DEL MAR – As trainer Phil D’Amato watched the Grade I Del Mar Oaks unfold Saturday afternoon, he had total confidence in the ride jockey Hector Berrios was giving Iscreamuscream.
“He knows the horse and he controlled the race,” D’Amato said after Iscreamuscream ran past fading 6-5 favorite Whiskey Decision coming off the far turn to win the 1 1/8-mile turf test for 3-year-old fillies by 1½ lengths over Medoro.
“Hector didn’t push the button early. He stayed patient and circled around Whiskey Decision (Umberto Rispoli) and re-engaged. I thought at the quarter pole, when he got head-to-head with the favorite, he still looked like he had a lot of horse left. I was just hoping Iscreamuscream would draw off and she did.
“It’s a testament to Hector. He gets along with this filly very well and keeps her energy level up at all times and she’s able to finish the way she does. That’ll win you a lot of races.”
Like four wins in four starts for the daughter of Twirling Candy, including two straight this meeting under Berrios. The horse won the Grade II San Clemente Stakes on opening day and now the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks.
From the start in the infield turf chute, the race was between Iscreamuscream and Whiskey Decision, who shipped in from Kentucky while also riding a three-race winning streak.
Iscreamusream led early before Whiskey Decision moved into the lead at the half-mile. The pair ran 1-2 until the far turn when Iscreamuscream ($8.40) moved around on the outside and never looked back. Meanwhile, Whiskey Decision, who shipped in, faded to sixth in the field of eight.
Medoro (Antonio Fresu) finished second, 1¼ lengths ahead of D’Amato’s Zona Verde (Juan Hernandez). Buchu, the other Oaks entrant who shipped in from Kentucky, finished fifth.
The win was the second of the day for the Berrios-D’Amato tandem on the turf. They also scored with Thought Process ($4.20) in the fourth.
“When I felt Rispoli behind me, I thought ‘OK, let him go to the lead while I pick up second,” said Berrios. “I knew she had the speed, but I wanted to stay behind. Iscreamuscream was strong. She went comfortably in second. When I asked her to move, she responded.
“Before regaining the lead, she looked around. She was aware of the other fillies. She is very, very good.”
Cal-breds horses featured
Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens says one of the strengths of first half of the summer meeting has been the depth of the fields for Cal-bred races.
That will be on display again Sunday, when 11 Cal-bred fillies and mares go one mile on the turf in the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes.
The Doug O’Neill-trained Stay and Scam (Mario Gutierrez) is the morning-line, 2-1 favorite as she goes for a third Cal-bred stakes win in four starts this year.
Trainer Steve Miyadi has entered Tom’s Regret (Rispoli, 4-1) and Rose Maddox (Fresu, 5-1). Tom’s Regret returns from Northern California, where she won the Pleasanton Oaks and finished second in the Governor’s Cup at Sacramento. Rose Maddox won the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint in January.
Notable
Berrios added a third turf win in Saturday’s finale with Dancing Soul ($9.60) to move into third in the jockey standings with 14 wins. D’Amato’s two wins moved him into a tie for second with Bob Baffert in the training standings — one win behind leader John Sadler.
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