Eddie Read Has a Special Ring to It

Special Ring, a special horse, joined Fastness and Wickerr as the only double winners of the Eddie Read Handicap when he won Sunday’s 31st renewal at Del Mar by three-quarters of a length over his stablemate, Bayamo.

In winning the Read, a 1 1/8-mile grass race, on the lead for the second straight time, Special Ring ran almost the same pole-by-pole fractions as 2003, and his final time Sunday of 1:45.90 was just barely slower than his track-record 1:45.87 last year. The only real difference this time was that he was ridden by Victor Espinoza instead of David Flores. With Special Ring coming into the Read off a nine-month layoff, Flores opted for Bayamo, trainer Julio Canani’s other horse. Bayamo won the American Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 4.

Canani’s first of three Read wins came with Ladies Din in 2000. The Read wins by Fastness came in 1995-96, and Wickerr won the stake in 1981-82. Special Ring, a 7-year-old gelding, is the oldest winner of the stake since Wickerr won as a 7-year-old in 1982.

The Prestonwood Farm-Canani entry paid $3.80 for $2. Sweet Return finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Bayamo.

“I could feel [Bayamo] coming toward me at the 16th pole,” Espinoza said. “But I had enough horse left that I knew he’d never get by me.”

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Two previous winners of the race might have been in the field, but it was Kela, an 8-1 longshot, who won Sunday’s earlier stake, the $244,000 Crosby Handicap, by 1 1/4 lengths.

The win couldn’t have been sweeter for trainer Mike Mitchell, who bought Kela last year for Jay Manoogian of Mission Viejo and also saddled his first Grade I winner. Mitchell, 56, has been training for 30 years and has led Del Mar in wins six times.

“This really feels good,” Mitchell said.

Kathryn Crosby, who made the presentation in the winner’s circle, is a former actor who was making her first visit to the track her late husband, Bing Crosby, started in 1937.

Kela, who has seven wins and five seconds in 22 starts, had never run the Crosby distance of six furlongs before. The 6-year-old was bought for $100,000 from Aaron Jones after a sixth-place finish here last year. Jones also once owned Pohave, who finished second as the 2-1 favorite in the Crosby.

“The horse was tired when we bought him, so I turned him out for four months, before he came back to training,” Mitchell said. “I have to hand it to Jay. There aren’t many owners who would buy a horse and then let you do that with him.”

Kela was ridden by Tyler Baze, who had finished fifth the only other time he rode him.

“That was the worst race the horse had had since I’ve trained him,” Mitchell said. “Tyler just begged me to let him ride him again.”

Hombre Rapido finished third. Disturbingthepeace, winner of the 2002 Crosby, and Beau’s Town, last year’s winner, were second-last and last in the 10-horse field.

“He broke in real bad and was lugging in,” said Mike Smith, who rode Beau’s Town. “He came back pretty banged up. Maybe that had something to do with it.”

Kela, carrying 113 pounds, six less than the high-weighted Beau’s Town, was timed in 1:08 2/5.

In the paddock to saddle a horse for the race after the Crosby, Mitchell was greeted by another trainer. “Congratulations,” David LaCroix said. “How come it took you so long?”

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Trainer Richard Mandella said he would take a couple of days before naming a replacement for injured Alex Solis on Pleasantly Perfect, who will run next Sunday in the San Diego Handicap.... Boomzeboom, winner of the Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park, was euthanized Saturday after breaking a cannon bone during a workout.... The stakes-winning Devious Boy died in May from complications from a virus.... Thewayouwantmetoo beat Hardly Hateful by one length to win the Rainbow Futurity for quarter horses at Ruidoso Downs.