- brought to you by SureBet Racing News
Bench
Points Wins Graduation Stakes
Del Mar - August 4, 2010 - Well-regarded Bench Points slipped through on the
rail turning into the stretch under crafty handling by jockey Rafael Bejarano en
route to an impressive triumph in the featured $100,000 Graduation Stakes
California-bred two-year-olds Wednesday.
Bench Points, a close 2-1 second choice in the betting, hit the front with a
sixteenth of a mile remaining of the 5 1/2 furlong sprint and quickly drew off
to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:04.79.
Joy Boy, sent postward at 10-1 under Corey Naktani, ran second, a neck in front
of 26-1 outsider Blingboy who set the pace under Patrick Valenzuela and held on
gamely to be third. Stormin Rae, the lukewarm 2-1 choice, was sixth.
Bench Points, owned by the partnership of Linda Mariani, Charles Martin, Mary Jo
Zuraitis and Donald Crevier and conditioned by Tim Yakteen, earned $60,000 with
his second victory in as many efforts. The winner is a son of Benchmark who
broke his maiden at Hollywood Park June 5.
Bench Points returned $6.60, $3.60 and $3. Runner-up Joy Boy paid $8 and $5.80,
while Blingboy returned $8 to show.
With no perfect tickets in the Pick Six, there will be a carryover of $117,821
on Thursday's program. Post time for the first race is 2 p.m.
Wednesday's attendance was 13,043.