Give Praise Is Money in the Bank

No matter what happens the rest of Give Praise’s career, the gray filly certainly was a bargain for $3,500, the amount for which she was purchased at the Keeneland November sale in 1998.

Owned by a partnership that includes trainer Jim Chapman, the 2-year-old became a graded stakes winner in her third career start here Sunday.

An 8-1 longshot in the $150,000 Sorrento Stakes, Give Praise, outrun early while saving ground, took over from odds-on favorite Fort Lauderdale in the stretch and drew away under jockey Laffit Pincay to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:17 4/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

This was the second win for the Ohio-bred daughter of Pioneering, who is a son of Mr. Prospector, and came five weeks after she had broken her maiden by eight lengths while running against $62,500 claimers.

Sea Reel, the 5-2 second choice who couldn’t have asked for a better pace scenario (the half-mile fraction was 44 1/5), rallied for the place without ever threatening the winner. This was similar to her effort in last month’s Landaluce when she was the runner-up to Notable Career.

The 9-10 favorite on the strength of a decisive maiden victory 15 days earlier, Fort Lauderdale faded to third, preventing trainer Bob Baffert from winning the Grade II Sorrento for a third consecutive year.

Destined to return in the $250,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 2, Give Praise pushed her earnings to $107,600. Pincay, for one, thinks she will be dangerous in three weeks.

“She felt pretty strong with me at the end,” he said after his 91st stakes win at Del Mar, one behind Bill Shoemaker for second on the all-time list here. “I didn’t rush her. I just sat with her. I knew they were going quick up front and I didn’t want to rush her.

“When we got into the stretch, I just wanted to find a spot to let her run. She was full of run and I could tell she could win.”

Chapman, who earned his first stakes win at Del Mar, was confident Give Praise, who finished fifth in her debut on June 17 at Hollywood Park, would run well.

“[Jockey] Corey [Nakatani, who wound up on Fort Lauderdale] worked her the other day and he couldn’t pull her up,” Chapman said. “The more distance the better she will get.”

Madame Roar was fourth, a head behind Fort Lauderdale.

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Gibson County, who won his only start during the Hollywood Park meet in June, is the 8-5 morning line favorite in today’s $100,000-added Real Good Deal Stakes.

Trained by Baffert, who also will send out 5-2 second choice Stormy Jack, Gibson County has won four of 10 lifetime for owner Mike Pegram. However, he wasn’t close in two races on this track last year. The son of In Excess was beaten 26 lengths when 9-10 in his debut, then finished sixth as the 2-1 favorite.

The winner of the second division of the Oceanside Stakes on opening day, Stormy Jack is two for two on the Del Mar main track. The late runner broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths on Aug. 15, 1999, then returned three weeks later to win the I’m Smokin by 3 1/2 lengths.

Completing the field are Immense Variety, who also is entered in a race on Wednesday, Know Sumthin, Royal Irish and Echo Eddie. Ceeband was scratched Sunday morning.

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License Fee made it two consecutive gate-to-wire victories when she captured the $206,500 Ballston Spa Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Saratoga.

A 5-year-old mare owned by Winstar Farm and trained by Elliott Walden, License Fee completed the 1 1/16 miles on a yielding turf course in 1:43 2/5. Ridden by Pat Day, the 3-1 second choice paid $8.40 in beating Pico Tenerife by 1 1/2 lengths. Hello Soso, who was in from California for trainer Bobby Frankel, finished third as the 3-1 third choice, and 5-2 favorite Horatia was fifth.