First-start winner to return to San Luis Rey Downs

Diamond for Kaci trained at the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center prior to being prepped for racing, and after being claimed prior to winning her first start August 4 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club she will return to San Luis Rey Downs.

“We knew she was a nice filly and she was ready to run when I sent her in,” said Pete Miller, who trained her at San Luis Rey Downs for approximately four months. “I wasn’t surprised that she won.”

The three-year-old filly was claimed by Robert L. Walker, who is a client of San Luis Rey Downs trainer Neil French. “She showed quite a lot of ability yesterday,” French said the day after the race.

Diamond for Kaci was foaled in California on March 8, 2002. Her sire is Diamond for King, who was foaled in France and her dam is It’s Kaci’s Turn. Diamond for Kaci was bred by Jerry Amerman, whose limited liability corporation owned the filly until she was claimed at Del Mar.

Michael Machowski had Diamond for Kaci’s primary training responsibilities, but he often sends horses to Miller at San Luis Rey Downs for breaking and preparing horses for racing.

“It’s a very nice place, very good place,” Machowski said of San Luis Rey Downs.

Diamond for Kaci had a four-furlong workout at the San Luis Rey Downs track May 15 and posted a time of 48 3/5 seconds. A four-furlong workout May 21 took 49 4/5 seconds, and a five-furlong workout May 28 consumed one minute and 4/5 of a second. She had three additional five-furlong workouts at San Luis Rey Downs with times of 1:01 June 4, 1:00 1/5 June 12 and 1:00 June 18. Her final workout at San Luis Rey Downs prior to racing was on June 25, when she ran six furlongs in 1:13 1/5.

Miller and Machowski felt that she was ready to race, so Miller returned Diamond for Kaci to Machowski, who is based out of Santa Anita. All that was needed for her first race was the existence of a suitable race in the condition book. “He was just trying to find the right race for her,” Miller said.

Diamond for Kaci had three workouts at Santa Anita, taking 59 seconds for five furlongs July 3, 1:12 3/5 for six furlongs July 9 and 59 3/5 seconds for five furlongs July 16. She was moved to Del Mar when the summer meet began, and on July 24 her five-furlong workout took 1:01 2/5. Her last workout before racing was on July 31; she ran four furlongs in 48 seconds.

“Her works were on a very consistent pattern. There were no real gaps in her works at all,” French said.

The 53-year-old French has been a public trainer since 1976, and prior to that he assisted his father, who was a trainer at Tijuana’s Caliente racetrack. Walker and his family brought horses to French in the 1980s.

“We had a lot of success with some pretty nice horses in the late ’80s,” French said of his work with the Walkers.

The Walker family went from owning horses to owning a track in the 1990s after they purchased the Turf Paradise facility in Arizona. Eventually the Hollywood Park ownership purchased Turf Paradise from the Walkers, who recently returned to racehorse ownership.

The Walkers also returned to French. “They’re kind of real close friends of mine,” French said.

French prefers to develop young horses and usually does not seek to claim horses from other trainers, but he felt that the ideal situation for the Walkers would be to claim two or three horses to start their barn. “It’s easier to be patient with the young ones when you’ve got a few racing,” French said.

French had not seen Diamond for Kaci at San Luis Rey Downs, but the Daily Racing Form information was appealing to him. “She just kind of struck me in the Form the night before when I studied the Form,” French said.

Although she had no previous races, French noted not only her workouts but also the fact that she had not been claimed or sold previously. Since she had been in few hands, French believes that he can still play a part in developing her.

“I’ve had some successes over the years claiming first-time starters,” French said.

French’s biggest concern was that since Diamond for Kaci is a California-bred she was eligible for a $40,000 maiden race the following week but was instead entered in the $32,000 maiden claiming race August 4 for fillies and mares at least three years old.

Claims must be made prior to the race, but French had the chance to observe Diamond for Kaci in the paddocks prior to the sixth race August 4. “She just showed a lot of presence on the track to me. She just warmed up like a horse who was ready to run a big race,” French said.

French had made the preliminary decision to claim Diamond for Kaci the night before, and the observation in the paddocks confirmed his decision.

Although claims must be made prior to the race, they are not announced until after the race. Machowski, Amerman and jockey Jon Court were not aware of the claim while Diamond for Kaci was competing in the 6 1/2-furlong race.

Machowski did reference the filly’s prior San Luis Rey Downs experience in his instructions to Court. “I just told him that she’s been trained well,” Machowski said. “If she broke well we’d be in good shape.”

Breaking fourth among the 11 horses was well enough for Diamond for Kaci, who was a head behind Jackieosofabulous at the quarter-mile pole. Diamond for Kaci crossed the half-mile marker 44.54 seconds into the race and was two lengths in front of Jackieosofabulous, who was three lengths ahead of third-place Song Sung Gold. Song Sung Gold moved up to second in the stretch but was still 4 1/2 lengths behind Diamond for Kaci, who reached the stretch in 1:10.03. Song Sung Gold remained in second while Diamond for Kaci proceeded to a 7 1/2-length victory in 1:16.84.

“She has a little speed,” Machowski said. “It all worked out.”

French wasn’t necessarily expecting a win. “I didn’t expect her to run quite as well as she did. I was pleased to see that, though,” he said.

Miller was more confident. “I was expecting that,” he said of the win. “I’m just happy as can be. Pleased for the owners and for Mike and for the filly.”

French will learn if any past problems with Diamond for Kaci linger, but none were discovered during her first full day at San Luis Rey Downs. “She appeared to be fine this morning,” French said. “Nothing really alarming at all, the first day, anyway.”

French would like to allow her three to four weeks before her next race, but he hopes that she will race once again during the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meet. Diamond for Kaci is now eligible for a starter race since she has broken her maiden.