Bold Second’s De Anza Win Sets Up Likely Showdown With Purdue King

When Bold Second took off turning for home and ran away from the field in the 19th running of the De Anza Stakes Wednesday at Del Mar, all of a sudden the questions started.

They’re asked every year about this time, only there don’t appear to be any easy answers this year.

Who’s going to be the top 2-year-old colt of the meeting? Which horse will leave here with the best chance of fulfulling West Coast hopes in next year’s Triple Crown series?

Early in this summer’s meeting, Purdue King staked his claim to the top 2-year-old spot by running away with the Graduation Stakes.

Bold Second earned consideration Wednesday with a time of 1 minute 9 3/5 seconds over six furlongs in front of 17,694. The two horses are likely to meet again in the Del Mar Futurity Sept. 16.

“This horse (Bold Second) has as good a disposition as any 2-year-old we’ve ever had,” said Rodney Rash, assistant to Charlie Whittingham, the horse’s trainer. “He’s truly a quiet professional. He just goes about his business.”

Whittingham was at Saratoga Wednesday and missed an impressive effort by his colt.

Bold Second was last in the five-horse race as the field reached the midway point of the far turn. But then jockey Gary Baze asked him to run.

By the top of the stretch, Bold Second was well on his way to posting a 5 1/2-length victory. Bold Second paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20. Running Over was second and returned $3 and $2.40, and Michael D. Man paid $2.60 to show.

“It’s nice sitting back on this horse and then picking your spot to run,” Baze said. “He has such a quick first step. You ask him to run and he takes off.”

The victory was Bold Second’s third straight, and his second at this meeting. Purdue King stands in the way of a third straight win.

In their last meeting, a maiden race at Hollywood Park in July, Purdue King ran away to a victory and Bold Second struggled home fourth, 9 1/2 lengths back.

“That’s the way Charlie’s horses are sometimes,” Baze said. “It was the first time he had ever raced, and he was very lethargic. But he woke up after that race, and he’s been running great ever since.”

Another question is which horse will take better to running the mile-long Futurity. Neither Purdue King nor Bold Second has run that far.

Del Mar Notes

In the seventh race Wednesday, jockey Alex Solis found an interesting way to help his horse, Solidified, run down the stretch. Solis lost his whip at the top of the turn so he pulled off the silk cover on his helmet and used that as a whip down the stretch. It almost worked as Solidified ran second, beaten by a nose by Clanrallier. . . . Gary Stevens improved his lead in the jockey standings Wednesday, riding four winners.