Tadahiro Hotehama’s homebred T. H. APPROVAL (With Approval) was the class of
the field going into Sunday’s $250,000
Del Mar H. (G2), and the elegantly framed
gray ratified his supremacy with an emphatic 1 1/2-length victory in the turf
contest. Regular rider Alex Solis was content to drop back to eighth in the
early going, well behind the steady tempo dictated by Cheroot (Smokester)
through splits of : 23 4/5, :47 1/5, 1:11 4/5 and 1:36. Solis then urged his
mount forward, and T. H. Approval took off on the outside, making up ground on
the far turn to loom boldly at the top of the stretch. Within a few lengthy
strides, the Eduardo Inda charge swept to the front and galloped imperiously to
the line, completing the 1 3/8-mile affair on firm ground in 2:12 1/5, just one
tick off the course record.
Artiste Royal (Ire) (Danehill) had emerged from midpack to reach contention
turning for home and outgamed Super Strut (Lil Tyler) by a nose to take
runner-up honors.
Cheroot tired to wind up another 2 1/4 lengths back in fourth. Symphony Sid
(Unbridled) crossed the wire in fifth but was disqualified for swerving inside
right after the break, crowding several rivals and shutting off Runaway Dancer
(Runaway Groom) completely. Hence Mighty Mysterious (Mystery Storm) and Runaway
Dancer were each moved up one spot, and Symphony Sid was relegated to seventh. Paraquedista (Brz) (Music Prospector), Indiantown Jones (Green Dancer) and
Quinquin the King (Fr) (Take Risks) rounded out the order of finish.
Leaving the gate as the even-money favorite, T. H. Approval gave back $4,
$3.20 and $2.60 while spearheading $1 exotics worth $9.60 (exacta), $49.60 (trifecta)
and $304.80 (10-8-9-1 superfecta). Artiste Royale paid $4.40 and $4 at odds of
5-1, and the 11-1 outsider Super Strut returned $4 to show.
The Kentucky-bred winner now has four stakes scores to his credit, all at
the Grade 2 level. In his previous start, T. H. Approval captured the Sunset
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), and in April, he garnered his second straight trophy in
the San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. (G2). The gray has also placed five
times in Grade 2 events, including runner-up efforts in the San Luis Rey H. (G2)
and San Luis Obispo H. (G2) earlier this year. His record now reads 25-7-5-4
with a bankroll to the tune of $813,708.
T. H. Approval is out of Argentinean Group 1 queen Potrichal (Arg) (Potrillazo),
who has since produced an unnamed yearling colt by Pleasant Tap and a 2006 filly
by With Approval, a full sister to the Del Mar H. winner. Potrichal is herself a full
sister to Argentinean champions Potrizaris (Arg) and Potridee (Arg), the latter
of whom won the 1994 Vanity Invitational H. (G1), as well as Argentinean
classic winner Potrinner (Arg), who is the dam of Grade 3 heroine and multiple
Grade 1-placed Melhor Ainda (Pulpit). In addition, Potrichal’s younger
half-brother Potro Rex (Potrillon [Arg]) landed the 2005 Gran Premio General
San Martin (Arg-G1).