Triple Bend Winner American Theorem Leads Bing Crosby

Whatever your style of selection, you'll probably find something to like in the July 30 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. The tried-and-true method of current form on the circuit gives you the first three from Santa Anita Park's Triple Bend Stakes (G2). Two of the three shippers bring sturdy Eastern stakes-winning resumes with them. And three are California-breds that have shown enough promise to be considered contenders.

American Theorem , Principe Carlo , and Get Her Number  set up a $222 trifecta on a 50-cent wager when heavy favorite Brickyard Ride  ran unplaced in the seven-furlong Triple Bend May 29. Brickyard Ride has since gone to the sidelines, but the top three are cutting back to six furlongs for the Crosby. The race is a "Win and You're In" for the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

Kretz Racing's American Theorem, who drew post 9 and will have Joe Bravo aboard, had been routing prior to the Triple Bend. Trainer George Papaprodromou thought the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah   might benefit from sprinting.

"We've been trying long, and he's been involved with fast paces, and it didn't work out," Papaprodromou said.

Prior to the Triple Bend, American Theorem's best stakes effort was his first one, a second in the 2019 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at 1 1/16 miles as a 2-year-old. He finished six lengths behind winner Eight Rings . In the Triple Bend, American Theorem came from off the pace to defeat Principe Carlo by a short nose.

Librado Barocio trains California-bred Principe Carlo, a 6-year-old son of Coil , for David A. Bernsen, Barocio's Mia Familia Racing Stable, and Rockingham Ranch. Barocio claimed Principe Carlo for $20,000 at Santa Anita in late 2020 and won the 2021 Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar with him. 

The Crosby will be the first start with Bernsen and Rockingham in on the partnership of Principio Carlo (post 5, jockey Victor Espinoza). Those two owners collaborated on Roy H , who finished second twice in the Crosby, but won two editions of the Breeders' Cup Sprint and is a two-time Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter.

Peter Miller trained Roy H, and he conditions Get Her Number for owner Gary Barber. Get Her Number won the 2020 edition of the American Pharoah but was subsequently unplaced in stakes competition until his third in the Triple Bend. Following that effort, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In   shipped to Churchill Downs and won a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer June 25 by a neck. Ramon Vazquez is set to ride Get Her Number from post 10.

Miller and Barber belong to the group that owns C Z Rocket , a Miller-trained 8-year-old gelding who ran second in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint and third in the 2021 Crosby. Miller nominated C Z Rocket to this year's Crosby but ran him instead in an allowance optional claimer July 23 at Del Mar. C Z Rocket won that 6 1/2-furlong race by a half-length.

Diamond Oops  finished third to C Z Rocket in the July 23 race, his first in California, and has been entered back in the Crosby (Ryan Curatolo to ride from post 8). The oldest in the field at age 7, the Kentucky-bred gelded son of Lookin At Lucky   has plenty of back class. The Patrick Biancone trainee has won four stakes at Gulfstream Park, one at Keeneland, and one at Churchill.

Two others are ship in directly from other jurisdictions. 

Brendan Walsh sends Bagboss  (Umberto Rispoli, post 3) from Kentucky. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Speightstown   has raced in Kentucky and Florida but has never attempted a stakes.

Drain the Clock  (Drayden Van Dyke, post 4) ships in from Florida for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., but he has local connections. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Maclean's Music   races for a partnership headed by Slam Dunk Racing. Nick Cosato of Slam Dunk bred Drain the Clock, who has won the 2021 Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) and three other Eastern stakes.

Letsgetlucky  and Desmond Doss  join Principe Carlo as the three California-breds in the Crosby. Both bring credentials that shouldn't be overlooked.

Phil Lebherz, Alan Klein, and Rusty Brown own Letsgetlucky (Tyler Baze, post 7). Lebherz and Klein raced 2010 Crosby winner Smiling Tiger  , and all three breed and race runners by the horse, who now stands in California. The three of them also raced My Cinsation , the dam of Letsgetlucky, who is a 4-year-old gelded son of Munnings  .

Letsgetlucky hasn't yet won a stakes, but ran second against Jackie's Warrior  in the six-furlong Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, beaten three-quarters of a length.

California-bred Desmond Doss (Florent Geroux, post 1) is making his first graded attempt in the Crosby. Racing for the highly successful California owner/breeder Nick Alexander, Desmond Doss is a son of Alexander's stallion Grazen . Against California-breds, Desmond Doss has won back-to-back editions of the Bertrando Stakes and this year's Thor's Echo Stakes.

Entries: Bing Crosby S. (G1)

Del Mar, Saturday, July 30, 2022, Race 8

• Grade I
• 6f
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Desmond Doss (CA)	Florent Geroux	122	Steven Miyadi	-
2	Shaaz (VA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Bob Baffert	-
3	Bagboss (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	122	Brendan P. Walsh	-
4	Drain the Clock (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	-
5	Principe Carlo (CA)	Victor Espinoza	122	Librado Barocio	-
6	Howbeit (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Mark Glatt	-
7	Letsgetlucky (CA)	Tyler Baze	122	Brian J. Koriner	-
8	Diamond Oops (KY)	Ryan Curatolo	122	Patrick L. Biancone	-
9	American Theorem (KY)	Joe Bravo	124	George Papaprodromou	-
10	Get Her Number (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	122	Peter Miller	-