Itsinthepost Seeks Rebound in Del Mar Handicap

Something truly out of the ordinary occurred in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar July 22.

Itsinthepost didn't fire.

The 6-year-old American Post gelding doesn't always win, but he almost always runs his race. Since entering stakes competition in 2017, he'd only missed the top three twice from 12 starts in Southern California—a fifth in the 2017 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T), although he came in only 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, and a seventh in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T)—but in the 1 1/8-mile Eddie Read, he lacked any punch in the stretch and came in ninth, seven lengths behind winner Catapult.

"He's been firing for two years, so you've got to give him one race," trainer Jeff Mullins said with a laugh Aug. 16.

Mullins isn't concerned with the effort, because the Eddie Read was shorter than Itsinthepost's preferred marathon distance and a faster pace for a shorter race put him outside his comfort zone.

Red Barons Barn's runner will be back at his preferred distance (1 3/8 miles) in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T) Aug. 18, but a nagging issue remains.

"It's apparent this isn't his favorite racetrack, but this is where we are and we've got to run," Mullins said of Itsinthepost's 0-3-1 record from 10 starts at Del Mar (six of his graded wins have come at Santa Anita Park and one was at Keeneland). "It's the configuration of the course. The corners are short and you can't give up much ground. It's not conducive to his running style. If he gets buried on the rail, he doesn't have time to get out, and if he sits where he wants to be, he's two, three wide tracking the leader."

The field of 12 for the Del Mar Handicap isn't full of Del Mar specialists, either. Four horses have wins over the course, but none have more than one victory. Kenjisstorm has a win in six starts, Unapologetic has one from eight tries, Ashleyluvssugar has a victory from seven races, and Ritzy A. P. has a single score in five attempts. Ashleyluvssugar is the only stakes winner over the course, with a victory in the 2016 Del Mar Handicap.

With that in mind fresh face Cashman, who has raced in Germany for most of his career, is an intriguing entry for Team Valor International and trainer Neil Drysdale. In his last two starts, the French-bred son of Soldier of Fortune placed in the June 24 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft (G3) at Dortmund, then won the July 14 Grosser bwin Sommerpreis at Dresden by 1 1/2 lengths.

Completing the field is grade 1 winner Flamboyant, who is winless in nine starts at Del Mar but won the San Francisco Mile (G3T) two starts back at Golden Gate Fields; New Zealand-bred Whoop Whoop, Mullins' second entry, who finished seventh in a July 18 allowance for his U.S. debut; allowance winner Ya Gotta Wanna; 2017 Illinois Derby (G3) victor Multiplier; multiple graded stakes-placed Colonist; and grade 3-placed Fashion Business.

Entries: Del Mar H. Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, August 18, 2018, Race 6

• Grade IIT
• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Kenjisstorm (KY)	Gary L. Stevens	119	Philip D'Amato	9/2
2	2Flamboyant (FR)	Rafael Bejarano	119	Patrick Gallagher	8/1
3	3Whoop Whoop (NZ)	Joseph Talamo	115	Jeff Mullins	20/1
4	4Ya Gotta Wanna (KY)	Tiago Josue Pereira	115	Philip D'Amato	20/1
5	5Unapologetic (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	116	William Spawr	15/1
6	6Itsinthepost (FR)	Tyler Baze	123	Jeff Mullins	7/2
7	7Multiplier (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	117	Peter Miller	8/1
8	8Ashleyluvssugar (CA)	Joel Rosario	118	Peter Eurton	6/1
9	9Colonist (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	117	Jerry Hollendorfer	8/1
10	10Ritzy A. P. (KY)	Tyler Conner	116	Dan Blacker	20/1
11	11Cashman (FR)	Geovanni Franco	117	Neil D. Drysdale	8/1
12	12Fashion Business (GB)	Flavien Prat	117	Philip D'Amato	6/1