Irish-bred Barleysugar scores sweet win at Del Mar

Irish-bred Barleysugar has won two races in the United States since arriving from Great Britain last year. Both have come at Del Mar.

Based at the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall, Barleysugar improved her record at Del Mar to 2-for-4 when she captured the third race at the seaside track Aug. 12. Barleysugar has also made four starts at Santa Anita but is 0-for-4 at the Arcadia track.

Edward Freeman trains Barleysugar, who rallied from last in a field of six to earn her latest Del Mar victory in a $65,000 allowance/optional claiming race on the turf. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Barleysugar outran fellow Irish-bred Nodiac down the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Barleysugar completed the mile on a firm Del Mar turf course in 1:34.98 and paid $7.80 as the 5-2 third choice in the wagering. The 4-year-old filly made up to the bettors for her previous race, when she finished last as the 6-5 favorite in a turf event at Santa Anita.

Barleysugar was one of four San Luis Rey-based runners to earn a victory at Del Mar during the fourth week of action at the summer meeting. The others were Alex Rossi, Unobtainable, and Trustworthy.

Argentine-bred Alex Rossi was winless in six tries at Del Mar before he snapped the losing streak with a romping 4 1/4-length victory in the first race Aug. 10. Trained by Felipe Souza and ridden by apprentice jockey Laura Werner, Alex Rossi took the one-mile test for $12,500 claimers in 1:37.11 and returned $9.80 as third wagering choice in a field of six.

Alex Rossi is a 6-year-old horse who has six victories and 10 in-the-money finishes in 20 career starts.

The third start was the charm for the 2-year-old colt Unobtainable, who broke his maiden with a hard-fought victory in the fifth race Aug. 11. Unobtainable battled on the lead with Big Bad Gary throughout the five-furlong maiden-claiming dash and proved best by a head.

Apprentice Evin Roman urged Unobtainable to the victory for trainer Adam Kitchingman. Unobtainable stopped the timer in :59.96 and paid $6.40 as the 2-1 second choice in a field of nine.

Trustworthy, a 3-year-old colt who ran last when he made his career debut in a maiden allowance race July 23, bounced back terrifically in the first race Aug. 13. Dropped into a $40,000 maiden-claiming contest by trainer Clifford Sise, Jr., Trustworthy responded with a runaway 9 1/4-length victory under Desormeaux.

Trustworthy was dispatched at 7-1 in the wagering and paid $17.00 after racing a mile in 1:38.35.

Although Trustworthy was the only Bonsall-based horse to win a race Aug. 13, five other San Luis Rey runners finished second at big odds.

Eskimo Roses (trained by Mick Ruis) took second in the fourth race at odds of 14-1 and Puig (Scott Hansen) earned runner-up honors in the fifth race as a 32-1 longshot. Painting Corners (Peter Miller) placed second in the seventh race at odds of 12-1, General Kitten (Hansen) finished second in the eighth race as a 21-1 outsider, and Scat Home Lady ran second in the ninth race at odds of 13-1.

The Del Mar summer racing season runs through Sept. 4, Labor Day. Through the first four weeks of the seven-week meeting, horses trained at San Luis Rey have collected 19 victories.