Ride a Comet, a half-brother to 2017 GI Belmont S. hero Tapwrit (Tapit), took his East Coast turf form to Del Mar and proved too tough for his foes, finding a clear path in the stretch and storming home to claim his first graded stakes success. The bay was exiting a third-place finish in the GII Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga behind Saturday's GIII Saranac S. winner Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Away from the stalls in no hurry, Ride a Comet was allowed to settle off the pace in between horses behind fractions of :23.97 and :48.76. Waiting for running room behind a wall of horses entering the stretch, he was shifted out to the center of the course by jockey Drayden Van Dyke and responded gamely, kicking on to win going away.
“They told me he was real classy and that he had a nice kick,” Van Dyke said. “That was all I knew [about him]. He warmed up really well and gave me confidence. During the race it all came up perfect. Good trip all the way. When I swung him out he gave me a big kick. I knew right then we were going to win it.”
Sunday, Del Mar
DEL MAR DERBY-GII, $252,415, Del Mar, 9-2, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.11, fm.
1–RIDE A COMET, 122, c, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)&log=">Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Appealing Zophie (GISW, $497,898), by Successful Appeal
2nd Dam: Zophie, by Hawkster
3rd Dam: Sodeo Sodeo, by Seattle Slew
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($45,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP;
$375,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR). O-John C. Oxley & My
Meadowview Farm LLC; B-My Meadowview LLC (KY); T-Mark
E. Casse; J-Drayden Van Dyke. $150,000. Lifetime Record:
10-5-0-1, $305,856. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Bred by My Meadowview. Raised & Sold by Denali.
2–Kazan (Ire), 122, g, 3, Shanghai Bobby–Thousandfold, by
Giant's Causeway. (240,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT; $485,000 2yo
'17 FTFMAR). O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-Rathbarry Stud (IRE);
T-Simon Callaghan. $50,000.
3–River Boyne (Ire), 122, c, 3, Dandy Man (Ire)–Clytha (GB), by
Mark of Esteem (Ire). (€20,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; €65,000 Ylg
'16 GOFSPT; 70,000gns 2yo '17 TATAHI). O-Red Baron's Barn
LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC; B-Limestone & Tara Studs (IRE);
T-Jeff Mullins. $30,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, NK. Odds: 5.80, 50.90, 1.00.
Also Ran: Majestic Eagle, Restrainedvengence, Desert Stone (Ire), Arawak, Epical, Pubilius Syrus, Andesh (Ire), Take the One O One, Animosity. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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