Formidable Man © Benoit Photo
Mr. and Mrs. William Warren, Jr.’s Formidable Man came running hard in the lane and got the job done by half a length in the 78th edition of the Grade II Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby Sunday at the shore track.
The sophomore colt by City of Light covered nine furlongs on turf in 1:49.87 and paid $4.40 to his backers as the 6/5 favorite in the $300,500 headliner.
He was handled by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Mike McCarthy.
Finishing second was Bruns Racing, Exline-Border Racing, et al’s Stay Hot, who was a length and a quarter better than John M.B. O’Connor’s Atitlan. Only six horses ran in the race.
Formidable Man, who was winning his fourth race in his ninth start, earned a first prize of $180,000 to boost his earnings total to $457,425. He pulled off a “Caesars” double at the meet having caotured the Opening Day Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside Stakes. All four of his victories have come on turf.
Earlier on the card, Zedan Racing Stables’ comebacking Muth made his return to the races after five months on the sidelines in fine fashion, running a mile in the Shared Belief Stakes in 1:35.64 and proving clearly best over six 3-year-old rivals in the 50th running of the race that used to be known as the El Cajon Stakes.
The winner, a Good Magic colt who was a $2-million 2-year-old purchase, came home two lengths on top under Del Mar’s leading rider Juan Hernandez. He is trained by Del Mar’s leading trainer Bob Baffert. This was the 17th time at the current session that Baffert and Hernandez have teamed up to win a race.
Muth, the 1/5 favorite in the $126,000 feature, paid $2.40 to win. He also picked up a winner’s share of $75,000 to push his bankroll to $1,579,100. It was his fifth victory – including a pair of Grade Is -- in his seventh start. He had run second in the two races he didn’t win.
Finishing second was Talla Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds or Barker’s Indispensable, who had a length and a quarter on SF Racing, Starlight Racing, et al’s Imagination.
Racing will continue at Del Mar on the holiday Monday with first post at 1:30 p.m. for an 11-race program.
UMBERTO RISPOLI (Formidable Man, winner) – “When it’s a small field like that, it’s always tactical. My first intention was to go outside and lead and I know at some point I need to get a jump on him (Stay Hot) but thanks to Michael (trainer McCarthy) we did it. He has been improving race by race, with credit to the McCarthy team. The key was to get the jump on Stay Hot and I think it worked okay for us. I am certainly happy with that.”
MICHAEL McCARTHY (Formidable Man, winner) – “I told him (Umberto Rispoli) to warm the horse up properly and bounce out of there. What I don’t want to do is make it a sprint for home and that’s what it turned out like. I certainly knew Antonio (Fresu) would be right off of our heels turning up the backside. A salty bunch of horses like this, there’s not a whole lot separating the top three. I wouldn’t say I was confident; I just was very happy with the way the horse had trained.”
FRACTIONS: :25.01 :50.19 1:15.08 M1:38.69 1:49.87
The stakes win was the seventh of the meet for rider Rispoli and his second (Pixelate, 2020) in the Del Mar Derby. He now has 32 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the fifth of the meet for trainer McCarthy, but his first in the Del Mar Derby. He now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are Mr.-Mrs. W.K. Warren, Jr. of Tulsa, OK.
