Social distancing and facemasks are among the topics of discussion these days at the OC Tavern in San Clemente.
But there is another subject of debate on the outdoor patios at the off-track betting site owned by Lisa and Chris Dalgaard:
Flavien Prat vs. Umberto Rispoli — or Del Mar’s race inside the races.
Going into the final three days of racing in the summer season, Del Mar rookie Rispoli holds a 45-42 lead over the defending and two-time riding champion of the meeting. Forty-two wins won Prat the title last summer.
Prat, however, is also going for the track’s single-season record in stakes wins. He is one shy of Rafael Bejarano’s record of 13 with six stakes races left in the final three days.
Rispoli, meanwhile, has become the track’s king of the turf with 33 wins on the grass — including three Friday — for a 32.7 percent win rate in 101 turf starts.
The Italian Rispoli vs. the Frenchman Prat.
Off the track, the 28-year-old Prat and 32-year-old Rispoli are good friends. They train together. Both have young children. Both are married to French wives. And on Tuesday morning, they will board the same flight out of Los Angeles headed for Kentucky Downs and the next chapters in their careers.
This weekend, however, they are locked in competition as Del Mar completes a season that looks to be a success minus fans.
And at the OC Tavern, the Prat contingent holds a slight edge over Team Rispoli. “I’m with Prat,” said Lisa Dalgaard. Husband Chris remains neutral.
“I think if he breaks the record for stakes wins, he wins the jockey title,” said Derek Lawson, Prat’s agent. “I like him having the stakes record, Flavien wants the jockey title.”
There are two Grade I stakes this weekend with a look to the future — Sunday’s Del Mar Debutante and Monday’s Del Mar Futurity. There are also two Grade II stakes — today’s John Mabee and Sunday’s Del Mar Derby — plus two ungraded Juvenile Turf stakes, one for fillies (Sunday) and one for colts (Monday).
Prat has strong mounts in all six remaining stakes races. Rispoli, who has seven stakes wins this meet, is entered in five.
In the 11/8-mile, $150,000 Mabee Stakes for older fillies and mares on the turf, Prat will be aboard the morning-line favorite in Raymundos Secret (2-1) while Rispoli is on the second-favorite in Lady Prancealot (5-2).
Prat will be aboard My Girl Red in Sunday’s $250,000 Del Mar Debutante — a 7-furlong sprint that drew half a dozen 2-year-old fillies. Princess Noor, with Victor Espinoza up, is the 8-5 favorite with My Girl Red, the winner of the Grade II Sorrento Stakes, the second choice at 3-1. Rispoli doesn’t have a ride in the Debutante.
In the $250,000 Del Mar Derby, Rispoli will be on early, 3-1 favorite Pixelate in the field of 12 3-year-olds going 11/8 miles. Prat will be aboard California Kook, the second favorite at 5-1 and one of three fillies in the field. California Kook finished second in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 22.
Prat will be aboard Dr. Schivel in the Futurity while Rispoli will be on Scooby in the 7-furlong sprint featuring Grade II Best Pal Stakes winner Weston.
Notable
Jockey Mario Gutierrez was transported by ambulance to Scripps La Jolla after going through the inside rail on the backstretch of the turf course after being thrown by Queen Stormborn in the ninth race. Gutierrez’s agent, Matt Nakatani, tweeted Friday night X-rays were “all clean” and a decision on whether the jockey rides this weekend would be made today. Queen Stormborn continued on and ran through the finish line.
Abel Cedillo rode odds-on-favorite Good With People to victory in the featured $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes. Six of the 10 original entries in the 6-furlong sprint scratched, including Scooby
Jockey Brice Blanc, who was thrown in the final race Monday, will be sidelined for six weeks with broken ribs.
The time for Del Mar’s first race will be 1 p.m. for the remainder of the meet.
Center is a freelance writer.
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