DEL MAR : Hess Close to First Training Title
Bob Hess Jr.’s training career hardly got off to an auspicious beginning. The first two horses he started ran last.
That was on July 4, 1987, and things have improved considerably since then for the Stanford graduate, who is on the verge of earning his first training title.
Heading into the final four days of the Del Mar meeting, Hess, 26, has 16 winners in 53 opportunities, putting him two up on Ron McAnally and five ahead of Darrell Vienna.
“I’m really excited,” he said Friday morning. “I feel very fortunate and lucky. When the meeting started, I thought we had a lot of horses ready to run because we didn’t have a lot of starts at Hollywood Park.
“I came in with a lot of fresh, young stock. We’ve had good luck and have gotten good posts and good rides. Now, we have to see if we can hold off the late charge. McAnally is going to be really tough.
“It would be nice to look back 10 years from now and say we (won the training title). It would be meaningful for my parents and my family to look back and say 1991 was a good year at Del Mar for Bob Hess.”
Even though Hess holds a degree in economics, there was never any doubt he was going to be a trainer. His father, Bob Sr., has been in the business for about 35 years, based primarily in Northern California.
“My goal always was to be a trainer, but I had a good academic record (in high school) and it would have been hard to pass up an opportunity to go to college,” the younger Hess said.
While at Stanford, Hess spent part of each summer at Del Mar. Holding an assistant trainer’s license, he ran a stable of four to five horses provided by his father.
“It helped get my foot in the door,” he said. “I gained a lot of experience and I was able to learn from my own mistakes.”
Shortly after graduation, Hess went out on his own. Not long after his less-than-brilliant start, Parlapiano, a $10,000 claimer, gave him his first victory, on July 31, 1987, at Del Mar.
Two of Hess’ 16 victories this summer have come from Mister Integrity, a 4-year-old son of Mr. Prospector. After breaking his maiden at Hollywood Park, Mister Integrity won an allowance race at Del Mar by 12 lengths, then returned to win again on Aug. 24.
The colt was nominated to Sunday’s $207,700 Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup, but Hess elected to skip the prospective engagement against Twilight Agenda, The Prime Minister, Opening Verse and others.
“This is the best horse I’ve had by far,” he said. “I nominated him (to the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup) just to look at the race, but my prime concern was that I didn’t want to bring him back too soon. Nine times out of 10 when I make a mistake, it’s that I run a horse back too quick. Charlie (Whittingham) is a master of patience, and a guy can learn quite a bit watching him.
“We’ll run (Mister Integrity) back at Oak Tree. He’s still green. He doesn’t really know what he’s doing out there. Once he does, hopefully, he’ll develop into a good horse.”
After having a three-race winning streak snapped when he finished second in the Pacific Classic, Twilight Agenda will face five opponents in Sunday’s Budweiser Breeders’ Cup at a mile on the main track.
Beaten a length by Best Pal in the $1-million Classic, Twilight Agenda will carry top weight of 122 pounds, and he has had two bullet works since his loss. He ran five furlongs in 57 4/5 seconds on Aug. 19, then went the same distance in 59 2/5 Tuesday. Kent Desormeaux, who rode the Devil’s Bag colt for the first time in his most recent start, again has the call for trainer Wayne Lukas.
The other entrants are Opening Verse, who will be making his first start on the dirt since finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic; Jovial; Robyn Dancer; The Prime Minister and Great Commotion.
A millionaire, Opening Verse has won three of 10 starts on the dirt and worked five furlongs in 58 1/5 seconds Thursday. The Prime Minister will be seeking his third victory in a row in his first stakes appearance.
Great Commotion has never run on the main track.
Hollywood Park Chairman R.D. Hubbard has brought in a general manager from his Ruidoso Downs operation in New Mexico, and the new appointee has ties to Inglewood.
Rick Henson, son of longtime Hollywood Park race caller Harry Henson, was promoted Friday to fill the post vacated when Donald Robbins was promoted to president of Hollywood Park in July.
Harry Henson called races at Hollywood Park from 1959 until he retired in 1983.
Rick Henson announced races early in his career at The Downs in Santa Fe, N.M., and at Delta Downs in Louisiana. His brother, Gary, has been the race caller at Longacres Park in Seattle for the past two decades.
Horse Racing Notes
Gary Jones will have two representatives in today’s feature at Del Mar, the $83,575 Osunitas Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. La Charlatana will be making her U.S. debut after winning five of 12 starts in South America. Laffit Pincay will ride, and Jones’ other starter is Kostroma, who has been idle since finishing eighth in Oak Tree’s Yellow Ribbon last fall. Kent Desormeaux has the mount. Others in the field are Re Toss, a four-length winner over the course; Agirlfromars; Cool Rock’a; Bellefan; Gaelic Bird and Flirty.
In Friday’s sixth race, even though Stutz Cat, a 2-year-old filly who had only made one start, was extremely fractious in the gate and was still being held by one of the assistant starters, head starter Tucker Slender sent the field on its way. Stutz Cat reared and got away several lengths behind, dropping jockey Laffit Pincay. Pincay escaped injury and returned to ride the rest of his mounts. . . . The previous day, Slender and veterinarian Jock Jocoy allowed Buoyant Belle, another 2-year-old maiden filly, to start after she was fractious in the gate and tossed jockey Frank Alvarado. When Buoyant Belle came back to be unsaddled after running fifth, she was bleeding rather heavily from the mouth.