El Corredor Makes Grade

El Corredor made all those who took 1-5 in the $250,000 Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap sweat Sunday. The 4-year-old Mr. Greeley colt got the job done for the seventh time in nine starts, but it wasn’t easy.

Challenged in the stretch by Performing Magic to his inside and Figlio Mio on his outside, El Corredor prevailed in a thriller, completing the mile in 1:351/5 and winning the Grade II for the second year in a row. At the wire, the dark bay, who is owned by Hal Earnhardt and trained by Bob Baffert, had a head on Figlio Mio, a 12-1 shot, with Performing Magic, an 11-1 outsider, another neck back in third.

It was the fourth victory in five starts at Del Mar for El Corredor, who was purchased for $110,000 as a yearling at Keeneland. In his next start, he’ll try to win at the only track where he has run so far and not won--Belmont Park. Beaten less than a length by Fusaichi Pegasus in the Jerome Handicap nearly a year ago in his race there, El Corredor will return and try to capture the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Oct. 27.

“We’ll give him a little breather now and get him ready for the Breeders’ Cup,” said Baffert after his sixth stakes victory--all with rider Victor Espinoza--of the Del Mar season. “He’ll be ready on Breeders’ Cup Day.

“He was coming off a big effort [a victory in the Pat O’Brien Handicap on Aug. 12] and I wasn’t able to do a lot with him between races. I knew he was in for a horse race today and it just shows how good a horse he is. He gutted it out. He won that on heart.”

Figlio Mio, who carried eight pounds fewer than the winner, has been first or second in six of seven and his best days could be ahead.

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Top Of Our Game, the 9-10 favorite, did what she was supposed to Sunday, winning the $125,000 Solana Beach Handicap. Trained by Carla Gaines for owner John Harris and ridden by David Flores, the 4-year-old Steinlen filly beat 3-1 second choice Mimi’s Cafe by 21/2 lengths. The final time for the Solana Beach, which was restricted to California-breds, was 1:353/5 for the mile on turf.

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Beaten a combined 771/4 lengths in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, Balto Star had a much more enjoyable experience in his turf debut Sunday at Saratoga.

The 3-year-old Glitterman gelding won under very confident handling from jockey Pat Day. Trained by Todd Pletcher for the Anstu Stables, Balto Star, the 7-10 favorite in the $50,000 allowance, completed the mile in 1:36. It was his fifth victory in 11 starts.

Four races later, Blazing Fury, a 6-1 shot, used a powerful late surge to win the $100,000 Saranac Handicap. Fast City was second and Rapid Ryan third and the final time for the 13/16 miles on turf was 1:544/5. Javier Castellano rode the winner, a 3-year-old Dynaformer colt, for owners Ron Nicholson and Caesar Kimmel and trainer James Toner.