"It's really wonderful when you make a tactical plan and it works out like a dream," said trainer Laura de Seroux Sunday, still on cloud nine at her San Luis Rey Downs base after winning the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup Saturday with Total Impact."He was home by 9 o'clock last night and was happy as can be," de Seroux said of the 6-year-old Chilean-bred horse. "He scoped clean and was not at all tired. On to the Pacific Classic." Total Impact's next objective will be the $1-million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar on August 22.
"After the whole Azeri thing, this does feel good," said de Seroux, who trained the distaffer to two championships in 2002 and 2003 as well as the 2002 Horse of the Year title before she was transferred to another stable this year."I thought it would be a long dry spell before I won another grade I," continued de Seroux. "Azeri was a special chapter in my life, but we all have to move on."De Seroux noted that she had won only seven races this year, but four have been in stakes. She said she hopes the run continues during the next month with War Academy in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar, Just Wonder in the Eddie Read Handicap (gr. IT) at Del Mar, Ballingarry in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) and Toasted in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington.