Closing with a wide rush, Midwest Thoroughbreds's The Pizza Man (English Channel) blew by a full field at Del Mar to annex Thursday's GII Hollywood Turf Cup by two emphatic lengths. Big John B (Hard Spun) and Power Foot (Powerscourt {GB}) finished second and third, respectively. “That's some stride on that horse, I'll tell you,” said Mike Smith, who piloted the 11-10 chalk. “They told me about his turn of foot, but it was sure good to feel it. We had a big field and that kept things honest. Everyone was riding their own horse instead of riding someone else's. When the time came [to make his move], I was able to tip out and make my run. He was there, all there. The Pizza Man for Thanksgiving. I like it.”
Third as the favorite here 12 months ago behind subsequent GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), The Pizza Man reemerged a winner in Churchill's Opening Verse S. in May. He added the GIII Stars and Stripes H. at Arlington July 11, and scored a career highlight in that venue's GI Arlington Million S. a month later. Just missing when cut back to a mile for Keeneland's GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. Oct. 3, the fan favorite settled for fifth after making a wide move while stretching back out in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Oct. 31.
Allowed to settle in off a sensible pace in the opening stages, The Pizza Man still had plenty to do while out in the three path as the field bunched into the home bend. Spinning wider still into the straight, he gobbled up ground with giant strides to prove clearly best.
“He was actually supposed to go to Japan after the Breeders' Cup, but he got a little lung infection,” noted owner Richard Papiese. “We were excited to go and represent American racing and racing in general, but coming to Del Mar is great. Same race as last year, different result. Mike let him run his race and when he gets to run his race he's tough to beat. I was absolutely not worried about where he was during the race. Mike said he was going to be eight to 10 off of it and I said, 'You're going to love the afterburners when they kick in.'”
The Pizza Man was completing a graded stakes double Thursday for sire English Channel, who was also responsible for GIII River City H. hero Heart to Heart.
Thursday, Del Mar
HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP S.-GII, $252,250, DMR, 11-26, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:31.75, fm.
1–THE PIZZA MAN, 126, g, 6, by English Channel
1st Dam: I Can Fan Fan (MSP, $182,993), by Lear Fan
2nd Dam: Flower Circle, by Lieutenant's Lark
3rd Dam: Social Circle, by Circle
O/B-Midwest Thoroughbreds (IL); T-Roger A. Brueggemann;
J-Mike E. Smith. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 26-16-2-2,
$1,898,537. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Big John B, 124, g, 6, Hard Spun–Baldomera, by Doneraile
Court. ($30,000 2yo '11 OBSOPN). O-Michael House;
B-BryLynn Farm, Inc. (FL); T-Philip D'Amato. $50,000.
3–Power Foot, 120, g, 6, Powerscourt (GB)–Madame Blackfoot,
by Black Minnaloushe. O-Stepaside Farm, LLC; B-Schow Family
Trust (KY); T-Neil D. Drysdale. $30,000.
Margins: 2, HF, NK. Odds: 1.10, 4.30, 59.00.
Also Ran: Power Ped, Quick Casablanca (Chi), Wanstead Gardens, Southern Freedom, Texas Ryano, Up With the Birds, Class Leader, Danas Best (Aus), Generoso (Uru), Ganesh (Brz), Procurement. Scratched: Bird E House, Flamboyant (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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