Cindy's Horse Racing Website Index

2014 La Jolla Handicap


Mike Smith celebrates aboard Enterprising after winning the 2014 La Jolla Handicap
Date: 08/09/2014

The feature race on Saturday at Del Mar was the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (G2) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the Jimmy Durante turf course. Conditions were excellent with fans enjoying partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 70's at the seaside oval. Enterprising was sent off as the 3-2 favorite in the field of 6 off hs win in the Oceanside on opening day. In to challange him included 2-1 second choice Schoolofhardrocks, fourth in the American Derby (G3) at Arlington, and 5-1 third choice Argyle Cut, second in both the Oceanside and Singletary Stakes.

Enterprising rallies along the inside

Jockey Martin Garcia sent Schoolofhardrocks to the lead first time by and he set fractions of 23.92, 48.13, and 1:11.30 over the firm course while staalked by 7-1 Tonito M, in turn 2 lengths in front of 15-1 longest shot I'll Wrap It Up. Entering the stretch, Schoolofhardrocks continued to lead through 1 mile in 1:35.31, but soon tired. Favorite Enterprising, last early, came through between horses and then rallied along the rail to win by 1 1/4 lengtsh over I'll Wrap It Up in 1:41.31. It was another 1/2 length back to 7-1 Sammy Mandeville third.

Pgm  Horse               Jockey        Win   Place  Show
 6   Enterprising      Smith           5.00   3.80  2.80
 3   I'll Wrap It Up   Trujillo              10.00  4.00
 4   Sammy Mandeville  Bejarano                     4.20

Winning Time:  1:41.31

$1 Exacta 6-3                26.60
$2 Quinella 3-6              33.80
$1 Trifecta 6-3-4           122.80
$1 Superfecta 6-3-4-2       338.00
Results Chart

Left: Enterprising in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Tom Proctor said, "Whether you're training or riding, it helps to have the horse. Whatever trip you get, if they can run it usually works out. Looks like he's even a little better than we might have thought. (When far back) I thought it might not be his day, but he ran like a freight train the last eighth of a mile. We'll see how he is. The Del Mar Derby (August 31) is a possibility." This is Smith's first La Jolla win, his third stakes win this meeting and his 42nd in his career at Del Mar.

Right: Enterprising in the paddock before the race. Winning jockey Mike Smith said, "Last 1/16 in less than six seconds! Wow! Are you serious. He was cookin'. He really got to going between the eighth and the sixteenth (poles). Very impressive race. Even more impressive than his last (Oceanside Stakes win) because he was going farther. This race really sets him up for the (Del Mar Derby)." Proctor has 10 Del Mar stakes wins including 2 this season.

Left: Second place finisher I'll Wrap It Up in the post parade. Jockey Elvis Trujillo said, "This was a really good race for him. He came running. The farther the better for him."

Right: Third place finisher Sammy Mandeville in the paddock before the race. Jockey Rafael Bejarano said, "He had a bad experience last time; he broke through the gate (in the Oceanside on July 17). I just had to be quiet with him early. Then he was running late. A good race for him."

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