Racing at Del Mar : Davis Seizes Moment, Wins With Claire Marine in Palomar

Chris McCarron had better hurry home.

While he was in New Jersey Saturday, winning the Haskell Handicap on King Glorious, Robbie Davis was back home at Del Mar taking care of business.

Claire Marine, usually ridden by McCarron, reinforced her reputation of being the best turf filly in the country as Davis rode her to victory in the $109,800 Palomar Handicap.

Claire Marine scored her fourth stakes win of the year by 1 3/4 lengths over stablemate Galunpe. It was the first time she had raced against the accomplished Annoconnor at level weights of 122 pounds.

But Annoconnor had no answer for Claire Marine’s challenge through the final furlong of the 1 1/16-mile race. Daring Doone, Annoconnor’s longshot stablemate, came along late to take third; Annoconnor was fourth.

McCarron had ridden Claire Marine to each of her 1989 victories for trainer Charlie Whittingham.

“What could we do?” said McCarron’s agent, Scott McClellan. “King Glorious is the best colt Chris is riding, and Claire Marine is probably the best filly. When they find a way to beam jockeys around the country, McCarron will be everywhere.”

But until that time, Davis is more than happy to play the role of super sub. Before the Palomar he had been riding Galunpe.

“Chris gave me some pointers about the filly before he left,” said Davis, who is leading the Del Mar meeting in his first season at the seaside track.

“She’s a lot kinder when she can rate behind another horse,” the native of Idaho said.

“Really, she’s not that hard to ride.”

Choritzo, an Irish mare who won a small stakes at Del Mar last year, went to the lead as anticipated. Corey Black had Annoconnor in second and Claire Marine was third.

Those three proceeded in that order down the backstretch and into the far turn. With a quarter of a mile to run, Annoconnor caught Choritzo, but Black was far from confident.

“I was keeping my eye on Claire Marine to make sure she didn’t get the jump on me,” Black said.

“As it turned out, my mare just didn’t run her race. The way it came up, she should have sailed home.”

Instead, Annoconnor surrendered meekly while Claire Marine pulled clear to the wire. Galunpe was second by three-quarters of a length over Daring Doone.

Claire Marine’s time was 1:43 1/5, a reflection of the slow early pace (:49 for the half) and the deep turf.

The Whittingham-trained entry returned $4, $3.40 and $2.10 across the board. Daring Doone returned $4.20.

Whittingham, who owns Claire Marine in partnership with Sidney Port, said that the filly would run next in the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park Sept. 2.

Chances are good that McCarron has left that date open; but just in case, Davis will be hanging around the Whittingham barn, with that pinch-hitter’s look in his eye.

Horse Racing Notes

The Del Mar handle Saturday, including 11 off-track sites, was $9,621,121, second highest in the history of the track. . . . King Glorious and Music Merci weren’t the only California shippers to do well Saturday. Present Value and Paramount Jet finished 1-2 in the Equipoise Mile at Arlington Park. Present Value paid $4.20, compared to the $100.60 he returned in winning the Michigan Mile in Detroit two weeks ago.

California horsemen are awaiting official word from the Horse Racing Board office in Sacramento before launching the new Lasix medication policies. As approved by the Board last Thursday, there will be limits of four hours before a race and 250 milliliters. . . . Robbie Davis leads Eddie Delahoussaye in victories, 7-6, through the first four days of the meeting. . . . Laffit Pincay won three races on Saturday, including two for trainer Wayne Lukas.