Las Vegas, NV – Del Mar in the great state of California will play host to the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes on Sunday, July 20. Horses three years old and upward will be after the winner’s portion of the $300,000 purse when they go 1 1/8 miles on Del Mar’s turf track.
A wide open field of just six will line up in the Eddie Read Stakes – race 5 on Del Mar’s Sunday schedule. Post time is 4:00 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all six entries for this Grade 1 stakes.
Summer Front – Seven time stakes winner and Christophe Clement trainee is coming off back-to-back seconds – last time out to Obviously in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 14 and in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont Park May 3 after a very disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf February 9. Before that dud was a terrific win in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes January 11 and a good second to Silentio in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park November 29. He also had wins last year in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park August 25 and in the Grade 3 Miami Mile at Calder in April. Summer Front has three wins and three seconds in his last eight graded stakes starts with two sevenths sandwiched in there but looks to be in a good position to pick up a Grade 1 score here. He has won eight of 16 career turf tries and will get Joe Bravo to ride the 121 pound highweight from post 2.
Unbridled Command – won five straight races ahead of the 2013 Gulfstream Park Handicap in February of last year including the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes, the minor McMahon of Saratoga Mohawk Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths and the uber-competitive Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November, 2012 – by far his most impressive career result. He was forced to the sideline for 16 months after the Gulfstream Park Turf and recently returned to action with a disappointing eighth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita June 21. Unbridled Command certainly has the past results to open a few eyes and looks to get back to his 2012-2013 form Sunday with Elvis Trujillo in the saddle from gate 5.
Tom’s Tribute – has 11 career starts for trainer James Cassidy with four wins, three seconds and a third place finish – the third coming last time out in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 14. Before that was a win – after trailing by 11 lengths in the minor Thunder Road Stakes – in course record time April 6, an ugly seventh in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile here in March and a second in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes in February. He had a two race win streak toward the end of 2013 – in the overnight Uniformity Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths October 20 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score also here September 29. Tom’s Tribute has a win, a second and a third place finish in his last four starts – the added distance may do him some good here. The legendary Mike Smith has the mount from the outside post Sunday.
Eddie Read Stakes betting online at Del Mar with OffTrackBetting.com
Spring Up – John Sadler trained colt made his graded stakes debut April 25 and finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes at Santa Anita off an Allowance Optional Claiming March 30. Last time out he returned to the winner’s circle – a Starter Handicap score at Santa Anita June 21. He also had a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 6 and a fifth in his only other stakes action to date – the minor Florida Sunshine Millions Turf on January 18. Spring Up has six wins, a second and a third place finish in 13 career starts and is expected to press the pace as per usual with Corey Nakatani aboard from the rail.
Cogito – Edward Freeman pupil will race for the first time since a sixth in the 2013 Eddie Read Stakes which followed another sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in May, 2013 and six months away. Before the layoff his graded stakes results included a seventh in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf and a fourth in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap in October, 2012. He has two wins and a second place finish in eight career starts but hasn’t placed in his last four overall. Cogito lines up in post 3 with Mario Gutierrez aboard.
Horizontallyspeakin – is coming off a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita June 21 after a fifth in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile in April at Golden Gate and a two race win streak – both Allowance races at Santa Anita to start his year. He also had an ugly eighth in his stakes debut – the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort here December 26 for trainer John Sadler. He has 13 career starts with four wins and a third place finish, won his first two starts this year but has finished off the board in his last two. Horizontallyspeakin looks to break through in graded stakes company for the first time Sunday from post 4 with Joe Talamo in the reins.
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