Amorama Saves Her Best for Last

Ticker Tape may have outfinished Amorama five times dating to last year, but on Saturday at Del Mar it was finally Amorama’s turn. The 3-year-old French-bred filly, who had only one horse beaten with an eighth of a mile to run, caught Ticker Tape at the wire to win by a nose in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks.

“I keep my luck,” said Julio Canani, who has trained Amorama since she left France last fall. “Somebody upstairs must like me.”

Ridden by David Flores, Amorama completed the 1 1/8 miles on grass in 1:46 1/5 , breaking the stakes record of 1:47 set by Dessert last year. Winning for the first time in seven U.S. starts, Amorama paid $40.60. After Ticker Tape, the 2-1 favorite, came Sweet Win in third place.

Trainer Jim Cassidy’s Ticker Tape won the American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 3, a day when Amorama was a late-running fifth. Cassidy settled for runner-up money on Saturday, his 59th birthday.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux pointed out that Ticker Tape’s time also would have broken the stakes record.

“You aren’t supposed to get beat when you run a mile and an eighth in 1:46,” he said.

*

You don’t call trainer Allen Jerkens “the Giant Killer” to his face. While he’s not fond of the nickname, Jerkens goes right on adding to a lengthy list of upsets in major races.

Ashado had never lost in four starts on off tracks, but what many bettors failed to factor in at sloppy Saratoga was that Jerkens had a filly in Saturday’s $750,000 Alabama. Jerkens’ Society Selection, ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, won the Grade I race by 2 1/2 lengths as Ashado, the 3-5 favorite, finished third. While Ashado and Stellar Jayne, who finished second, were battling to the wire, Society Selection passed them both.

Saratoga is where Jerkens saddled Onion to beat Secretariat, the Triple Crown champion, in the 1973 Whitney Handicap. Society Selection paid $13.40.

Also at Saratoga, the undefeated Afleet Alex ran erratically through the stretch but beat Devils Disciple by a neck in the $250,000 Hopeful. Afleet Alex, who paid $3.40, was ridden by Jeremy Rose to his fourth victory.

*

Ghostzapper, who won five of seven sprinting, was stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in the $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park, and after a 10 3/4 -length victory trainer Bobby Frankel said that the 4-year-old colt was headed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles. Ridden by Javier Castellano on a sloppy track, Ghostzapper had only three horses to beat in a race marred by three scratches. Frankel said that Ghostzapper’s Breeders’ Cup prep would probably be the Woodward at Belmont Park on Sept. 11.... Del Mar’s Rancho Bernardo Handicap went to Dream Of Summer, who has won six of seven starts for jockey Mike Smith.