From DMTC Publicity
DEL MAR, Calif. (July 18, 2015) — Winless in three starts since scoring in the 2013 Del Mar Derby, Gabriel Charles showed a return to his best form with a brilliant stretch rally to win the Grade I $400,000 Eddie Read Stakes under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith Saturday.
Next-to-last in the early stages of the nine-furlong grass race, Gabriel Charles surged into contention from the outside on the final turn and dominated his opposition in the stretch to score by 3 ¾ lengths. Time for the distance over a course labeled yielding after a rain storm that hit Del Mar in the early afternoon was 1:48.13.
Gabriel Charles, a Kentucky-bred son of California stallion Street Hero owned by Sam Britt and Michael House and trained by Jeff Mullins, was out of action from November of 2013 until April of this year while recovering from a bowed tendon. In two starts at Santa Anita this winter he was second in an allowance race and third in the Grade III American.
“The early fractions were well enough that I thought we were OK. He was perched up on him like they were going a two-minute mile and when he swung him into the clear I could see he had plenty of horse. How many horses bow a tendon and come back and win a Group I? We took our time with him and that was the key. We knew he had this caliber of talent, it was a matter of keeping him healthy. We were worried about the turf course after the rain but Mike (Smith) said the course was great.”
Twentytwentyvision, an 11-1 longshot, was runner-up in the Eddie Read, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Finnegans Wake, 2-1 second choice in the wagering, with Power Ped fourth in the field of seven grass horses.
Midnight Storm, victor in the Del Mar Derby last summer, was a disappointing fifth as the 6-5 favorite after pressing the pace of Big Cazanova, who wound up sixth in front of last-place Maltes.
Gabriel Charles went postward the 9-2 third choice and returned $11.40, $6 and $3.40 while scoring his fourth victory in eleven starts. First money of $240,000 increased the five-year-old horse’s earnings to $584,400.
Mullins and Smith also combined to win the opening-day Oceanside Stakes Thursday with Soul Driver.
Twentytwentyvision paid $8.20 and $4.20, while Finnegans Wake returned $3 to show.