From DMTC Publicity
DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 5, 2022) — Big City Lights did what he does best Friday at Del Mar when he went to the front early, then just couldn’t be caught late as he captured the $176,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for Golden State Series eligible 3-year-olds by a length and a quarter.
The racy colt by the California sire Mr. Big, bred by George Krikorian, cut out early splits of :22.14 and :44.27 in the seven-furlong headliner, then just kept on going under Del Mar’s leading rider Juan Hernandez to register his third win in his third start.
“He broke well and was running well right from the start,” said Hernandez. “Mr. Mandella (trainer Richard Mandella) told me to just play it as it comes up. He said I shouldn’t take anything away from him. When we went past the five-eighths (Pole) he really wanted to go, so I just let him. He was comfortable and so was I. He got a little tired at the end, but he got it done. He’s a nice horse.”
Finishing second in the stakes limited to California-bred or sired 3-year-olds was Reddam Racing’s Slow Down Andy, who had a length and a quarter on the show horse, Lovingier, Fasihuddin or Navarro’s Finneus.
Final time for the sprint was 1:23.16. The winner, who went favored at 7/5, paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.40 across the board. Slow Down Andy returned $2.60 and $2.20, while Finneus paid $4.60.
Big City Lights earned a first prize of $99,750 to boost his bankroll to $196,350.
For the ninth straight time, players in the track’s Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot wager couldn’t tab all half dozen and the track’s carryover in the bet rose to $608,414. There is a “mandatory” payout on the wager tomorrow, which means those with the most winners will get a payout of the entire pool. If past form on these bets holds true, fans can expect $3-million to $3.5- million to be added into the pool tomorrow chasing the big money.
First post Saturday is 2 p.m. The Pick Six will start on Race 6, which goes off at approximately 4:35 p.m.