DEL MAR, Calif. - The Padre inherited the role of favorite in Sunday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Derby after stablemate Iron Man Cal was withdrawn the morning of the race with a suspected leg infection.
The Padre fulfilled the expectation of his backers with a stylish come-from-behind win in the $300,000 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, The Padre followed a slow pace and rallied from fourth on the turn to win by a length. The Padre ($3.40) was timed in 1:49.23 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85.
The win gave trainer Phil D’Amato his third graded stakes win on turf over the weekend at Del Mar. He won Saturday’s Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap with Motorious for the third consecutive year, and Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap with Gold Phoenix for a record fourth consecutive year.
The Little Red Feather Racing partnership co-owns The Padre, Gold Phoenix and Iron Man Cal. D’Amato and Gary Fenton of Little Red Feather said Iron Man Cal was diagnosed with an infection on Sunday morning, which would require standard treatment.
The Padre had his fourth start in the Del Mar Derby, which drew a disappointingly small field of five.
Freedom’s Not Free, the winner of two one-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita earlier this year, set a slow pace of 25 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.67 for a half-mile. The Padre trailed Freedom’s Not Free by 2 1/2 lengths through the first half-mile.
Rispoli urged The Padre forward on the turn with a wide move and was within a length of leader Freedom’s Not Free with a furlong remaining.
“I’m extremely impressed with this horse,” D’Amato said in the winner’s circle. “He has a tremendous turn of foot. To overcome slow fractions like that, it shows he is a real racehorse.”
Freedom’s Not Free, who was ridden by Juan Hernandez and was the 2-1 second choice, held second.
“He broke so sharp and wanted to be on the lead,” Hernandez said. “I was trying to open up at the three-eighths pole, but he was steady and kept the same pace.
“The winner is a good horse.”
Game Warrior, winner of the Oceanside Stakes at a mile on July 18, finished third, followed by Geometry and Mythical Reel.
The Padre, an Irish-bred colt by the Dubawi stallion Ghaiyyath, is co-owned by Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, who also have ownership shares in Gold Phoenix.
The Padre has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $259,585. After a win in a maiden race at 33-1 on the all-weather track at Dundalk, Ireland, in January, The Padre joined D’Amato’s stable and was acquired by his current ownership.
The Padre finished second in an allowance race at Santa Anita in his first start in the United States in June, and won his stakes debut in the La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 3.
D’Amato said in the winner’s circle that The Padre will be pointed to the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 29.
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