DEL MAR : Da Hoss Doesn’t Play Favorites, Returns to Win in California

Da Hoss has yet to find a track he doesn’t like.

Never worse than second in nine starts before Monday, the 3-year-old Gone West gelding had won in Arizona, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California.

After training in South Carolina, Da Hoss returned to California more than a month after finishing second to Thunder Gulch in the Swaps Stakes and took advantage of a dream trip along the inside to win the $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Monday.

Breaking from the rail in the field of nine 3-year-olds, the 4-1 third choice with jockey Rene Douglas moved up to engage pacesetting longshot Native Regent on the backside, then kicked away from Lake George to win by two lengths. Now unbeaten in three starts on turf, he completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48, equaling the Del Mar Derby record shared previously by Tsunami Slew, First Norman and Hawkster.

After giving Thunder Gulch a battle in the Swaps, Da Hoss collapsed on the track and had to be removed in a van. Trainer Michael Dickinson said the gelding was dehydrated. The problem was solved this time by bringing bottled water along for the gelding, who drank up better than he did during his stay at Hollywood Park.

Lake George finished a length in front of 13-1 shot Tabor, then came Semi Maar, Via Lombardia, the 13-10 favorite, Native Regent, Sharpest Image, Beau Temps and Pinfloron.

Owned by Prestonwood Inc. and Wallstreet Racing, Da Hoss pushed his earnings to $585,778 with his seventh victory. Dickinson said he could return in the Molson Million on Sept. 17 at Woodbine in Toronto.

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Chris McCarron, who is one victory behind Corey Nakatani in the jockey standings, will appeal the five-day suspension he was handed Sunday for being disqualified on Beau Jingles in Saturday’s third race.

A winner of 10 stakes at the meeting, McCarron wasn’t named to ride any horses on Thursday, but a successful appeal would allow him to ride Friday-Monday, then the closing-day card on Sept. 13.

Horse Racing Notes

Slew Of Damascus won for the first time since the 1994 Hollywood Gold Cup when he beat Caesour and Bon Point in the $100,000 San Francisco Handicap on Monday at Bay Meadows. The 7-year-old Slewacide gelding, who had lost eight in a row, led every step of the way with jockey Tom Chapman and covered the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:41 1/5. . . . Lit De Justice, an impressive winner of the Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Handicap in his last start, will leave for New York on Wednesday and will run in the seven-furlong Vosburgh Handicap on Sept. 16. In a work missed by the clockers, Lit De Justice went six furlongs in 1:11 Monday morning. . . . Julio Canani, who has been away from training for the last few years, is going to New York to oversee a string of horses Bobby Frankel has sent to Belmont Park. Canani’s biggest victory came with Martial Law in the 1989 Santa Anita Handicap. . . . Trainer Bob Hess Jr. won for the first time since Aug. 3 when Pie Ala Road scored a $39.80 upset in the ninth race. . . . There is a Pick Six carryover for Wednesday of $157,583.83. . . . Jockey Christine Davenport will be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of a cracked vertebra. Davenport, 29, was injured during Saturday’s third race. She was aboard Brent’s Leader near the back of the pack in the seven-furlong race and appeared to run up the heels of the tiring Pirate’s Gulch, ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Brent’s Leader fell, sending Davenport down. Brent’s Leader wasn’t seriously injured.