Flores Guides Pinfloron to Win

While many of the 13 riders who finished behind him griped about bad racing luck in the $569,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile, David Flores had no complaints.

Rather than try to weave his way through heavy traffic, the rider simply went wide with Pinfloron, who had only two horses beat after a half-mile. Helped by the fast fractions set by Advancing Star, the 12-1 shot responded with a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over 35-1 outsider Surachai in 1:34 2/5.

It was the first graded stakes win in America for Pinfloron, who is trained by Walter Greenman and owned by Gary Biszantz’s Cobra Farm, Inc.

“I had a perfect trip,” said Flores, who is two for two on the 5-year-old Caerleon gelding this year.

They had teamed for a nose victory in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on April 26.

“He relaxed beautifully the first part,” Flores said. “I knew there was a lot of speed in the race, so I just waited. He had a clear trip. It was perfect. I was a little surprised he ran so well against this kind. But, I’ve been lucky with him.”

Often close against the big boys, but a winner only twice in 10 previous starts since the beginning of 1996, Pinfloron might have surprised his jockey a bit, but Greenman thought he had a legitimate chance Sunday.

“I thought he could win this race with his style of running and the way it set up,” he said. “He’s been training better and he’s more sound than he has ever been. That was a good effort today. He’s not a very big horse, but he’s a good horse. He used to fight and want to be close to the lead, but now he’s relaxing. [Flores] fits him better than anybody that’s ridden him before.

“I [worried] about racing luck, but he just came around everybody. He didn’t really save any ground or anything. He was the best horse, I’m sure.”

Making the board for the 10th time in 12 career starts, Surachai finished two lengths ahead of Helmsman, one of many who had trouble and who might have been right there with a clean journey.

“I guess it’s kind of expected that you’re going to have traffic problems in a race like that,” said Corey Nakatani, who rode Helmsman for his father-in-law, trainer Wally Dollase. “I should have won the race. He ran well.”

Fourth behind Fastness in last year’s Shoemaker, Tychonic was fourth again Sunday, but he, too, could have been closer.

“I thought he broke down [on the backstretch],” jockey Eddie Delahoussaye said. “Apparently, a shoe hit him in the leg because, boy, he buckled.

“After that, they were all over the track down the backside. It was a mess out there. Horses were all over.”

Rainbow Blues, the 5-2 favorite, was pulled up by Chris McCarron before the field had run a quarter of a mile, and was said, by veterinarian William Bell, to have “minor soreness” in his right front leg.

*

Making his first start in California since a four-length maiden victory at Santa Anita in March, Deputy Commander led most of the way under Nakatani and went on to beat Hello by two lengths in the $102,500 Affirmed Handicap.

The 5-2 third choice in the field of six 3-year-olds, the Deputy Minister colt engaged favored Holzmeister right from the outset, put that one away after six furlongs, then easily held off the 17-10 second choice to win.