Special Ring Breezes to Win

DEL MAR, Calif. — Special Ring not only broke a couple of grass records Sunday, he stampeded them into pulp.

Trainer Julio Canani’s 6-year-old gelding won the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap by five lengths, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:45 4/5. That clocking shattered by four-fifths of a second the record for the course and stake.

Canani debated about running Special Ring in the Read, but decided that he came out of his last start -- a second-place finish to the estimable Candy Ride in the American Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 4 -- so well that he should run.

Special Ring now holds two course records at Del Mar. He ran a mile here in 1:32 3/5 in the Wickerr Handicap last August.

David Flores, who rode Special Ring in the Wickerr, has three wins and a second for the four times he has been aboard the horse, who was sixth and last in the 2001 Read.

Special Ring led all the way Sunday, producing fractions of :23 4/5, :47 2/5, 1:11 and 1:34 2/5. He paid $8.20 as the second choice and earned $240,000 for Prestonwood Farm.

Decarchy finished second, a neck better than Irish Warrior, who had a head on Fateful Dream in fourth place. Mister Acpen was fifth and Redattore, the 13-10 favorite and the Read winner in 2001, was last. Special Ring’s victory was the second in the Read for Canani, who also won with Ladies Din in 2000. *

Sarava, the 2002 Belmont Stakes winner who finished sixth Saturday at Del Mar in his first start since the Triple Crown race, underwent emergency colon surgery Saturday night. According to Blood-Horse magazine, the 4-year-old colt is battling for his life.

Sarava, who was 70-1 in the Belmont, won that race for trainer Ken McPeek. A fractured cannon bone sidelined the horse a month after the Belmont, and he was turned over to trainer Bob Baffert in December.

*

Nick Cosato, the agent for Pat Valenzuela, said his rider would appeal a three-day suspension that was supposed to start Friday. The stewards’ ruling said Valenzuela failed “to make proper effort to maintain a straight course” with his mount, Prairie Predator, in the stretch run of Thursday’s seventh race. .... In another ruling, involving a run-in between jockeys Julie Krone and Matt Garcia after Friday night’s fourth race, Krone was fined $500. The stewards said she acted “in an unprofessional manner”.... Before a crowd of 57,235, many of whom received a Seabiscuit mug, the 1-9 shot Sightseek won the $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap at Saratoga, giving trainer Bobby Frankel his 15th Grade I win of the year.