Trainer Graham Motion and jockey Drayden Van Dyke took care of the grass stakes at Del Mar Nov. 26.
Two races after Journey Home took the Jimmy Durante (gr. IIIT) at the seaside racetrack, stablemate Ring Weekend earned his sixth graded stakes win in the Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIT). Video: Seabiscuit H. (G2T)
The 5-year-old Tapit gelding owned by St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds got a challenge in the final sixteenth by Vyjack, who rallied between Ring Weekend and frontrunner Om, but held on to win by a head.
"I am sure it has happened for Graham, to win two stakes in a day, but this is the first time I've won two (on travel assignment for him). ... Drayden gave both our horses great rides and it worked out well," said Motion assistant Alice Clapham.
Om set the pace, with fractions of :24.21 and :48.48 through a half-mile, but was under constant pressure from What a View. The challenger put a head in front through six furlongs in 1:12.29, but faded to sixth. Om, the 3-2 favorite, regained the lead and had a length advantage with a furlong to run, but finished third, a half-length behind Vyjack.
"He was game, but I had a pest with me all the way and that didn't help," said Om's jockey, Gary Stevens.
Ring Weekend and Van Dyke hit the front late with a wide move and finished off the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.29 on turf listed as firm.
"This race set up on paper that I thought would be perfect for us," Van Dyke said. "Then it played out just that way. It was sweet. We got into the lane and I let him do his thing. He was having a little trouble swapping his leads, but Graham had told me about that and I was ready for it. (At) about the sixteenth pole, he swapped to his right lead and that gave us an extra burst. He was good. This is the first time I've won two stakes in one day. (It) feels good."
The Southern California victory was nothing new for Ring Weekend, who also shipped in to win the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park in 2015. In his last start, he finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita.
The winner paid $8, $4, and $2.40 across the board. Vyjack delivered $4.80 and $2.40, and Om brought $2.20 to show.
Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, out of the Cryptoclearance mare Free the Magic, Ring Weekend now has a 7-4-2 record from 20 starts, with earnings of more than $1.4 million. He also won the Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. IIT) this year and has the 2014 Hill Prince (gr. IIIT), Saranac (gr. IIIT), and Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) on his résumé.
