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 Umberto Rispoli celebrates aboard The Padre after winning the 2025 La Jolla Handicap |
The feature race on Sunday at Del Mar was the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the Jimmy Durante turf course. Conditions were excellent with the 9,065 fans in attendance at the seaside oval enjoying partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70's. The Padre was sent off as the even money favorite in the field of 6 off a close second in an allowance at Santa Anita after winning his debut in Ireland. In to challenge him included 2-1 second choice Freedom's Not Free, third in the American Derby at Churchill Downs, and 13-2 third choice Game Warrior, winner of the Oceanside Stakes.
 The Padre rallies on the outside in the stretch. |
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 6 The Padre Rispoli 4.00 2.80 2.20 3 Freedom's Not Free Fresu 3.20 2.60 4 Artislas Hernandez 3.00 Winning Time: 1:42.76 $1 Exacta 6-3 6.00 $2 Quinella 3-6 5.80 $1 Trifecta 6-3-4 19.10 $1 Superfecta 6-3-4-2 88.80Results Chart |
Left: The Padre in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Phil D'Amato said, "It wasn't a great set up. He's a horse that comes from behind and when they went three-quarters in fourteen he still, from that spot being wide and coming home, he had to fly. It just shows this horse has a brilliant turn of foot."
Right: The Padre in the post parade. Winning jockey Umberto Rispoli said, "Phil told me 'Make sure you get him out of the gate OK, then after that he's all yours.' I got on this horse for the first time last week when I worked him and he felt good. He gave me some confidence. I could tell he's got a good mind. I think he's the kind that is only going to get better."
Left: Second place finisher Freedom's Not Free in the paddock before the race. The Mark Glatt trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 1 second, and 3 thirds in 8 starts, earning $223,080 for owners Blinkers On Racing Stable, Janlois Racing, Valinor Racing Stable, Tom Corbett, Andy Kwan, and Jay Lester Wagner.
Right: Third place finisher Artislas in the paddock before the race. The Jeff Mullins trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 0 seconds, and 3 thirds in 9 starts, earning $209,500 for owners Dutch Girl Holdings, Irving Ventures, William Meathe, and Jeanne Tumanjan.
The undercard feature on Saturday was the $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for California bred or sired 2-year-old fillies sprinting 5 furlongs on the main track. Debut winner (on May 24) Liberation was sent off as the 1-2 favorite in the field of 7 over 3-1 second choice Jasmina off her maiden win at second asking and 6-1 third choice Tapatia Mia off her debut win on May 2.
Jockey Antonio Fresu sent 17-1 Mustang Knicky to the lead through an opening quarter of 22.23 while pressed by Jasmina and stalked by 21-1 My Love Caroline. Turning for home, jockey Armando Ayuso sent My Love Caroline to lead midstretch through a half in 46.20, and held off Jasmina late to prevail by a nose in 59.02. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to late-running Tapatia Mia third, and 1/2 more to favorite Liberation fourth. After a stewards' inquiry investigating the start (where My Love Caroline broke outward and Jasmina broke inward, squeezing Liberation between them), My Love Caroline was disqualified and placed 4th for breaking outward and causing Liberation to clip heels, costing her a better placing, thus moving Jasmina up to first.
The winning connections in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Simon Callaghan said, "You don't want to win it like that but she ran a great race. When she broke good and got a nice trip and the favorite was a long way back, I was thinking this is going to plan. She's a tough filly. She doesn't show you a whole bunch in the morning but she steps up in the afternoon. Win or lose she's such a trier."
Winning jockey Kyle Frey said, "Man, I thought the head bob had gone my way, but I still congratulated Armando, just in case, to be a good sport. I still had my fingers crossed. I will say when I saw the result on the board, it was a little upsetting, but on the same note, my filly tried so hard, and she just acted like a complete pro. So regardless I was still very proud of her. And then when I saw the numbers flashing and watched the video I started to get a little excited. Though my horse did step in, it seemed like (#5 and #6) shifted into my hip, which caused me to pull down a tad bit. In which case I grabbed and corrected immediately and thank god I did because clearly the stewards took notice of the effort."
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