9/4-5 (DMR): Del Mar Derby (G2); Palomar (G2)
 

2nd (2:30) Torrey Pines S.

1 Mile (All Weather Track) | Fillies | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $100,000

1 Cathy's Crunches Gomez G K 119 L
2 Jelly Cable Rosario J 117 L
3 Love Theway Youare Baze T C 119 L
4 Long Lake Krista Bejarano R 117 L
5 Sugarinthemorning Valenzuela P A 119 L
6 Great Hot (BRZ) Sutherland C 119 L



4th (3:30) Adoration S.

1 Mile (All Weather Track) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $85,000

1 It Tiz Valenzuela P A 121 L
2 Church Camp Talamo J 121 L
3 Washington Bridge Gomez G K 119 Blk-On L
4 Downhill Diva Blanc B 121 L
5 Jet Blue Girl Bejarano R 117 L
6 Victoryasecret Espinoza V 121 L
7 Ellafitz Garcia M 119 L
8 St Trinians (GB) Rosario J 117 L



8th (5:30) Del Mar Derby (G2)

1 1/8 Miles (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $250,000

Post # Horse Jockey Weight Claim Price Equip. Med.
1 Midnight Interlude Bejarano R 122 L
2 Akkadian Blanc B 122 Blk-Off L
3 Thirtyfirststreet Quinonez A 122 Blk-Off L
4 Extensive Garcia M 122 L
5 Cloud Man Talamo J 122 L
6 Dreamy Kid Rosario J 122 L
7 Banned Gomez G K 122 L
8 Lil Bit O'Fun Flores D R 122 L
9 Burns Valenzuela P A 122 L
10 Great Warrior (BRZ) Berrio O A 122 L

Banned is free money tomorrow. Midnight Interlude will get the sucker money along with Burns. As long as Banned has somewhere to run he wins, hopefully Gomez doesnt get too cute with his ride and tries to save too much ground. All he will need is a clear path.

MONDAY 3rd (3:00) I'm Smokin S.

6 Furlongs (All Weather Track) | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $100,000

1 Ruler of Dubai Smith M E 123 L
2 Unhitchthetrailor Flores D R 120 L
3 Rousing Sermon Gomez G K 120 Blk-On L
4 Champions Gate Rosario J 120 L
5 Stoney Fleece Talamo J 118 L
6 Inquisitive Son Valenzuela P A 118 L



MONDAY 8th (5:30) Palomar H. (G2)

1 1/16 Miles (Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Go Forth North Garcia M 119 L
2 Medaglia d'Amour Talamo J 118 L
3 Miss Pleasant Quinonez A 116 L
4 Well Monied Rosario J 119 L
5 City to City Gomez G K 119 L
6 Turning Top (IRE) Smith M E 119 Blk-On L
7 Ninth Infantry Sutherland C 116 L
8 It Tiz Valenzuela P A 116 L
9 Andina (IRE) Bejarano R 120 L
10 Apple Charlotte Valdivia J Jr 117 L
AE All Star Heart Blanc B 116 L
AE Somme Pedroza M A 114 L

Molly Jo Rosen is reporting on Twitter that Burns was euthanized after breaking down on the first turn of the Del Mar Derby. Fractured sesamoids and irreparable damage to the suspensory system. She said he probably stepped in a hole and his body went one way, his ankle another.

Sorry to hear that!

Hard fought win by Banned after a garden trip. In the meantime, Midnight Interlude did ALL the running.

Tough one with Burns.

Banned ran a VERY strong race and truly did all the running. Not only was he four wide much of the way but he traveled 65 feet more than the winner. The pace was very ordinary, as evidenced by Extensive and Akkadian staying on as well as they did. If Midnight Interlude didn't beat Banned with their respective trips yesterday than he never will.

Agreed, if Midnight Interlude couldn't beat him with that pace and rail advantage than he is not ever beating him, the Santa Anita turf will be much more to Banned's liking, I couldn't believe how torn and chewed up the turf course is, it's no wonder more horses haven't been injured like Burns, I don't think I would have ran Banned on that course if he were my horse, it's pretty scary looking, I feel for the connections of Burns, Madeline Auerbach was distraught, I really felt bad.

Seems like Banned's move has to be timed right and it looks like hes one of those horses that seem to ease up once they head a horse. But a nice win and yes very tragic for Burns and their connections. Actually kind of impressed in Midnight Interlude's gameness in fighting back, might turn out to be a decent turf horse but a cut below the best.

Terrible for Burns

Owner said Banned is NOT likely for BC this year,next year maybe

if Banned wins his next start, I dont know how they cant at least give it a try

Thats what I think too however this is what the owner said

"We'll keep him out here and probably just (aim for) the Oak Tree Derby ([G2] at Santa Anita on October 15). The Breeders' Cup, maybe next year if he's still around. The Breeders' Cup is the end-all for everybody but me. I'm not a big Breeders' Cup fan."

Imagine if Ken Ramsey just didn't breed him but owned him to. The horse would have been pointed to the BC Turf in July:D

Some of this is splitting hairs, but Banned was in the 2 path around the first turn and then eased out to the 4 path on the backstretch, so 'much of the way' was really just on the second turn. And it isn't unfair to make a case that the portion of the course he was on would likely have had the best footing on the ripped up turf. That was certainly the case at Saratoga for a defined portion of the meet when the inside paths were torn up and off pace/stalker types had greatest acceleration rallying wide. Is 20 yards of Trakus 'ground loss' actually a negative if it offered better footing than the uneven, momentum-jarring going inside?

I'd also say that the pace was even and honest at :23.2, :47.4, 1:12.2, 1:36.0, 1:47.4 (elder fillies and mares went in virtually identical splits in the Palomar Monday). I love Banned, but Midnight Interlude ran a tremendously game race and wins with the wire 2 yards closer or further.

Banned traveled the equivalent of almost 7.5 lengths of extra ground in the course of the race. Gomez is the master on that turf course, routinely riding races at distances less than the average ground coverage statistics based on where they break. He is saving, on average, about two lengths of ground in each two turn turf race this meet from his mounts. He knew he had the best horse and rode him uncharacteristically wide for his tastes, and had his nose where it mattered. If Midnight Interlude wins, or Akkadian, and Banned loses by say, two lengths, given the same setup...he STILL ran the best race in my opinion, and I think the data backs that up unequivocally.

To the inverse, if Midnight Interlude suffers any ground loss, he'd have been a goner.

Again, there are plenty of occasions where being on a wider path with better footing and losing ground can be preferable and the ground loss is moot. That happened repeatedly during the meet here during the period where the inside was shredded wheat. Banned had his nose where it mattered? That's funny. He won by happenstance at the finish with both he and Midnight Interlude running races good enough to win. And under what set of circumstances does Midnight Interlude 'lose ground and become a goner' seeing as how he was on the lead every step? There was a different set of challenges involved in the way he approached the race that is going unappreciated.

I don't have a dog in the hunt as I didn't cap the race seriously or bet it. But when Banned came to the leaders he looked certain to go right on by and met far more resistance than expected. Banned is the horse I prefer and have been rooting for since last year, but Midnight Interlude showed grit in a situation where he had a right to give way.

I don't disagree that there are times a turf course can run different inside out, heck, it happens in Europe all the time. The big difference here is that Del Mar has basically, zero rain, the entire meet. Nothing is tearing it apart other than use, which is significantly different than anything that could be said about Saratoga or Fair Grounds.

A review of the two-turn turf races in the final week of the meet indicates no bias towards position or running style, they have played quite true, and that has been the case relatively all through the meet.

I'd use your very retort, Steve, to come right back and suggest the reason Banned didn't catapult by was the ground loss itself.

You might have the opinion that Midnight Interlude showed a bunch of heart by hanging in gamely, in what happened to be the second-slowest 9 furlong turf race of the meet to that point (though from a small sample of five races).

While proving the opinion is impossible, I don't share yours. To me, Midnight Interlude had a garden trip and was life and death to hold off a horse who had to overcome a seven+ length deficit of extra ground. I'm chalking it up to agreeing to disagree.