Irish Surf blisters Cougar foes

Irish Surf ran away from the competition in Friday's Grade 3, $100,750

Cougar II

H. at Del Mar, earning

his first stakes victory in surprisingly easy fashion. Overlooked at 7-1, the

Dan Hendricks-trained colt opened up a sizable early advantage upon his foes and

sailed to an 8 1/4-length decision with Elvis Trujillo.

Contested around three turns on Del Mar's Polytrack, the four-year-old son of

Giant's Causeway completed 1 1/2 miles in a track record 2:29.01 and likely

stamped his ticket for the $1 million Pacific Classic on August 24.

"He's been doing so good in the mornings -- he's just feeling good and doing

great," said Trujillo, who is riding his first season at Del Mar and earned his

first stakes victory at the seaside oval. "When we started the race, I thought I

was going to take a hold and sit in behind. But he started to run off on me. He

just wanted to go. When they're like that, you can't fight them. He went to the

front and just kept on going.

"In the stretch, he was even stronger," added Trujillo, the leading rider

presently at Del Mar with eight wins. "(Irish Surf) just kept on running."

Irish Surf, who snapped an eight-race losing skein, needed eight starts

before breaking his maiden on Santa Anita's turf in July 2013 and had made 11

straight appearances on grass before Friday. He hails from the mighty Seattle

Slew mare Surfside, who was named champion three-year-old filly in 2000

following her victory over males in the Clark H. Surfside is out of the

phenomenal Flanders, the champion two-year-old filly of 1994 who also produced

Grade 2 winner Battle Plan.

"This is a nice, late-maturing horse," Hendricks said. "He loves this track.

He ran well here as a two-year-old and it looks like he's finally found his best

surface. He had a right to be any kind of horse. After all, he's out of a

champion, Surfside, and by Giant's Causeway, a great horse and a great sire.

"I'm really happy for the owners (Erik and Pavla Nygaard's Thor-Bred Stables

and Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable). They've been very patient with us over this

horse. Now, we might look at the Pacific Classic."

Ice Cream Truck sped to the lead at the start as Irish Surf tracked him

through an opening quarter-mile in :25 3/5, but that rival's lead was

short-lived. Irish Surf seized the lead passing the stands for the first time

and began to accelerate away from the field entering the clubhouse turn, completing

a half-mile in :50 and six furlongs in 1:14 1/5.

His advantage grew to nearly 10 lengths down the backstretch and the outcome

was never in doubt as he rolled home.

Irish Surf returned a $17.60 win mutuel.

Grade 3 winner Sky Kingdom, last year's Cougar runner-up and the even-money

favorite, raced far back in second throughout. It was another 1 3/4 lengths to

Ice Cream Truck in third. Bailoutbobby came next under the finish line and was

followed by Layton Register, Old Time Hockey and Lideris.

The race was marred by the early breakdown of Longview Drive, who was pulled

up in the stretch the first time and vanned off. American Blend, Big John B and

Soi Phet were all scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway, Irish Surf has now earned $113,660 from a

18-3-1-4 career line.

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