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Long shot Principe Carlo gives trainer first stakes victory

Desormeaux guides 5-year-old to win in Cary Grant

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The second feature of the penultimate weekend of Del Mar’s fall season produced a Cinderella result for owner-trainer Librado Barocio, jockey Kent Desormeaux and 18.50-to-1 long shot Principe Carlo.

Desormeaux capped a four-win weekend by powering Principe Carlo past two other horses in the final strides to win the Cary Grant Stakes, a 7-furlong race for older California-bred horses.

Desormeaux rallied Principe Carlo ($39) to nose out favorite Positivity (Juan Hernandez) for the win with Colt Fiction (Geovanni Franco) third, another neck back.

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The win was the first stakes win ever for Barocio, who claimed Principe Carlo, a 5-year-old son of Coil, for $20,000 from trainer Keith Desormeaux (Kent’s brother) 13 months ago.

“This means a lot,” said Barocio. “All I needed was a chance and people here and at Santa Anita have been very good in giving it to me. This is my first stakes win anywhere.

“The horse has a heart of gold. It’s been a team effort. We gave Principe Carlo some time off after claiming him and that’s all he needed.”

While the Grant was the first stakes win for the trainer and his Mia Familia Racing Stable, it was the 85th Del Mar stakes win for Hall of Fame jockey Desormeaux.

And the veteran just missed sweeping the weekend’s two, $100,000 stakes races — closing fast to finish second, a half-length behind Flavien Prat and Azul Coast in Saturday’s Grade III Native Diver Stakes.

“I knew I’d won it,” Kent Desormeaux said of the photo finish. “There were no special instructions for me, just ride him.

“The track was playing better on the outside today so I broke from the outside post (No. 7) and stayed out there the whole race. The horse ran great and got it done.”

Principe Carlo was four wide on the turn and outside the two leaders at the top of the stretch — taking the lead in the final strides.

The winners of five of the last seven races broke from the outside post in the gate.

Fourth in the seven-horse field was None Above the Law. Trainer Peter Miller, a winner of nine Del Mar training championships, has had only three winners among his 40 starts this fall with eight seconds and five thirds. Miller will begin a sabbatical following next Sunday’s end to Del Mar’s fall season.

Turf Festival

Del Mar closes its fall meeting next weekend with the annual Turf Festival — seven graded stakes races on the turf course over the final four days beginning Thanksgiving Day with the Grade III Red Carpet Stakes at 1 3/8 miles for older fillies and mares.

The featured attractions will be a pair of Grade I stakes — the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds on Saturday and the Matriarch Stakes for older fillies and mares on Sunday’s closing program. The Hollywood Derby will be 1 1/8 miles while the Matriarch will be run over a mile.

Also on the schedule will be two Grade II races for older horses — Friday’s Hollywood Turf Cup at 1½ miles and Saturday’s Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles. The other Grade III races are a pair of 1-mile tests for 2-year-olds — Saturday’s Jimmy Durante Stakes for fillies and Sunday’s Cecille B. DeMille Stakes.

Eastern trainer Chad Brown will again be shipping a contingent to Del Mar for the Turf Festival, including defending Matriarch champion Viadera. Brown has won nine Turf Festival races over the years, including three last year. Brown is one of four Eastern trainers shipping in horses for the Turf Festival.

First post for Thursday’s eight-race Thanksgiving program is 11 a.m. The final three days begin at 12:30 p.m.

Notable

Tyler Baze rode three winners Saturday (two) and Sunday, ending a 0-for-35 streak to open the fall meeting. “It’s kind of a weight off your shoulders,” said Baze of the end to his losing streak. “But I’ve been at this for 22 years and I know you learn to rides the ups and downs on the roller coaster.”

Juan Hernandez won Sunday’s finale for trainer Phil D’Amato, meaning both will go into the final week tied for the lead in their respective championship races. Hernandez and Prat each have 12 wins. D’Amato and Bob Baffert each have eight wins.

Desormeaux is ninth on Del Mar’s all-time list of jockey stakes wins with 85. Prat is 10th with 77.

Center is a freelance writer.

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