DEL MAR, Calif. – Between races for California-breds and the occasional foray into graded stakes, Camille C has earned $287,551 from 14 starts for brothers Carlos and Marcelo Polanco.
Along the way, she won the Generous Portion Stakes for statebreds at Del Mar last summer, and the Melair Stakes for statebreds at Hollywood Park in April. Her success in that division makes her the favorite in Saturday’s $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar.
The conditions of the Fleet Treat are an ideal fit for Camille C – a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old statebred fillies.
“We’ve run her in the right places,” trainer Marcelo Polanco said. “We’ve taken some chances outside the California-breds.”
Owned by Carlos Polanco, who purchased the Roman Dancer filly for $4,200 at the 2009 Barretts January Sale, Camille C was third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks over 1 1-16 miles on June 6. She won the Melair Stakes over the same distance, and was fourth in the Grade 2 Providencia Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in April.
“She likes this track,” Marcelo Polanco said of Del Mar. “She can do anything from seven furlongs to a mile and sixteenth. The mile and an eighth was a little too far.”
The Fleet Treat will be Camille C’s first start over seven furlongs since a second to La Nez in the California Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita last fall. La Nez starts in the Fleet Treat, but has struggled this year, winless in three starts. Most recently, La Nez was seventh in an optional claimer at Hollywood Park in May.
The Fleet Great drew a field of 10, including Salty Fries, the winner of the Corte Madera Stakes at Golden Gate Fields last December; the improving Thisoneforyou, who has won 2 of 3 starts, Excellent News, who has won her last two starts; and Repo, who finished first in the Manhattan Beach Stakes at Hollywood Park in May but was disqualified and placed second for causing interference in the stretch.
Blue Chagall steps up; Loup Breton out
Blue Chagall’s win in the $80,300 Wickerr Stakes on Wednesday came at an ideal time for trainer Julio Canani. Thursday, Canani said that Loup Breton, the winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita in January, is out of action until the winter.
Blue Chagall won his second restricted stakes in the last year in the Wickerr, and will attempt to win his first graded stakes in nearly three years in the $250,000 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 28.
Owned by Prestonwood Farm, Blue Chagall won the Group 3 Prix des Chenes in France in September 2007, but is winless in five starts at that level in this country.
A 5-year-old gelding, he displayed graded stakes form in the Wickerr.
Ridden by David Flores, Blue Chagall ($24) ran a mile on turf in 1:34.19, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of pacesetter Aggie Engineer. Gallant Son, the 6-5 favorite, rallied from sixth in a field of seven to finish third.
Flores gave Blue Chagall an idea trip, saving ground to early stretch before easing around Aggie Engineer. “I was just hoping there was nobody running on the outside,” Flores said.
The Wickerr Stakes was Blue Chagall’s first win since the minor Lure Stakes at Santa Anita last fall. The gelding has won 5 of 22 starts and $278,536.
Asno Del Caramelo back to try again
Asno Del Caramelo essentially lost all chance to win his debut at Hollywood Park on July 4 when the colt encountered trouble on the turn. His hopes were not helped any more when he was steadied again late in the five-furlong maiden race on turf.
Asno Del Caramelo was beaten three lengths in that race. When he returns in a six-furlong maiden race in Saturday’s second race, trainer Mark Glatt expects a winning effort.
“I think he’ll run very very well,” Glatt said. “I think he would have been right there if that hadn’t happened at the quarter pole.”
Asno Del Caramelo is part of a field of eight. Joburg Star, a troubled seventh here on July 24, makes a quick turnaround and starts from the rail. The race features first-time starters trained by Myung Kwon Cho (Riveting Reason) and Bob Baffert (Benergy). Last weekend, Cho won a maiden race for 2-year-olds with Premier Pegasus, who returned $90.80.
