From DMTC Publicity
DEL MAR, Calif. (July 20, 2019) — After winning the Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap earlier in the afternoon aboard 1-9 favored Catalina Cruiser, jockey Joel Rosario made his trip West even more worthwhile as he rallied 5-2 betting choice Mucho Unusual from last place to capture the Grade II $200,000 San Clemente Stakes for three-year-old fillies Saturday.
Mucho Unusual, owned and bred in California by George Krikorian and trained by Tim Yakteen, returned $7, $4 and $3.40 while earning $120,000 with her fourth victory in only seven outings. Krikorian’s Hollywood Hills won Thursday’s Fleet Treat Stakes for Golden State Series eligible 3-year-old fillies. Apache Princess paid $11.80 and $7.20, while Over Emphasize returned $4.60 to show.
Outrun in the early stages of the one-mile grass event, Rosario cut loose Mucho Unusual on the far turn, swung wide to rally entering the stretch and collared another late-runner, 17-1 Cal-bred Apache Princess, in the final yards to win by a neck in 1:34.66.
“I left it (race tactics) up to Joel, but I was just as surprised as everybody else that she was as far back as she was,” said Yakteen. “She was doing really well and I conveyed that to Joel in the paddock. We’re really pleased with her effort. Things have been going according to plan and this is one industry where that doesn’t often happen. The prep race at Santa Anita set her up well for this and this should set her up well for the (Del Mar) Oaks.”
“She just didn’t show me a lot (of speed) early, so I let her do her thing away from there,” said Rosario. “On the backside, she wanted to go, so we went after them. Turning for home I thought about going down inside, but she was making up ground and I didn’t want to chance it. She had that nice acceleration through the stretch and we got it. I love it here at Del Mar.“ (The rider forsook his usual riding post at Saratoga to ride today at Del Mar. In the process, he missed a dark day at The Spa because of excessive heat and won both graded stakes at Del Mar.)
Apache Princess, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was three-quarters of a length ahead of Over Emphasize, with Keeper Ofthe Stars, the 5-2 second choice, fourth in the field of ten fillies.