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Truce Maker Returns With a Record

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Truce Maker, ridden by Frank Olivares, led from the start Monday and won the $40,000 feature race for older horses by three lengths in his comeback appearance at Del Mar. Truce Maker’s time of 1 minute 41 seconds was a course record over the 1 1/16-mile turf.

The favorite, Clever Song, ridden by Fernando Toro, finished second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Spectacular Joke, ridden by Gary Stevens, in a field of seven horses, 3 and older.

Truce Maker, who earned $22,000 for the victory, was running at Del Mar for the first time since 1984.

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Trainer Mike Whittingham, asked about Truce Maker’s next start, said: “The Eddie Read; what would you think?”

The $150,000 added Eddie Read Handicap will be run Aug. 10 at 1 1/8 miles on the Del Mar grass.

“He had trained well down here, and the race today was to see if he could handle the turf,” Whittingham said. “If he didn’t, we would have looked at another race in Chicago.

“He got away with an easy first half (:47 1/5) but he can go in :46 and stay. He’s a good horse. He didn’t see Al Mamoon coming when he went by him (in the American Handicap, July 12, at Hollywood Park) but he fought back gamely, and Al Mamoon is considered one of the best horses in the country.”

Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Truce Maker paid $6.40, $3.20 and $2.60. Clever Song returned $2.80 and $2.40, and Spectacular Joke paid $3.

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