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Siren Lure sounds off in Pat O'Brien Breaking from the gate last of a field of seven, Stuart Kesselman & Tony and Marilyn Melkonian's SIREN LURE (Joyeux Danseur) could have easily been written off as he trailed during the early going of Sunday's $298,000 Pat O'Brien Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at Del Mar. Bing Crosby H. (G1) winner Pure As Gold (Stolen Gold) clocked quick opening fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 1/5 as he raced to the outside of Trickey Trevor (Demaloot Demashoot), and started pulling away from the field as he opened up a two-length lead going six furlongs in 1:08 3/5. However, Siren Lure had worked his way into contention by that point, advancing four-wide on the turn under jockey Alex Solis. By the time the pair had entered the lane, they were second and still closing in on the tiring leader. In deep stretch, Siren Lure gained the advantage and drew off by 2 1/4 lengths by the time he hit the wire, stopping the clock in 1:21 4/5 for seven furlongs over a fast track. "(Trainer) Art (Sherman) doesn't give me any instructions with him," Solis said. "He just lets me do my thing. He gives me the best jockey instructions -- none. "This horse is so classy," Solis continued. "He got away just a little slow and I got bumped coming away, but it didn't bother me. I knew he had plenty of run in him and I figured there'd be speed in a race like this. In the end, it all worked out just like we hoped." Sent off as the 5-2 third choice, Siren Lure returned $7.60, $3.60 and $3 to his supporters while keying $1 exotics of $17.60 (exacta), $180.50 (trifecta) and $454.40 for the 1-6-2-7 superfecta. Pure as Gold managed to hold on for second, giving back $6.20 and $4.20 at 8-1 while Areyoutalkintome (Smokester) got up to take the show another 1 3/4 lengths back, which paid $5.60 at 28-1. Battle Won (Honour and Glory) came home 3 3/4 lengths farther back in fourth and was followed by Trickey Trevor, Yes He's a Pistol (Yes It's True) and 3-2 favorite Declan's Moon (Malibu Moon), who was eased by jockey Victor Espinoza. Spellbinder (Tale of the Cat) was scratched. "I thought this horse was coming into the race the best I've seen him train," Sherman said. "I knew he was on his game. I was just hoping for a good trip and we had that and we got the results." "I sure am," Sherman commented when asked if he was looking forward to the Breeders' Cup. "I'm just wondering what area to go into. It's so hard to go in a sprint with this type of horse. It seems he's dropping back farther than usual, and I've been thinking wouldn't that be nice if I could get him to go a flat mile." Bred in Kentucky by Desperado Stables, Siren Lure is the first registered foal out of Cantamar (Gulch), whose latest foals are a yearling filly named Rock Anthem (Mud Route) and a 2006 colt by Freespool. Siren Lure has compiled an overall mark of 20-12-0-3 and was posting his third consecutive victory, after annexing the Los Angeles H. (G3) and Triple Bend Invitational H. (G1) most recently. The five-year-old gelding increased his earnings to $769,909. Ron Ellis, the trainer of Declan's Moon, suspects that his charge could have bled, resulting in his poor performance. "I could tell he just wasn't in it," Ellis said. "Victor did right not to abuse him. We'll scope him."
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