Torrey Pines: Jojo Warrior, Fashion Plate Vie

Jojo Warrior, who woke up when trying two turns for the first time in June, and dual grade I winner Fashion Plate head a field of seven 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Torrey Pine Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 31 at Del Mar.



The one-mile Torrey Pines, part of a Sunday program that includes the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT), will be contested as a graded event for the first time. The forrmerly listed Polytrack race, won last year by two-time champion Beholder, is the fifth on the program with a 4 p.m. PDT tentative post.



Zayat Stables homebred Jojo Warrior led all the way before clearing away for a 5 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Summertime Oaks, the former Hollywood Oaks contested at Santa Anita Park June 21. The Bob Baffert-trained Pioneerof the Nile   filly snapped a three-race losing streak when reunited with Martin Garcia, who guided her to a debut maiden win at Del Mar one year ago.



The race also marked Jojo Warrior's first try at a route distance. The bay filly, who drew post 4, has continued to work well at Del Mar as she returns off a nine-week freshening.



Fashion Plate, front-running winner of the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks (both gr. I) this spring, scratched out of the Aug. 17 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III), where she would have faced older rivals for the first time at a sprint distance. Trainer Simon Callaghn opted to keep the daughter of Old Fashioned   in her own age group for at least one more start.



The dark bay filly, owned by Arnold Zetcher and Michael Tabor, attempts to rediscover her earlier form after a pair of dreadful efforts. In the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), she was 11th after melting down at the starting gate, and in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, she weakened badly to ninth after chasing the pace. Mike Smith is to ride Fashion Plate for the first time from gate 3.



Both Jojo Warrior and Fashion Plate were assigned top weight of 123 pounds.



Also carrying 123 is Thegirlinthatsong, who shows up from Texas in the barn of Jerry Hollendorfer, who is part of partnership that now owns her with Gatto Racing and others. Thegirlinthatsong was a stakes winner at Lone Star Park in May for previous trainer Andrew Konkoly and owns 4-2-3 mark from 14 starts in the southwest region. Joe Talamo takes the call.



Others in the Torrey Pines are Delta Flower, fourth in the Summertime Oaks, Tiz Kissable, third last time in the Sandy Blue Handicap, and Margot Machance, off since finishing fourth in the Honeymoon Stakes (gr. IIT) on grass May 4. More Complexity, stepping into stakes company for the first time off consecutive wins, completes the field.

 

[raceEntries date="8/31/2014" country="USA" trackid="DMR" racenumber="5"]