handiwork and pushed his bankroll to $321,480. It was the 4-year-old’s first graded stakes victory.
Fractions: :23.98 :47.29 1:10.55 1:34.92 1:41.07
The stakes win was second of the meet for rider Berrios, but his first in the Seabiscuit. He now has 19 stakes wins at Del Mar. Glatt won his first in the Seabiscuit and stakes of the meet. He now has 17 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner is Red Baron’s Barn or Rancho Temescal of Tim Cohen of Del Mar.
Earlier on the card, Augustin Stables’ Will Then swept to the lead in the stretch and went on to a handy two and a quarter length victory in the 34th running of the Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
The victory in the Grade III, $103,000 feature was the third straight Fall Turf Festival triumph for the connections of owner/breeder George Strawbridge, Jr., jockey Vincent Cheminaud and trainer Jonathan Thomas. Earlier at the session they combined to capture the Red Carpet Stakes and the Hollywood Turf Cup.
“I loved that trip. I actually loved the fact that she got shuffled back. Just for educational reasons I thought this was great. Once the pace kicked on it looked like there was a lot of contested situations in front of us. We just looped and reined out of the back and got a clear run. She’s really figuring this course out quickly,” Thomas remarked.
Will Then, a daughter of War of Will, ran the one mile on turf distance in 1:36.46 and returned $23.00 to her backers.
Finishing second in the Jimmy Durante was Peagram, Watson and Seitman’s Casalu, who had three quarters of a length on California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing or O’Donnell’s Resolve. Eleven horses ran in the test after race favorite Supa Speed was scratched for an incident in the starting gate.
“I was very confident. I was influenced three years ago; I rode a lot for Augustin Stables. It is very important for me, they gave me their trust, their belief in me and I was very happy to win for them today,” said Cheminaud.
“And you know, Jonathan (trainer Thomas) is such a good trainer, and we have a very good relationship. Listen, the last time she won easy, but today she needs to improve. She is very nice, you know. I want to see her in the next year.”
Will Then earned a first prize of $60,000 and increased her earnings to $92,571. The Durante was her first stakes tally—and second victory—in only her third start.
Fractions: :22.69 :46.98 1:12.27 1:24.78 1:36.46
The stakes win was the third of the meet and at Del Mar for both rider Cheminaud and trainer Thomas.
The winning owner (and breeder) is George Strawbridge, Jr. of Augustin Stables.
