Silver Springs Stud Farm’s FERNELEY (Ire) (Ishiguru) rallied past the filly
Lethal Heat (Unusual Heat) and comfortably held off the other distaffer,
Allicansayis Wow (Street Cry [Ire]), to claim his first North American stakes
victory in Saturday’s $238,000
Del
Mar Mile H. (G2). Trained by Ben Cecil and ridden by Joel Rosario, the Irish
Group 3 hero reeled off the mile in 1:33 on the firm turf course.
Ferneley profited from a contested pace, which compromised 4-5 favorite
Monterey Jazz (Thunderello) and set the stage for his own winning charge from
midpack. Monterey Jazz pressed Knockout Artist (Exploit) through splits of :22
3/5 and :46 1/5, and the popular choice was still moving well when he took over
through six furlongs in 1:09 2/5. Once straightening for home, however, Monterey
Jazz had no answer to the stiff challenge posed by Lethal Heat, and he soon
faded from contention.
Lethal Heat’s advantage turned out to be short-lived, for Ferneley was
beginning to unwind down the center of the course. The five-year-old steadily
drove to the front and went on to score by 1 1/2 lengths, returning $13.20,
$6.40 and $4.60 as the 5-1 second choice.
“I had a good, good trip,” Rosario recapped. “I kept him down inside and was
trying to save ground. I had my eye on that 7 horse (Monterey Jazz). I knew he
was the one to beat. I was hoping some of those horses up front would engage
him; they did. When I came out and around and I saw him (Monterey Jazz) falling
back, I knew I had a big shot. He’s a really nice horse.”
Allicansayis Wow made late progress to snatch second by a half-length from
Lethal Heat. The 10-1 Allicansayis Wow yielded $11.80 and $7.80, and third paid
$5.80 at 9-1. The $1 exotics were good for $72.70 (exacta), $537.10 (trifecta)
and $4,058.90 (9-3-5-2 superfecta) with the 21-1 Victor’s Cry (Street Cry [Ire])
another half-length away in fourth. Medici Code (GB) (Medicean), Becrux (Ity)
(Glen Jordan), Monterey Jazz, Red Alert Day (GB) (Diktat) and Knockout Artist
completed the order under the wire. Temple City (Dynaformer) was withdrawn in
favor of Sunday’s 1 3/8-mile Del Mar H. (G2).
Trainer Craig Dollase was baffled by Monterey Jazz’s poor performance.
“We’re all puzzled at his effort,” Dollase said. “There doesn’t seem to be
anything wrong with him, he just wasn’t the Monterey Jazz we know. (Jockey)
David (Flores) was happy with his spot but when he asked him to run, there
wasn’t anything left.”
Ferneley’s second career stakes score improved his resume to 26-6-2-6,
$417,313. Originally trained by Frank Ennis in Ireland, he captured the 2008
Amethyst S. (Ire-G3) and placed in four other European stakes. Ferneley made his
American debut in last summer’s Eddie Read H. (G1), finishing fifth, and was
transferred to Cecil thereafter. His best stakes results for his new barn were a
runner-up effort in the San Gabriel H. (G2) and a pair of thirds in the San
Marcos S. (G2) and Wickerr S. last time out.
Bred by Mount Coote Stud and Richard Pegum, Ferneley was a $93,444
Tattersalls April two-year-old purchase. He is out of the Pursuit of Love mare
Amber Tide, a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 heroine Uncharted Haven (GB)
(Turtle Island), who is herself the dam of this season’s Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1)
third High Heeled (High Chaparral [Ire]). Ferneley’s fourth dam is Mesopotamia (Zarathustra),
an English and Irish champion juvenile filly and later an influential broodmare.