Tamara © Benoit Photo

TAMARA NEARS RETURN TO THE RACES, SET FOR COMEBACK AT DEL MAR

She was the talk of Del Mar in the summer of 2023. The sleek, brown filly named Tamara stole the hearts of race fans, especially those who are nostalgic about the offspring of past champions.

But she was injured in the Breeders’ Cup later in that year and has not raced in 2024. Her trainer, Richard Mandella, has brought her back slowly and she is expected to make her long awaited return during the fall meet at Del Mar. 

“She’s doing good,” Mandella says. “She’s ready to race.” 

Tamara is the daughter of Beholder, a Hall of Fame inductee and champion in her 2, 3, 5, and 6-years old seasons. Raced by Spendthrift Farms, she was the popular winner of the Pacific Classic over the boys in 2015 and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in both 2013 and 2016, the latter arguably the most exciting Breeders’ Cup race ever. 

So when Tamara debuted with a solid maiden win in August of 2023 followed by an equally impressive 6 ¾-length victory in the G1 Del Mar Debutante, visions of the second coming of her mother were being shared by race fans and pundits alike. 

Even Mandella, who also trained Beholder, saw something special in the filly. So much so, he entered her in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. She set the pace in the race before inexplicably fading to seventh place. A check on her afterwards revealed a fractured splint bone in her left leg. 

Tamara was given time off to heal and in April Mandella tested her with a couple of 2-furlong drills. Everything was pointing in the right direction for a return to the races but Mandella, fearing he was moving too fast with her, backed off, keeping her in light training but skipping the Del Mar summer meet and the Santa Anita autumn meet. A spiked fever also contributed to her delayed return.

In recent weeks Mandella has begun to see what he’s looking for in his Bolt D’Oro filly.  

“Just see that they have their old style back,” Mandella states. “The same ability. She seems to have that. A lot of good works so I think we’re ready to go.”

Mandella had hoped to run Tamara in an allowance race today at Del Mar but it failed to fill. So, instead he put another work into her on Friday and she rang-up a bullet in 1:01.20. He says he’ll look for another race at Del Mar for his prize filly knowing he has plenty of opportunities to run her at the seaside oval before the meet ends on December 1. 

BING CROSBY TRAINERS TITLE GOES THROUGH D’AMATO BARN

Trainer Phil D’Amato is no stranger to the Del Mar winners circle. The 48-year old conditioner has won or shared the trainers title at the seaside oval seven times and has taken home or shared the championship five out of the last seven meets, including the last three Bing Crosby Seasons.

In the past, D’Amato has shipped up to 40 horses to Del Mar in the fall but this year he’s called an audible. He’s only keeping a fraction of the number of horses he usually stables at Del Mar and shipping in his other runners days before they race.

“It’s comprised of 12 horses,” D’Amato says of his string at Del Mar this fall. “They have the synthetic track at Santa Anita now so you don’t have to worry about pending weather.”

Still, D’Amato plans to bring a good share of runners down south from his bases both at Santa Anita and Los Alamitos.

“I’m looking forward to the Turf Festival and running a bunch of my good grass horses,” D’Amato insists. “Almendares, Divin Propos and horses like that.” 

Del Mar’s Turf Festival is made up of seven graded stakes over the last two weekends of the meet, beginning with the G3 Red Carpet on Sunday November 24. D’Amato has been an active participant. He won the Hollywood Turf Cup in 2021 with Say the Word and in 2022 with Prince Abama. He’s won the G2 Seabiscuit five times including the past two runnings with Hong Kong Harry in 2022 and last year with Easter.

D’Amato won the G3 Jimmy Durante with Zona Verde in 2023 and he’s won both runnings of the Stormy Liberal, which was run for the first time in 2022.

He runs a well-oiled machine consisting of several multiple graded stakes winners and he’s become the go-to guy for owners of Irish-breds who bring their horses over to run in the states. All are cared for by a large group of dedicated grooms and hot walkers and assistants Rudy Cruz and Julie Witt. It’s one of the largest stables on the west coast but it still has the feel of a family operation due in part to the contributions of both his wife, Sherri, and stepdaughter, Jessica Pyfer, who help work D’Amato horses in the morning.

“They definitely help the cause,” D’Amato says, “and it’s that much more rewarding when we win races.”

D’Amato’s been training on his own since 2014 following a 10-year tenure as assistant to the late Mike Mitchell. Earlier this year he saddled his first Kentucky Derby runner and last month he celebrated his 1,000th career win. While most of his victories have come for other owners, the milestone was achieved with a horse, Wishes to Riches, he bred and co-owns.

Only time will tell if D’Amato succeeds at breeding and owning horses as much as he has done training them. But given his past track record, it’s best not to bet against him.

JUVENILES TURN UP THE HEAT IN NEXT WEEKEND’S STAKES ACTION 

It’s the 2-year-olds’ turn to shine in the spotlight when the juveniles square-off in two stakes races next weekend. The $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes on Saturday features 2-year-old fillies going 7-furlongs on the dirt. Then Sunday the boys lock horns in the G3 Bob Hope, also at 7-furlongs on the main track.

Trainer Bob Baffert nominated six fillies for the Desi Arnaz including Baoma Corp’s Tenma, winner of the G1 Del Mar Debutante this summer. Another filly of interest is Here We Go Brothers’ Tequilaandtherapy winner of the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on the Friday Breeders’ Cup undercard. 

It’s the 37th running of the Desi Arnaz which used to be run as the Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood Park. Last year’s winner, Nothing Like You, went on to win the G2 Santa Anita Oaks.

Sunday’s G3 Bob Hope is expected to feature trainer Tim Yakteen’s Breeders’ Cup horse, Amestoy, Amestoy, Jr., or Beasley’s McKinzie Street. He was scratched from the Juvenile in favor of the Bob Hope. 

It will be the 44th running of the Bob Hope, formerly named the Prevue Stakes when it was run at Hollywood Park. Last year’s winner, Nysos, returned in January and won the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita then was pulled off the Triple Crown trail and hasn’t run since. 

The two stakes races highlight the third week of racing at Del Mar. 

CALIFORNIA RACING ICON DON VALPREDO PASSES AWAY AT 85

Longtime California-based horseman, breeding and racing enthusiast, Don Valpredo has passed away. He was reportedly vacationing overseas when he died on October 31. He was 85-years-old.

Valpredo served at one time or another on several racing boards in California including the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association where he was their chairman. He also served as commissioner on the California Horse Racing Board and board member on the Thoroughbred Owners of California. He’s an inductee of the California Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.

Valpredo helped create California Cup Day in 1990. One of the races, the Sprint, is named after him. He and business partner John Harris co-bred 1994 California Horse of the Year Soviet Problem. While he is considered the patriarch of many agricultural enterprises in the state, horse racing was Valpredo’s true passion. The first horse he ever bred and raced won first time out.

Valpredo is survived by his wife Sally, three children and seven grandchildren. 

A private service will be held in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to the National Future Farmers of America Foundation’s Leadership Fund.

COOLING OUT:  Cary Grant Stakes winner Big City Lights came out his race “great” according to trainer Richard Mandella. No immediate plans are in the works to run him again this year and Mandella is hoping the son of Mr. Big will be back to race in 2025. “If I have a vote he will.”…Jockey Kazushi Kimura won both ends of the late daily double Saturday and notched three victories on the day…There’s been a Patrick Valenzuela sighting on the grounds at Del Mar this week. Sporting a flak jacket and carrying a crop, the 62-year-old Valenzuela says he’s contemplating yet another comeback. “I got a new knee last year and hopefully we’ll get a little weight off. Maybe I’ll try it again.” Valenzuela hasn’t ridden since 2016 but he’s been galloping and breezing horses in the mornings. Notable works on Sunday: Dirt – Blissterinthesun (4f, :46.00); Roll On Big Joe (4f, :48.00), and Rank (5f, :58.60). Turf – King of Gosford put in his first work since his win in the Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar on opening day (4f, :50.60). A total of 54 horses put in official works on Sunday.