Azeri Heavily Favored, Gets No Guarantees

Expected to win her 11th in a row, Azeri is the 1-9 morning line favorite against four other fillies and mares in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap today at Del Mar.

Never higher than 2-1 during a streak that began when she won the Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita on March 10, 2002, the connections of the 5-year-old Jade Hunter mare may have preferred a different odds.

Jeff Tufts, the longtime line maker at Santa Anita and Del Mar, recalled Saturday a few other big names who have gone down to defeat after he opened them at 1-9.

Percipient upset Althea in the 1983 Anoakia Stakes during the Oak Tree meet in Arcadia, then Gentlemen finished last in a four-horse field in the 1998 Santa Anita Handicap, which was probably the most forgettable renewal in the race’s illustrious history.

The most famous 1-9 flop of all, though, was when Cigar’s 16-race win streak came to a crashing halt in the 1996 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Before a record on-track crowd of 44,181, Dare And Go scored one of the biggest upsets in history when beating Cigar by 3 1/2 lengths at 39-1.

The argument can be made that an Azeri defeat late this afternoon would be an even larger surprise. A winner of 13 of 14 for owner Michael Paulson and trainer Laura De Seroux, the 2002 horse of the year is again in a spot where she shouldn’t miss.

Although there was some idle chatter about taking on males in either last week’s San Diego Handicap locally or the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, most observers always knew Azeri would show up to defend her title in the Hirsch, a Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

Even though she is carrying 127 pounds today, spotting her rivals from nine to 19 pounds, the chestnut should run her streak to 11 and move closer to becoming the all-time top earner among females. She has earned $2,804,820 and the North American record is held by Spain, who retired with $3,540,542.

Since her workmanlike two-length win in Hollywood Park’s Vanity Handicap on June 21, Azeri has continued to train well at San Luis Rey and she looked well schooling in the Del Mar paddock on Thursday.

The most accomplished of her foes is Got Koko. Unraced since March 9, the 4-year-old Signal Tap filly, who is owned by Aase Headley, the wife of trainer Bruce Headley, and Paul Leung, swept Santa Anita’s three-race La Canada Series this winter. In succession, the Texas-bred won the seven-furlong La Brea, the 1 1/16 mile El Encino and the 1 1/8 mile La Canada.

Alex Solis will again ride Got Koko, who won the 2002 Torrey Pines in her only previous start on the Del Mar main track, and he was aboard Dare And Go seven years ago.

Sister Girl Blues, who was second in the Vanity, Tropical Blossom and Angel Gift, who was the runner-up in last year’s Hirsch, complete the field.