Instagrand Romps in Best Pal at Del Mar
Image:
Description:
Photo: Benoit Photo
Instagrand leaves his opponents in the dust in the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar
OXO Equine's Instagrand put on a nearly identical performance to his debut in the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (G2) Aug. 11 at Del Mar.
In both races, the Into Mischief colt went to the front, allowed at least one horse a glimmer of hope in the turn, and then powered away. In his debut at Los Alamitos Race Course June 29, the winning margin was 10 lengths. In the Best Pal, it was 10 1/4. In both cases, the margin probably could have been more.
In cruise control on the lead, with fractions of :23.00 and :46.54 through a half-mile, jockey Drayden Van Dyke took a peek behind, just to make sure, and found no serious challengers.
"I just threw a couple of crosses at him today—that's all. (He's a) Cadillac," Van Dyke said. "I wanted to see if he'd change leads on his own, but in the end I just gave it a little weight shift (to the inside) and he made a perfect change. He's got the mind of a 4- or 5-year-old—professional."
After 7-1 second choice Owning attempted to attack the 1-9 favorite in the turn, Instagrand shrugged off the Flashback colt, widened his advantage, and finished the six furlongs in 1:10.27.
Sparky Ville closed from fourth in the five-horse field to pick up second place and was followed by Synthesis, Owning, and Mason Dixon to complete the order of finish.
"He beat 'em all, but one," said Sparky Ville's jockey, Gary Stevens. "Don't even ask me if I could see the winner."
A $1.2 million purchase by owner Larry Best out of the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Instagrand has $144,000 in earnings from his two starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Stoneway Farm, out of the Lawyer Ron mare Assets of War.
"He broke good even though he had been standing in (the gate) a while, then Drayden got this colt to relax, and he did his thing," said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. "I think it is an improvement (over his debut race) in that he did it so much easier. We'll look at the (grade 1 Del Mar) Futurity for him, for sure."