Story to Tell, winner of the recent Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes, should get a much sterner test against seven other talented 2-year-olds in the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 3 at Del Mar.
Trained by Dan Hendricks for owner Cecil Peacock, Story to Tell drew the rail as the 123-pound highweight for the 6 1/2-furlong Best Pal, a Polytrack precursor to the meet-ending Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) Sept. 3.
Story to Tell has won two of his three starts so far and was second in his other outing, the Santa Anita Juvenile Stakes June 22. In the Willard Proctor July 13 at Los Alamitos Racecourse, the Bluegrass Cat colt took the lead after a quarter mile and prevailed while racing well off the rail by 1 1/4 lengths. Joe Talamo, aboard Story to Tell in each of his starts, has the return call.
Among the three horses he beat in the six-furlong Proctor was Best Pal entrant Bad Read Sanchez, who was second at 9-10 odds.
"He has put on weight since his last race and you couldn't ask for more than that for a 2-year-old," Hendricks said. "It's going to be a jockey's race and we have the inside post position, so we'll see what happens.
"We're ahead of the game with him right now, and we're just enjoying it," he said of Story to Tell, the 5-2 morning line pick.
Story to Tell was purchased by Hendricks, as agent, on Peacock's behalf, for $200,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Ciaran Dunne, agent, made the original purchase on the bay colt for $82,000 from consignor Thoroughstock at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company 2013 August yearling sale.
Reddam Racing's Bad Read Sanchez had some trouble in the Proctor and gets off the rail this time for trainer Doug O'Neill. The son of Warrior's Reward , a $130,000 Keeneland September yearling buy, won his debut at Santa Anita Park June 20 by 10 lengths and should be formidable once again. Mario Gutierrez retains the mount.
O'Neill also entered Success Racing's Henry's Holiday, a sharp first-out winner at Santa Anita in May before finishing fourth last time in the 5 1/2-furlong Santa Anita Juvenile.
Trainer Peter Miller sends out Rowdy Dylan, who comes into the Best Pal off a 7 1/2-length maiden special weight romp at Los Alamitos in his second start July 12. The Kentucky-bred chestnut colt by Sky Mesa was a $280,000 purchase by owners Rockingham Ranch and David Lanzman at the Barretts March sale. He is the first foal out of the stakes-placed Broken Vow mare Serious Vow and is from the female family of multiple grade II winner Classy Cara.
Edwin Maldonado is back aboard Rowdy Dylan, who was second in his debut to Holiday Camp at Santa Anita June 7 after a slow start.
Trainer Mark Casse is represented by John Oxley's Skyway, third in the Bahsford Manor (gr. III) at Churchill Downs June 28, and Conquest Stables' Conquest Bigluck E, a debut maiden winner at Churchill at 4 1/2 furlongs June 5.
Skyway, a $165,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling purchase in October, won at first asking while going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland in April. In the six-furlong Bashford Manor, he was in tight after stalking the pace and finished 5 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Cinco Charlie .
Rounding out the field are Two Six Wins, a last-out maiden winner for trainer Mike Pender, and Highway Boss, a restricted stakes winner at Turfway Park July 6 for trainer Molly Pearson.
Del Mar, Sunday, August 03, 2014, Race 8Entries: Best Pal S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Story to Tell (KY) Joseph Talamo 123 Dan L. Hendricks - 2 2Conquest Bigluck E (KY) Mike E. Smith 119 Mark E. Casse - 3 3Two Six Wins (KY) Martin A. Pedroza 119 Michael Pender - 4 4Bad Read Sanchez (KY) Mario Gutierrez 119 Doug F. O'Neill - 5 5Rowdy Dylan (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 119 Peter Miller - 6 6Henry's Holiday (KY) Tyler Baze 119 Doug F. O'Neill - 7 7Skyway (NY) Stewart Elliott 119 Mark E. Casse - 8 8Highway Boss (KY) Tiago Josue Pereira 121 Molly J. Pearson -
