Royal Ship Battles Express Train, Rushie in San Diego

Royal Ship , who traded victories with Country Grammer  in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and Californian Stakes (G2), heads a field of nine in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap (G2). The San Diego, slated as the 10th race on the July 17 card with a post time of 6:30 p.m. PT, is the first graded stakes of the Del Mar season. It is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Hall of Famer Richard Mandella trains Royal Ship, a 5-year-old Brazilian-bred son of Midshipman  —Bela Val , by Val Royal , and has named Mike Smith to ride from post 4. Smith also piloted Royal Ship in the April 17 Californian, when they defeated Country Grammer by a neck, and in the May 31 Gold Cup, when Country Grammer turned the tables by a head.

In his native country, Royal Ship won five of seven races, including the 2020 Estado do Rio de Janeiro (G1). Half of his six U.S. starts have come on turf and half on the dirt. In his only other U.S. dirt attempt, Royal Ship finished fourth in the Nov. 21 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar after a terrible trip.

"He fell flat on his face leaving there," Mandella said.

With much better starts in the Californian and Gold Cup, Royal Ship proved a game competitor with Country Grammer, then trained by Bob Baffert and now with Todd Pletcher in New York.

Royal Ship will carry top weight Saturday of 124 pounds.

The San Diego will be the first start for Royal Ship since the death of his co-owner, Rick Porter, June 6. Porter's Fox Hill Farms owns Royal Ship with Siena Farm. 

Baffert entered Magic On Tap  in the San Diego. A homebred for Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, Magic On Tap won the May 29 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs and finished fourth in the Californian. A 5-year-old son of Tapit  , Magic On Tap will be ridden by Abel Cedillo from post 7.

Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie , winner of the 2020 Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2) and second in the April 10 Oaklawn Mile Stakes, ran fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Michael McCarthy, who saddled Rombauer  to win this year's Preakness Stakes (G1), conditions Rushie, a 4-year-old son of Liam's Map  .

"I like the way the horse is training and have always liked the way the horse trains," said McCarthy. "I went ahead and ran him in the Gold Cup and didn't get the trip we were looking for. In hindsight, I probably should have sent him to New York for the Met Mile (G1)."

Now at Del Mar, Rushie "hasn't missed a beat," McCarthy said.

Umberto Rispoli is set to pilot Rushie, who drew the rail.

McCarthy chose to bypass Saturday's race with another one of his trainees, Independence Hall , third in the Californian and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).

"He's probably a week or two away," said McCarthy, "but he is training forwardly."

Juan Hernandez will pilot Express Train  from post 5 for trainer John Shirreffs and owner C R K Stable. Winner of the Jan. 30 San Pasqual Stakes (G2), Express Train has since placed in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), Oaklawn Handicap (G2), and Hollywood Gold Cup.

Entries: San Diego H. (G2)

Del Mar, Saturday, July 17, 2021, Race 10

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Rushie (FL)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	121	Michael W. McCarthy	-
2	Kiss Today Goodbye (KY)	Victor Espinoza	120	J. Eric Kruljac	-
3	Sheriff Brown (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	118	Todd W. Fincher	-
4	Royal Ship (BRZ)	Mike E. Smith	124	Richard E. Mandella	-
5	Express Train (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	123	John A. Shirreffs	-
6	Mo Mosa (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	120	Michael J. Maker	-
7	Magic On Tap (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	Bob Baffert	-
8	Tripoli (KY)	Tiago Josue Pereira	118	John W. Sadler	-
9	Heywoods Beach (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	118	John W. Sadler	-