FAIRPLEX : Due To The King Wins by a Head on Opening Day

On an opening day of upsets, Due To The King justified his favorite’s role by coming from behind to beat Candyman Bee by a head in the $53,850 Foothill Stakes at Fairplex Park.

Caught in tight quarters around the first turn, Due To The King moved between horses into the far turn and collared pace-setting Candyman Bee in the final strides of Thursday’s 6 1/2-furlong feature for 3-year-old thoroughbreds.

“He broke good but had trouble into the first turn,” winning jockey Julio Garcia said of his horse. “I dropped behind before letting him go.”

Garcia’s strategy worked when Candyman Bee set quick fractions of 21 1/5 for the opening quarter and 44 2/5 for the half.

“I figured we would be about two lengths off the pace,” said Jim Dotson, who trains Due To The King. “This is a long-striding horse, and I was concerned about him handling this track.’

Due To The King had no trouble with the turns on the five-eighths-mile oval, finishing in 1:16 1/5 while recording his fifth victory. Earlier this summer at Del Mar, Due To The King came from off the pace and defeated older sprint star Valiant Pete, covering six furlongs in 1:08 2/5.

Paying $4.40, Due To The King earned $31,350 and ended the day’s drought of seven consecutive losses by the thoroughbred favorites.

One of the big upsets was in the co-featured $42,880 Bustles and Bows Stakes, in which Frank Olivares rode 15-1 outsider Brazen to a three-length victory.

Showing good early speed from her outside No. 10 post, Brazen opened a three-length lead in the far turn and covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17 3/5.

“I thought I would be farther back than I was,” Olivares said. “When Martin (Pedroza) didn’t move, I just let her run.”

Pedroza rode runner-up Ifyoucouldseemenow. Saratoga Success rallied to finish third in the field of nine 2-year-old fillies.

Olivares picked up his 17th local stakes victory while moving into fourth place among winning jockeys at Pomona. Trainer Jerry Fanning recorded his 20th Pomona stakes victory with Brazen, remaining the second-leading conditioner in stakes victories at the track.

Fairplex Notes

No patrons correctly tabbed six winners in the Pick 6. Today’s carryover is $14,083. . . . With temperatures of about 98 degrees, the attendance of 6,780 was down from the opening-day crowd of 7,900 last year. Total mutuel handle was $2,218,913, down from the $2,376,533 of last season. . . . Julio Garcia was the only jockey to win more than one race. Besides taking the feature, he also scored with Sergeant Jay Tee in the seventh.

Bravo Dasher became the first quarter horse stakes winner, beating Here Comes The Band in the First Down Dash Handicap. It was the gelding’s fifth consecutive victory. . . . Quarter horses will be in the spotlight today when four trials for the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity are presented.

Today’s top thoroughbred attraction is the $37,240 Las Ninas Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Mama Simba, an impressive maiden winner at Hollywood Park this summer, is the likely favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong feature.