Horse Racing Results: Del Mar and Saratoga, August 22-23

Knightsbridge wins the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Join us coast to coast as we reveal horse racing results for Del Mar and Saratoga for Saturday and Sunday. Come for the results and stay for our expert analysis and recap of the results. With Breeders' Cup quickly approaching, the implications are becoming even more important to follow.

INDEX

Alabama Stakes
Ballston Spa Stakes

Del Mar Oaks

Pacific Classic
Del Mar Derby

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Saratoga

Saratoga offered a variety of stakes races on Saturday, including the Alabama Stakes and Ballston Stakes. Check out the horse racing results below.

Alabama Stakes

Winner: My Gun's Loaded | Jockey: Manny Franco | Trainer: Chad Brown

Saratoga’s reputation as the “Graveyard of Favorites” was alive and well on Saturday when Counting Stars, bet below 2-5, was outrun in the $600,000 Alabama (G1) by stakes newcomer My Gun’s Loaded and Measure, the latter her stablemate in the barn of trainer Mark Casse.

A comfortable winner of the Acorn (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at the Spa earlier this summer, Counting Stars had in winning both races toppled the Chad Brown-trained Always a Runner, who had beaten Counting Stars in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Brown kept Always a Runner out of the Alabama in favor of next month’s Cotillion (G1) but still had the right horse to beat the heavy favorite.

Sharing a similar paternal heritage (sire Gun Runner) with Always a Runner, My Gun’s Loaded entered the 1 1/4-mile Alabama with two wins in three starts, though none above allowance level nor beyond a mile. What she brought to the table, though, was significant upside, none that the other four fillies opposing Counting Stars could match. My Gun’s Loaded was sent off as the 3-1 second choice.

Counting Stars seized the lead passing the stands and was kept a bit wide entering the first turn. With Jose Ortiz up, Counting Stars attempted to lull her rivals to sleep, posting fractions of :24.55, :49.44, and 1:14.06. My Gun’s Loaded, meanwhile, was no more than a couple lengths off Counting Stars in third.

My Gun’s Loaded was sent after Counting Stars on the far turn, reeled in the favorite in upper stretch, and withstood a belated rail bid from 10-1 third choice Measure to win the Alabama by a neck under Manny Franco.

My Guns Loaded wins the Alabama at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

Ballston Spa Stakes

Winner: And One More Time | Jockey: Javier Castellano | Trainer: Mark Casse

Live Oak Plantantation’s And One More Time turned back multiple challengers and survived a stewards’ inquiry after floating wide in the stretch of Saturday’s $300,000 Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga, prevailing by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile turf test for fillies and mares. Javier Castellano guided the four-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach for Mark Casse.

The dark bay Kentucky-bred sped forward at the break and showed the way on a short lead through moderate fractions before coming under pressure in upper stretch. And One More Time did not corner properly into the stretch, drifting out as Sunlit Uplands and 9-10 favorite Segesta advanced to take closer order to the outside, before Castellano got her straightened out.

Despite being carried out, Sunlit Uplands and Segesta had every chance to get by the winner before coming up short. Deep Satin closed dramatically along the inside to be a serious presence but was repelled before she could draw even. And One More Time kept plugging away courageously, surging under the wire to avoid a head-bobbing photo.

Off as 6.31-1 third choice, And One More Time was timed in 1:40.80.

And One More Time wins the Ballston Spa at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

Del Mar

Del Mar showcased an eventful weekend with stacked stakes races throughout the weekend, including the Pacific Classic and Del Mar Derby

Pacific Classic

Winner: Knightsbridge | Jockey: Junior Alvarado | Trainer: William Mott

The connections of reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty have yet another Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) contender on their hands, after Knightsbridge ran riot in Saturday’s “Win and You’re In” Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

A fellow Godolphin homebred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Knightsbridge has had a totally different career trajectory from Sovereignty. The son of Nyquist has shown brilliance in one-turn races, until his two-turn experiment in the July 18 Monmouth Cup (G3) proved a revelation.

But the Pacific Classic would be the acid test. Could Knightsbridge back up his Monmouth Park effort while stretching out to 1 1/4 miles, in a $1.03 million Breeders’ Cup Challenge event with an abundance of early speed?

The answer was as blistering as the early pace, as Knightsbridge justified 1.10-1 favoritism.

RECAP: Knightsbridge answers distance question in Pacific Classic rout

Knightsbridge wins the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Del Mar Oaks

Winner: Tam Tam | Jockey: Junior Alvarado | Trainer: Phil Bauer

Saturday’s Pacific Classic Day card at Del Mar included three major turf stakes.

Kentucky shipper Tam Tam plundered the $302,500 Del Mar Oaks (G1) with an ideal stalk-and-pounce trip. Trained by Phil Bauer for Rigney Racing, the 2.70-1 second choice surged past front-running favorite Kensington Lane in the stretch.

Although trainer Phil D’Amato was out of luck in the Del Mar Oaks, he teamed up with jockey Umberto Rispoli to win Saturday’s other two turf stakes – the $201,500 Green Flash H. (G2) and the $303,000 Del Mar Mile (G2).

Sorrento Sky uncorked a last-to-first move in the Green Flash to give D’Amato his fourth straight win in this Breeders’ Cup Challenge race. The 7-1 shot upstaged 8-5 stablemate Motorious, who had won the past three runnings, and earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

King of Gosford surged between horses in the nightcap, the Del Mar Mile. Holding on by a head, the 5.20-1 chance prevailed in a blanket finish with Detain, favored El Potente, and pacesetter Cabo Spirit.

COMBO RECAP: Tam Tam, Sorrento Sky, King of Gosford star on Del Mar turf