DEL MAR : As Easy as A-B-C for McCarron on Alphabet Soup

Chris McCarron won the Fantastic Girl with Track Gal on opening day almost seven weeks ago, and the stakes victories have kept right on coming.

The leading stakes-winning rider in Del Mar history made it 97 for his career and 11 for this meeting, guiding Alphabet Soup to a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over Lykatill Hil in the $200,000 added Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Sunday.

Trained by David Hofmans for owner Georgia Ridder, Alphabet Soup has won two of three since coming back to the races after being away for nearly eight months. He has three victories in four starts at Del Mar.

“He really likes this track and he’s really doing well,” Hofmans said. “That’s a credit to Georgia, who has allowed me to give this horse so much time to develop. He had foot problems behind and they were very unusual.

“They were in front of the foot, something I’d never seen before. It took four to six months to cure, but he’s very sound now and he’s very happy. That’s the key for him. He loves to run.”

Racing wide while well off the sizzling pace set by Luthier Fever (21 3/5 seconds, 44 2/5 and 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs), Alphabet Soup got the lead near the eighth pole and went on to win in 1:34 1/5 for the mile. He paid $10 as the 4-1 third choice.

Tossofthecoin, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth.

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Perhaps trainer Jerry Fanning shouldn’t race Main Slew again until the circuit returns to Del Mar next summer.

Able to finish better than third in seven starts at other tracks, the 3-year-old Slew O’Gold filly has four victories in five tries here after winning the $75,850 Torrey Pines Stakes easily Sunday.

Taken well off the pace by Eddie Delahoussaye, the 4-1 third choice in the field of six rallied wide and drew off to win by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:42 1/5 for the 1 1/16 miles. Main Slew, owned by Fanning and Craig Singer, has three victories during this meeting.

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Ray York, 61, won the eighth Rocking Chair Derby at Del Mar on Saturday, directing Push ‘M High to a victory over Moscow Mensch and Danny Velasquez, who had won the race last year.

An exhibition pitting eight retired jockeys against each other, the Rocking Chair Derby was run between the fifth and sixth races. There was no betting.

“When I turned for home, [Push ‘M High] gave it to me,” said York, who won the 1954 Kentucky Derby aboard Determine. “I figured I was going to win. Then I got a little fidgety. I wanted that wire to come up quick. It got there in time. This was fun.”

Horse Racing Notes

Capracotta, the 7-2 third choice, beat favored Twin Bet in the final strides of the $65,000 Matching Handicap. Eddie Delahoussaye rode the winner for trainer Tom Bell and owner Frances Jelks. . . . With two days remaining in the meeting, Corey Nakatani leads Chris McCarron, 46-45, in the jockey standings.