Del Mar Daily Notebook

DEL MAR DAILY NOTEBOOK

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2005

by Brian P. Turner

A field of six went to the post for Monday's feature, a $100,000 optional

claiming event for three-year-olds and upward going 1 1/16 miles over the Jimmy

Durante Turf Course. Though it looked like a competitive affair on paper, WE ALL

LOVE ALEYNA (Nines Wild) absolutely stole the show. The four-year-old gelding

came out of the gate full of run and there was absolutely nothing that jockey

Garrett Gomez could do to restrain him. The veteran rider tried hard to hold him

off the pace but quickly gave up and let the dark bay have his way, at which time

he engulfed the pace setters and opened up on the field by 4 1/2 lengths.

Once the field hit the stretch, We All Love Aleyna continued on well to the

wire to claim the victory by three lengths. Cheiron (Maria's Mon) made up ground

late to pick up the place, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Grafton (Rahy) in third.

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela picked up three winners on the day, two of them in

tandem with conditioner Mike Mitchell, to move into the lead in the rider

standings by a score of 10 to nine over Victor Espinoza. Valenzuela's third win

on the day came for Bob Baffert, which moved the conditioner into a tie with

Doug

O'Neill atop the trainer standings. The pair has five wins each.

There were four sprints on the main track today with horses on or near the

pace winning three of them. The two routes on the day were both won by horses

lying just off the pace setter. As for the two turf routes, horses on or near

the lead definitely held the advantage.

Horses to Watch

2ND -- ZATS IT (Miner's Mark) put in a stellar performance in this 1 1/16

mile optional claiming grass event as he took the lead out of the gate, leading

the field through early fractions of :23 4/5 and :47 1/5, and continued on to

the wire to hit the finish line 2 1/2 lengths clear of the field.

6TH -- MIDNIGHT LUTE (Real Quiet) made his career debut for Baffert an

impressive one as he rallied from off the pace to take this maiden special event

by 1 1/4 lengths. The two-year-old colt broke tardily from the gate and

gradually made up ground to overtake the front runners in the stretch. The dark

bay did not hit his best stride until late and appears to be one that will only

show improvement with a stretch out.

Outlook for Wednesday, July 27

A field of seven, including one coupled entry, is scheduled to go to the gate

for Wednesday's featured $125,000 Graduation S., for two-year-olds bred in

California. Contested at 5 1/2 furlongs, the Graduation appears to be a battle

between stakes winner DON JAUN CON (Suggest) and the Mike Mitchell-trained

COUGAR MTN LODGE (Comic Strip), who is coming off a six-length maiden special

score at Hollywood.

Wednesday's forecast calls for patchy clouds with highs in the low to mid

70's.

Wednesday's Best Plays

2ND -- FOLLOW THE RAINBOW (Event Of The Year) appears be a stand out in this

eight-furlong maiden special affair. The three-year-old colt's BRIS Speed

Ratings tower over the field and he holds a solid nine-point advantage in the BRIS Prime Power category. Baffert has enlisted Espinoza for the ride and the

pair are hitting at a 31 percent win rate over the past 60 days. A look at

Follow The Rainbow's BRIS Early Pace Ratings reveals that he holds a solid

advantage over the rest of the field, which should allow Espinoza to dictate the

pace early and have enough left at the end for the run to the finish line.

6TH -- IBERO GRACE (Arg) (Ibero) is coming off of a solid second-place finish

against $62,500 claiming company in his last start. Trainer Michael Machowsky

will be dropping him to the $50,000 claiming level looking for a win in this 1

1/16 miles turf event. The conditioner hits at a 30 percent win rate in the

"Down One Class" trainer category. Ibero Grace tops the field in BRIS Prime

Power and he displays a versatile running style that should allow jockey Rene

Douglas to have him well placed regardless of the pace scenario that develops in

front of him.