DEL MAR LEADERS
Final standings
JOCKEYS / WINS
Juan Hernandez / 49
Umberto Rispoli / 27
Ramon Vazquez / 24
Mike Smith / 20
Hector Berrios / 18
TRAINERS / WINS
Bob Baffert / 19
Philip D’Amato / 19
Peter Miller / 17
Doug O’Neill / 17
Two tied / 14
WEEKEND STAKES (LOS ALAMITOS)
Saturday
• $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes, 3-year-olds and up bred or sired in California, 1 mile
Sunday
• $75,000 Dark Mirage Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile
DOWN THE STRETCH
• It was reported this week by Thoroughbred Daily News that the undefeated Flightline will stand stud at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky when his racing career ends. The 4-year-old son of Tapit has won his five races by an average of 12½ lengths and is scheduled to race next in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5. On Thursday, Flightline was rated the top horse in the world by Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. He was given a rating of 139, followed by Baaeed’s 135. Flightline’s rating is the highest to ever be assigned to a dirt horse, surpassing Cigar’s 136 in 1996.
• Flightline was the unanimous choice as Del Mar’s Horse of the Meet in a vote by media members. He won the Pacific Classic by a record 19¼ lengths in a near-record time of 1:59.28. Other award winners included American Theorem, winner of the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes and runner-up in the Grade II Pat O’Brien, as Top Sprinter, Master Piece (Top Grass Horse), Flightline (Top Older Horse), Blue Stripe (Top Older Filly or Mare), Slow Down Andy (Top 3-Year-Old), Spendarella (Top 3-Year-Old Filly), Cave Rock (Top 2-Year-Old) and And Tell Me Nolies (Top 2-Year-Old Filly).
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• A pair of stakes races will highlight the opening weekend of Los Alamitos’ September Thoroughbred Meet. The Steve Miyadi-trained Desmond Doss will seek his third stakes victory at the Orange County track when he faces five rivals in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for 3-year-olds and up who were bred or sired in California. Desmond Doss has won the past two runnings of the Bertrando Stakes and finished third in last year’s E.B. Johnston. A 6-year-old son of Grazen, Desmond Doss has won seven of 20 starts for earnings of $422,841. Big City Lights, unbeaten in three starts, will make his first start around two turns.
— Art Wilson