DEL MAR – In lieu of Oceanside, they'll certainly take La Jolla.
Any disappointment for Kristin Mulhall and Steve Taub at having to scratch Sky Cape from a division of the Oceanside Stakes on Opening Day at Del Mar was more than compensated for yesterday when the 3-year-old colt produced an upset, 1½ -length victory in the $150,000, Grade II La Jolla Handicap.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Sky Cape notched his first graded stakes victory in his first start in 77 days. Afforded a perfect stalking trip, second behind long-shot leader Liberian Freighter to the top of the stretch, Sky Cape ($27.60) took over the lead and stayed clear of charging Tangled Tango while covering the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:40.92.
Tiz West, the 5-2 favorite, finished last in the field of 10. Moral Compass, the second choice at nearly 4-1, was sixth.
Sky Cape was scratched from the first division of the ungraded Oceanside on July 16 when Mulhall, 26, a hands-on-type trainer, witnessed cold symptoms while walking the horse around the stable area that morning.
A week of training was missed to give time for antibiotics to take effect. Three weeks later, as the La Jolla neared, there was still some question whether Sky Cape would go.
“I kept telling her, 'There's zero pressure on you to run this horse,' ” said Taub, a former L.A. auto dealer. “I kept saying you've got no pressure from your 50 percent partner. Most owners, especially at Del Mar, say run, run, run, and I kept saying zero pressure.
“I almost told her (don't run) but I will not tell her what to do.”
The Mulhall/Taub combination took Imperialism all the way to a third-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby in a bid by Mulhall to become the youngest trainer, and first female, to win the Run for the Roses.
Mulhall listened to Taub's words, but was more inclined to go with the nonverbal communication she was getting from Sky Cape, specifically in a 7-furlong, 1:25 3/5 workout here Aug. 1 in which Mulhall, a former accomplished equestrian, was aboard.
“He was training so good, but I was just afraid that the antibiotics (aftereffects) were going to knock him out,” Mulhall said.
So her expectations for the La Jolla were modest.
“I would have been happy with third in here,” Mulhall said.
Sky Cape's demeanor in the paddock was such that Mulhall had to saddle him “on the move,” but she said it was just the colt's nature.
When the race started, Rosario rode to instructions and kept Sky Cape behind horses early to settle him down and save energy for the finish. The strategy worked.
“He's never been more relaxed than he was today, and that seemed to be the answer,” Mulhall said.
Having missed the first race in the grass stakes series for 3-year-olds here and won the second, Sky Cape will likely next be seen in the series finale, the $350,000 Del Mar Derby on Aug. 31.
Sky Cape owns five wins in 13 starts.
Closers
Pure Clan, winner of the American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 5, won't be leaving her Churchill Downs base for another West Coast venture in next Saturday's $350,000 Del Mar Oaks. Trainer
Robert Holthus told Del Mar officials that the Hollywood Park trip, and a hot spell of weather upon her return to Kentucky, “took more out of her than we expected. . . . There's nothing else wrong with her, it's just that she's pretty knocked out.” . . . Jockey
Martin Garcia is scheduled to serve a three-day suspension starting Thursday for causing interference aboard
Glitter City in Wednesday's seventh race.
Hank Wesch: (619) 293-1853; hank.wesch@uniontrib.com
