DEL MAR : Pick Six Sets Record for Carryover

Because the favorites have been falling, the Pick Six hasn’t yet at Del Mar.

There were no perfect tickets in the Pick Six for the fourth consecutive day, so there will be a North American record carryover awaiting this afternoon.

The pot was a Del Mar record $533,917.23 going into Saturday and it swelled to $1,117,973.55 after longshots dominated once again. The previous record carryover was $1,018,498 in November of 1983 at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, Calif.

Only five betting favorites have won in the first 36 Pick Six races here.

Each winner in the sequence paid more than $10, topped by Miss Freezing’s $24 upset in the third race. There were 27 tickets which had five winners and each was worth $14,421.

Rather than try Bayakoa on the grass in Saturday’s $109,200 Palomar Handicap, trainer Ron McAnally decided to wait a week and take on the boys in the San Diego.

No matter. McAnally managed to win the Palomar anyway.

Jabalina Brown, the longest shot in the field at 22-1, got through a narrow opening in deep stretch to beat Stylish Star by a neck in 1:42 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

It was the second consecutive victory for the 5-year-old, Argentine-bred mare and her first in company with Julio Garcia. Three days after winning a division of the Oceanside with a daring ride aboard Mehmetori, Garcia picked up the ride on Jabalina Brown when Corey Nakatani was forced to take off his mounts for the second consecutive day. Garcia’s original Palomar mount, Formidable Lady, was scratched.

Seventh in the field of eight after six furlongs, Jabalina Brown accelerated when asked and was drawing away at the finish.

“We scratched the big one and ran the little one,” McAnally said. “I always felt Jabalina Brown would like this turf better. She just never lets up. These are the best fillies she’s beat. The longer she goes, the better she likes it.

“We were kind of scurrying around for a rider and learned of Julio’s availability after the three scratches (Estrella Fuega and Down Again were also scratched). More than likely, this mare will come back in the Ramona (Aug. 18).”

Garcia, who was among the leaders at Hollywood Park, is off to a flying start at Del Mar. The victory was his seventh of the meeting, tops among the riders through four days.

“The trainer told me to break well and lay up close, but she kind of dropped back on her own,” he said. “When we got to the quarter pole, I didn’t think there was going to be any room for me to get through. But I thought if I went outside, I’d lose for sure.

“So I stayed inside and hoped that I got lucky. The hole came open and she really took off for me late. I’m really enjoying it here.”

Perfect in two starts over the Del Mar turf last year, including a victory in the Oaks, Stylish Star looked like the winner in a midstretch, but couldn’t stave off Jabalina Brown. The 5-2 second choice was a length better than Nikishka, who finished a length in front of Daring Doone.

“She had a great trip and she ran well,” said Pat Valenzuela of the runner-up. “I just couldn’t get lucky. That other filly came and got me at the wire, but I don’t have any complaints. My filly ran super.”

Royal Touch, the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth after trailing as the heavy favorite in Hollywood Park’s Wilshire Handicap May 6.

“She didn’t have any excuses that I can figure,” said jockey Russell Baze, who blamed the firmness of the course for her dismal try at Inglewood.

Best Pal, who was impressive beating an extremely weak field in Friday’s I’m Smokin Stakes, will probably surface next in the Balboa Aug. 22.

Scratched from last weekend’s Hollywood Juvenile Championship, the 2-year-old son of Habitony made 1-2 odds look generous in beating four other California-breds by seven lengths in 1:09.

“He showed a lot more speed than he’s shown before,” trainer Ian Jory said. “There were fast fractions (:22 and :45 for the half-mile) and he was right there, pushing the pace. I didn’t know he had that kind of acceleration.

“He’ll probably run in the Balboa next (at seven furlongs). The Graduation Stakes (Aug. 31) is awful tempting because he would run against these same Cal-breds. But the Balboa, three weeks before the (Del Mar) Futurity (Sept. 12), sets up better for him.”

A winner of two of his three starts, Best Pal is owned by John Mabee’s Golden Eagle Farm, which also owns Juvenile runner-up Avenue Of Flags.

Horse Racing Notes

Corey Nakatani, who missed Friday and Saturday’s programs, hopes to be back today. The rider suffered a neck injury Friday morning when two horses collided on the training track.