DEL MAR : Exchange Wins the Chula Vista

DEL MAR —  Owners Sid and Jenny Craig would have preferred a trip to the winner’s circle a week earlier, but the Chula Vista Handicap wasn’t a bad consolation prize.

Exchange, a filly claimed by trainer Bill Spawr for $50,000 for the Craigs last year, provided some solace after Paseana’s fifth-place effort in the Pacific Classic seven days earlier.

Rebounding after finishing third at 3-5 in the Bayakoa Handicap Aug. 21, the 4-year-old daughter of Explodent defeated favored Fowda by three-quarters of a length in 1:42 for the 1 1/16 miles.

This was the ninth win in 15 starts for the 2-1 favorite and she may team up with Paseana to give the Craigs a powerful entry in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff next month in Florida. While Exchange is eligible for the Breeders’ Cup, Paseana would have to be supplemented at a cost of $120,000.

Never far off the pace being set by Damewood and Brought To Mind, Exchange and Laffit Pincay took the lead in the final furlong to win for the fifth time in eight starts on the dirt. She has won four of seven on turf.

“She always waits on other fillies, so she gives you some anxious moments through the lane,” said Spawr. “I think she just needed her last race. I didn’t do much after that, just worked her a mile and a half-mile, let her do what she wanted to do. I just wanted to keep her fit.

“If she comes up to it well, and I don’t think there’s any reason she won’t, we’ll go in the Breeders’ Cup. To give her a race before then, I’d have to run her again in three weeks and then again in four. I wouldn’t do that because I know her. I can get her ready better without a race. I think another would do her more harm than good.

“I can’t compare her to Paseana. It’s hard to compare a horse that waits (on other horses). I think if anyone were to beat Paseana, we’d be the one to do it. It’d be very exciting taking a claiming horse to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Pincay is hoping she heads to Gulfstream Park.

“She ran a good race last time; she just got a little tired after all that time off,” he said. “Today, she was stronger. She’s a big, big filly and she tries hard. She made the lead OK today, then she started to wait a little bit. I hit her left-handed to get her back into it and she finished up OK. She’s a tough one. She’s the kind I like to ride.”

Fowda has to be getting a little tired of chasing the Craig ladies. In her previous two starts, the 4-year-old Strawberry Road filly was third and second to Paseana in the Milady and Vanity handicaps, respectively.

“She was trying to get out on me the whole way,” said Pat Valenzuela of the runner-up. “On the second turn, I really hard to crank on her she was trying to get out so bad. If I didn’t have to fight her, I think I could have won.”

Brought To Mind, a 10-1 shot, was third, a neck behind Fowda, then came Guiza, Sacramentada, Re Toss, defending champion Vieille Vigne and Damewood.

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The Bobby Frankel-trained entry of Luthier Enchanteur and Never Black is the 2-1 favorite for today’s $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the turf.

A 5-year-old son of General Holme, Luthier Enchanteur is the better of the pair. He was beaten a nose by stablemate Marquetry in the Eddie Read Handicap Aug. 16, less than three weeks after an impressive allowance win over the Del Mar grass. Chris McCarron will ride while Kent Desormeaux will handle Never Black, the beaten favorite in the Escondido Handicap.

The horse who may actually go favored at post time is Navarone, the 5-2 second choice on the line. Since coming back to the races this year for trainer Rodney Rash, the 4-year-old Irish River colt has won three of four starts and was second in his lone defeat.

Navarone has really come to life on the Del Mar turf. He won an allowance race on opening day, then returned to win the restricted Escondido by 3 1/2 lengths in a course record 2:12 2/5 for the 1 3/8 miles. Pat Valenzuela will ride owner Bob Hibbert’s homebred, who will carry 117 pounds, one less than Luthier Enchanteur.