DEL MAR, Calif. - An unlucky trip took a rapid turn for the better for Almendares in Saturday’s $102,500 Wickerr Stakes for turf milers at Del Mar.
Racing in seventh on the turn, Almendares was stuck behind runners before space emerged between Bran and Astronomer in early stretch. Almendares closed from fifth with a furlong remaining to win for the first time since December 2023.
“I was trying to get him outside and get a turn of foot out of him,” winning jockey Antonio Fresu said. “I was looking for some room and it opened at the head of the stretch.”
Sent off favored, Almendares ($6.60) finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 14-1 Zio Jo. Nineeleventurbo, a 27-1 outsider who was last of 10 on the first turn, finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.
Final Boss finished fourth, followed by Astronomer, Bran, Endlessly, Air Force Red, Beyond Brilliant and Watsonville.
Almendares was timed in 1:34.57 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100, which equals his career-best. Fresu had Almendares in seventh on the backstretch, tracking pacesetter Final Boss, who set early fractions of 22.75 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.17 for a half-mile.
“The horse doesn’t have speed,” Fresu said. “The important thing was to get him to settle and save some ground.”
Almendares, a 5-year-old British-bred gelding by the Havana Gold stallion Havana Grey, races for the partnership of John Rochfort, Ian McLean, Saul Gervertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, and is trained by Phil D’Amato.
Almendares has won 5 of 17 starts and earned $385,695. The Wickerr Stakes was his first stakes win in his 10th appearance in such a race.
“I think he is a nice horse,” Fresu said. “He’s getting older and more confident.”
Almendares has been second or third in five graded stakes on turf, including second-place finishes in three Grade 2 races – the 2023 Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds, and the Del Mar Mile and City of Hope Mile in consecutive starts last August and September.
The Wickerr Stakes was restricted to horses that had not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner, other than statebred races, at a mile or more since Oct. 1.
The Wickerr Stakes is designed as a prep to the Grade 2, $300,000 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 30.
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