Diamonds in the Rough: August 7, 2015

Diamonds in the Rough: August 7, 2015

It’s been a bit of a quiet week so far in terms of 2yo racing at Saratoga and Del Mar, but on August 5th, Del Mar did play host to a stakes races for California-breds that yielded intriguing results. Here’s a quick recap of what happened!

Del Mar Race 6: Graduation Stakes
5 1/2 furlongs on dirt

Mrazek, who ran second against open company in a pair of stakes races earlier this summer, was the heavy favorite at 3-5 and lived up to expectations with an impressive victory. With Mario Gutierrez in the saddle for trained Doug O’Neill, the son of Square Eddie battled for the early lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.47, then kicked away in the homestretch to draw off and win by three lengths in the quick time of 1:03.77 seconds. For his effort, he received a Beyer speed figure of 86, which–according to DRF.com’s list of leading Beyer speed figures–is the fifth-highest earned by any 2yo colt or gelding so far this year. Ralis, another Doug O’Neill-trained runner, rallied from fourth to finish second by 5 1/4 lengths over Swiss Minister, who raced closed to the pace before tiring in the homestretch to finish third.

Link to the Equibase.com chart of Mrazek’s maiden win
Link to the replay of Mrazek’s maiden win
Link to Mrazek’s pedigree

Follow J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman"):

J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, blogger, videographer, and all-around horse racing enthusiast who was drawn to the sport by Curlin's quest to become North America's richest racehorse. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. He lives in Wisconsin and also writes for the Bloodhorse.com blog Unlocking Winners.

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