Much Acclamation at Del Mar

By Hank Wesch July 26, 2011

For the management team behind Acclamation, the choice was between the July 17 Grade III, $100,000 Sunset Handicap on closing day of the Hollywood Park meeting, or  the July 23 Grade I, $300,000 Eddie Read Handicap on the opening weekend at Del Mar. The decision: scratch from the Sunset and gear up for the Read, the first of eight Grade I events during the 37-day meeting that started July 20. Turned out to be a great decision: Acclamation won!

“The main factor was that it’s three times as much money, and the (higher) grading helps the value of the horse a lot more,” trainer Don Warren said. “I was actually in favor of running in the Sunset; the owner (primarily Old English Rancho) was not.”

Acclamation, the distance-loving California-bred son of Unusual Heat took command in the opening strides and never was seriously threatened in scoring a wire-to-wire victory over a field of 17 in the 38th running of the Stakes.

Under masterful riding by Joel Rosario, Del Mar’s leading jockey last summer, Acclamation dashed away at the top of the stretch, breezing to the wire 3 ¼ lengths in front of a game runner-up, Jeranimo, with 3-2 favored Caracortado nosing out eastern invader Smart Bid for third.

Acclamation was sixth behind The Usual Q.T. in the Read Stakes a year ago. He has accumulated a bankroll of $938,048. It was the second consecutive year that an offspring of Unusual Heat won the Eddie Read as the 2010 winner The Usual Q.T. also is a son of that successful stallion.

On paper, the 1 ½ miles of the Sunset seemed better for Acclamation than the 1 ⅛ of the Read. The 5-year-old son of Unusual Heat had completed 1 ½ miles successfully in winning the Jim Murray Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2010 and again last May. The most recent Grade II Jim Murray Handicap victory was followed up a month later with a win in the Grade I Charlie Whittingham at 1 ¼ miles.

But there was another factor to be considered.

“The turf course played into it,” Warren said. “He loves the turf at Hollywood Park, but by the end of the meeting it can get chewed up. We’re hoping for a smooth carpet down here that he’ll like just as well.”

Acclamation, with a career record of six wins, two seconds and six third-place finishes in 25 starts and earnings of $758,048, worked five furlongs on the turf in 1:01.40 on Monday. An “easy” breeze for a horse that Warren, 59, describes as easy to train.

“He just goes about his business and really loves to go to the racetrack,” Warren said. “I used to gallop my own horses until back trouble made me stop. I wish it was good enough that I could gallop him.”

Warren, who started as a hot walker as a teenager, had what he termed as “failed” back surgery two years ago but finds racetrack life therapeutic. “I take my pain killers and it feels better when I’m here (at the track) because this is where I want to be,” he said.

After the race, breeder and co-owner E.W. (Bud) Johnston said Acclamation now will be pointed toward the $200,000 Del Mar Handicap at a mile and three-eighths on grass Sunday, August 28, also the day of the $1 million Pacific Classic.

Opening Saturday attendance at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was 23,278.

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