Cassidy’s Singhalese Wins Del Mar Oaks

Trainer Jim Cassidy spent a year trying to forget that he might have run the best filly in the 2004 Del Mar Oaks.

Cassidy’s Ticker Tape lost by a nose to Amorama in the race, but Cassidy realized that he had to move on. His persistence in the stake paid off Saturday when he saddled Singhalese for a half-length victory over favored Three Degrees.

This time it was Three Degrees who couldn’t get clear as quickly as jockey Alex Solis wanted. Meantime, Mike Smith, riding Singhalese, took the outside route. Three Degrees finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Dancing Edie.

Cassidy, who turns 60 today, watched Singhalese finish no better than third in her first three stakes starts in the U.S., but he knew her day would come. The winning Oaks time of 1:46.29 just missed Amorama’s stakes record of 1:46.26.

“My filly was unlucky in her first two stakes,” Cassidy said, “and then in the American Oaks we chased that super horse [Cesario] from Japan.”

Singhalese, who paid $9.40, won an allowance race here on Aug. 1.

“I ran her in that race to get her mind on her business,” said Cassidy, who has won three races since a one-for-53 start at the meet.

Smith, a Hall of Famer, also has struggled at Del Mar. He has been unable to climb into the top 10 in the standings.

Smith rode only one race Saturday. “They only put me on one, but I made it count,” Smith said. “It was a Grade I, too.”

While Solis and Three Degrees had to bide their time down on the inside, Smith looped the field with Singhalese.

“With a half-mile to go, I figured I’d better get out,” Smith said. “They were clogging up at that point.”

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It doubtlessly had nothing to do with employee-boss diplomacy, but Joe Torre was outfinished by George Steinbrenner at Saratoga.

Sweet Symphony, a 3-year-old campaigned by Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees, overtook Spun Sugar in the final sixteenth of a mile en route to a 6 1/4 -length victory in the $750,000 Alabama Stakes.

Sis City, owned in part by Torre, the Yankee manager, led much of the 1 1/4 -mile race before finishing fourth. Spun Sugar finished second and R Lady Joy was third.

Sweet Symphony, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Jerry Bailey, is undefeated in four starts, but the Alabama was her first stakes race. Mott said that he’d probably run her one more time before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Belmont Park Oct. 29.

Paying $9.60, Sweet Symphony was timed in 2:04 2/5 on a track listed as good.

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Dream Of Summer, trained by Juan Garcia and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, shipped in from Del Mar to win the $150,000 Gardenia Handicap at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.... A Classic Life was a six-length winner of the $100,000 Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., and Miss Matched was best in the $100,000 Arlington Oaks in suburban Chicago.... Cheroot, whose 1:39.68 clocking Friday set a record for 1 1/16 miles on grass at Del Mar, will run in either the California Cup Classic or the Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 6.