Front runners dominate undercard stakes on Del Mar's closing card

Del Mar closed out its 2013 meet on Wednesday with a quartet of stakes

highlighting the final program. The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity wrapped up the

black-type action, which saw an undercard dominated by front-running scores.

The C.E.R.F. and Oak Tree Juvenile Turf were both wire jobs produced by

horses breaking from the far outside while Private Zone utilized his inside post

to good effect in the Pirate's Bounty.

Gypsy Robin opened the final card by posting a gate-to-wire win in the

$94,870 C.E.R.F. with jockey Mike Smith aboard. The Mike Puype trainee shot out

of the far outside gate to take control from the onset of the race. Under

confident handling the four-year-old daughter of Daaher set swift fractions of

:22 2/5, :45 3/5 and :57 2/5 before ever coming under any pressure.

Gypsy Robin went wide into the lane, leaving the way clear for Madame Cactus

to try and sneak up on the rail. That chestnut miss, who was making her

four-year-old bow in this spot having last been seen running fourth in the Delta

Downs Princess last November, put her best hoof forward, but just could not

catch Gypsy Robin. The winner was three parts of a length clear on the wire

while stopping the clock in 1:09 2/5 on the Polytrack.

Gypsy Robin had a slight advantage over Madame Cactus in that she just made

her seasonal bow on July 18 over track and six-furlong distance. The bay lass

closed out 2012 with a four-length victory in the Raven Run at Keeneland in

October, and was second in Saratoga's Test two months prior to that.

Two races later, Diamond Bachelor broke from the far outside post and moved

up to wrest command away from Easy Solution before the first turn in the

$100,750

Oak Tree Juvenile Turf. From there, the War Front juvenile colt set

splits of :21 4/5, :46 and 1:10 1/5, easily pulling away in the stretch to

complete a mile on the firm turf in 1:34 1/5 under jockey Julien Leparoux.

"He broke well and he wanted to go, so I

let him go. When he's happy, I'm happy," Leparoux remarked. "I've been getting on him for a while now

and he's a nice horse. A very nice horse."

Diamond Bachelor took his August 8 maiden debut for trainer Patrick Biancone

over course and distance by 3 1/4 lengths and increased his lifetime earnings to

$145,750 with Wednesday's stakes bow victory.

"We let him

roll a little bit more this time," Biancone said. "He's very fast from the gate anyway so I told

Julien (Leparoux) just get him out of there and then do what you do in the

mornings.

"Timing the next step properly is now important. I think I'm going to

stay on the turf with him this year. Next year will be different. This horse can

win the Derby. He is one of the best at (his) age I've ever trained. (That

said), it's a long way from the cup to the lips."

Good Friends Stable's Private Zone held off Ain't No Other to wrap up the

undercard stakes action in the $105,050

Pirate's Bounty for trainer Doug

O'Neill. The Macho Uno gelding also continued the trend of front-running winners

when completing six Polytrack furlongs in 1:09.

Ain't No Other was quickest from the gate from the rail post, but it didn't

take long for Martin Pedroza to get Private Zone in front. The duo proceeded to

clock a quarter in :22 3/5, the half in :45 1/5 and five furlongs in :57 while

under pressure. Ain't No Other, meanwhile, was biding his time down on the

inside and angled out for the stretch run.

The Jerry Hollendorfer charge put forth a game effort but just could not

collar Private Zone, who held by a neck on the line. The bay four-year-old

returned $8.60 to win as the 3-1 second choice.