Semi Lost, Terroplane Drill for Del Mar Derby

(from Del Mar track notes)
A quartet of possible Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) participants – Lucky Pulpit, Semi Lost, Terroplane and Nister Bere – finished their preparations for the race Thursday morning with solid workouts.

The race will be run Monday at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Clifford Sise, Jr. sent Lucky Pulpit a half-mile in :47 flat on the main track, where the 3-year-old colt has trained consistently since coming to Del Mar.

Turning in works on the turf were Semi Lost, who was clocked in 49 4/5 breezing for four furlongs; Terroplane, who turned in a bullet 1:02 1/5 for five furlongs; and Nister Bere, who was caught in 1:15 for six furlongs. Semi Lost, who was runner-up to Blackdoun in the La Jolla (gr. IIT), and Nister Bere are both trained by Jeff Mullins. Terroplane, second to Blackdoun in a division of the Oceanside, is trained by Neil Drysdale.

Dual stakes winner Blackdoun, the expected favorite in the Del Mar Derby, is scheduled to work four furlongs on the turf Friday. Blackdoun, trained by Julio Canani, won the faster division of Del Mar's traditional opening-day feature, the Oceanside Stakes at one mile, and the second prep for the Derby, the La Jolla Handicap August 14 at 1 1/8 miles.

With a win in the Derby, Blackdoun would become only the third horse to sweep the three turf series. Lightning Mandate did it in 1974 and another Canani trainee, Ladies Din, did it in 1998. In 1974, the Oceanside and the La Jolla Handicap were on the dirt at six furlongs and one mile, respectively.

Toasted, trained by Laura de Seroux, will also run. "I was very pleased with his work on Monday (1:02 2/5 for five furlongs) and I liked the way he came out of the work," said de Seroux, who had been on the fence. "It seems the turf course has good spring to it now."

De Seroux has given the call to Arlington Park-based Rene Douglas. "Rene has ridden him twice, and we both agree that Toasted probably could have won the last time if he had been able to get off the rail."

Others likely for the race include Bedmar, Fast and Furious, Laura's Lucky Boy, Place Cowboy and Sujimoto.