Sugar Spike leads at Del Mar on Opening Day; finishes fifth

Sugar Spike, a four-year-old filly stabled at the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center, was leading for part of her race July 20 on Opening Day of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meet.

Sugar Spike led at the quarter-mile and half-mile points during the six-furlong race on Del Mar’s all-weather track before finishing fifth in the day’s seventh race. “We think it was a good performance,” said owner Marsha Naify.

The California-bred daughter of Bertrando and Secretsandlies had won two of her nine previous races: her first-ever start in September 2009 at Del Mar and a July 2010 race at Ho...