Palomar Handicap Is Full of Contenders
The last winner of the $200,000 Palomar Breeders’ Cup Handicap, a Grade II that will be run for the 53rd time today at Del Mar, went on to bigger and better things.
Intercontinental, the prohibitive favorite in winning the 1 1/16 -mile turf race a year ago, went on from that victory to an upset win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Oct. 29 at Belmont Park and won an Eclipse Award as the nation’s top female grass performer.
Whether such honors await the winner of this year’s Palomar remains to be seen, but the race should be interesting. It attracted a full field of fillies and mares, and cases can be made for several of the participants.
Amorama, who finished second to Intercontinental a year ago, is back for another shot, but is in a different barn. Trained by Julio Canani earlier in her career, she is now with Bobby Frankel. The French-bred mare is also in the midst of a slump. She is 0 for 5 in 2006 and winless since taking the John C. Mabee Handicap more than 13 months ago at Del Mar.
The 120-pound high weight in the Palomar is Shining Energy, who has won five of 12 since coming to the U.S. for the Lanni Family Trust and Bernie Schiappa and Canani.
She earned her first Grade I win two outings ago, taking the Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Race of the day: Straight Faced, who has yet to be challenged in three starts, heads a field of eight 2-year-olds in the $150,000 Florida Stallion Affirmed today at Calder. Manoel Cruz will ride the son of Straight Man, who has won his races by a combined 14 3/4 lengths, for Walter R. Donnelly LLC and trainer Steve DiMauro in the seven-furlong race.
The Affirmed is part of an all-stakes pick four at Calder. The other stakes are the $50,000 Fasig Tipton Turf Dash, the $50,000 Seacliff and the $150,000 Florida Stallion Susan’s Girl.
One for the road: Momlikedmebest gets a jockey change to Catalino Martinez and can beat a weak field of maidens in the ninth race, an $8,000 claimer at six furlongs, at Golden Gate Fields today. The 3-year-old Helmsman gelding is owned by trainer Art Sherman.
Exotically speaking: A pick three using the Vatchesvendetta entry and Lady Truffles in the sixth; Realandspectacular in the seventh; and all in the eighth.
Winners: (previous day/meet total): 3/104. Money: (previous day/meet total): $18.60/$598.80. Total money bet: $662.
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