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Dakota Phone Wins San Diego
Handicap
Del Mar – July 31, 2010 - Winless in 16 races since November of 2008, Dakota
Phone finally made it back to the winner's circle with a come-from-behind
triumph in the featured Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap under leading
jockey Joel Rosario.
Last in the early stages of the mile and one-sixteenth main track contest,
Dakota Phone circled the field on the stretch turn and outfinished 3-1 favored
Battle of Hastings to win by a half-length in 1:43.55 for the distance.
Battle of Hastings, running for the first time in his career on a synthetic
track after having success on the grass, battled gamely in the stretch under Joe
Talamo to be 2 1/4 lengths in front of Enriched who was rated on the lead by
Patrick Valenzuela and held on well to be third. Isle of Giant's was fourth in
the field of nine horses. Richard's Kid, third in the Cougar II Handicap Friday,
was withdrawn from the San Diego line-up.
Dakota Phone, a five-year-old gelded son of Zavala, is owned by the partnership
of John Carver, Halo Farms and George Todaro and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
His previous victory was in the Forty Niner Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in
Northern California November 28, 2008.
Earning $120,000 with his fifth win in 29 lifetime starts, Dakota Phone returned
$11.40, $5.20 and $3.60. His lifetime bankroll is $583,810. Battle of Hastings
paid $4.80 and $4.20, while Enriched returned $4.60 to show.
In the afternoon's supporting feature, the $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for
California-bred three-year-old fillies, La Nez and jockey Victor Espinoza
employed similar last-to-first tactics to win by a half-length over
Thisoneforyou, with longshot Tornado Betty third in a field of nine fillies.
La Nez, owned by Class Racing and trainer Eric Kruljac, stepped seven furlongs
in 1:23.45 and paid $14.40 for her upset triumph. It was her third win in eleven
races and worth a first prize of $60,000.
Attendance today was 25,348.