Mullins Has Eye on Two for Money

Trainer Jeff Mullins has a chance to sweep both of the graded stakes today at Del Mar.

Mullins will be represented by defending champion Choctaw Nation in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap and by Castledale in the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap.

Owned by Bob Bone, who claimed the 5-year-old Louis Quatorze gelding for $40,000 out of a maiden race on Feb. 29, 2004, Choctaw Nation hasn’t won since upsetting the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Pleasantly Perfect, in last year’s San Diego.

He has lost four times since, finishing no better than third in any of his losses. Supposedly uncomfortable over the Hollywood Park main track, where he finished fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the Californian on June 18, Choctaw Nation could rebound with a scenery change.

Only five others are scheduled to run in the San Diego, which is a prep for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 21. Keep On Punching, a Hollywood Gold Cup also-ran, Bear In The Woods, Harvard Avenue, Ace Blue and Preachinatthebar complete the field in the Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

A 4-year-old Irish-bred owned by Greg Knee and Frank Lyons, Castledale will be seeking his third consecutive win in the Read, a Grade I at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The son of Peintre Celebre won the San Francisco Breeders’ Cup Handicap on April 23 at Bay Meadows and the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile on May 30 at Hollywood Park.

The Read cast is completed by Sweet Return, Singletary, Fast And Furious, Fourty Niners Son and Qsar. A To The Z was scratched Saturday morning.

Race of the day: Yankee Mon, who has won three of his last four, will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles against seven other New York-breds in the $100,000 Evan Shipman Handicap, the feature on the closing-day card at Belmont Park. Edgar Prado, the meet’s leading rider, will be aboard the 4-year-old Maria’s Mon colt for Windmill Manor Farm and trainer Juan Rodriguez.

One for the road: Javi Suervo makes his first start at Arlington Park and first for trainer Chris Block and should show big improvement in today’s ninth. Carlos Marquez Jr. will ride the 3-year-old Accelerator colt for owner-breeder Erich Brehm in the $29,000 allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Bedugul in the sixth, Del Mar Miss, Vikki’s Honor, Etch and Proposed in the seventh and Sweet Return, Castledale and Fourty Niners Son in the eighth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 4/10. Money: Previous day/meet total: $21/$66.60. Total money bet: $70.