DEL MAR Camino Del Paraiso shooting for elusive stakes victory

Camino Del Paraiso compiled a record of four second- or thirdplace finishes in four stakes at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields from early February to early June, always running well but never good enough to win.

“There has always been one or two horses a little bit better,” trainer O.J. Jauregui said on Friday.

Camino Del Paraiso, second in two stakes at Santa Anita in February and March, is back in Southern California for Sunday’s $125,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes for Californiabred or -sired runners at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar.

Once again, the 7-year-old Camino Del Paraiso has excellent credentials, but faces a dangerous rival in Galilean, who won the Soi Phet Stakes for California-bred milers on dirt at Los Alamitos on June 27.

Camino Del Paraiso and Galilean drew the inside two post positions in a field of 11.

Owned by Paradise Road Ranch, Camino Del Paraiso has won 5 of 37 starts and earned $400,192. He was third behind Neptune’s Storm and Kiwi’s Storm in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields on June 14, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

“He’s made $400,000 the hard way,” Jauregui said.

Drayden Van Dyke will ride Camino Del Paraiso for the first time on Sunday, and is likely to have the gelding in a stalking position.

“I’ll have to try to be a little closer,” Jauregui said. “You don’t want to get too far back and be in traffic. He’s very tactical. He’s not that tough of a horse to ride.”

The California Dreamin’ Stakes is Camino Del Paraiso’s sixth start at Del Mar, and first since a fourth-place finish in an allowance race with a $100,000 claiming option on turf in August 2018. Camino Del Paraiso was fourth in the 2018 California Dreamin’ Stakes in July of that year.

“It’s another spot I think I should be right there to win the race,” Jauregui said of Sunday’s race. “He’s fit. Being a 7-yearold, I don’t try to train him as hard like I used to. He’s ready to go.”

There should be an honest pace in the California Dreamin’ with the presence of Grinning Tiger, Take the One O One, and Whooping Jay.

Grinning Tiger led throughout the Crystal Water Stakes for statebred turf milers at Santa Anita on June 6, scoring a shocking win at 92-1. He was later second to Galilean in the Soi Phet.

Take the One O One set the pace in the Soi Phet, but faded to finish sixth. A 5-year-old, Take the One O One won the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-yearold statebreds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in 2018.

Whooping Jay has raced in sprints this year and was third behind Galilean in the California Cup Derby on dirt at Santa Anita in January 2019.

Galilean, trained by John Sadler since last winter, has never raced on turf in a ninerace career that includes four wins, all in stakes.

Galilean worked five furlongs on turf in 1:01 at Del Mar last Sunday.

“He handled it beautifully,” Sadler said. “If he’s good on the grass, this will give us more options.”

By Uncle Mo, Galilean was purchased for $600,000 at the Barretts sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2018, the most expensive horse of the auction.

“I think the breeding is okay on turf,” Sadler said. “The Uncle Mos run pretty good on grass.”

Donna Veloce works

Donna Veloce, the winner of the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita in March and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November, worked a half-mile in 50.40 seconds at Del Mar on Friday for an intended start in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4.

Donna Veloce has not raced since the Santa Ysabel, a 1 1/16mile race for 3-year-old fillies. She was turned out briefly at a Florida farm in the spring for a rest and returned to trainer Simon Callaghan’s California stable in early June.

Donna Veloce has had three workouts in the last two weeks. Friday’s exercise was her first at a half-mile. Callaghan said he timed Donna Veloce galloping out five furlongs in 1:02, describing the effort as “pretty strong.”

“Over this deep track, that’s pretty good,” he said.

Even though the Kentucky Oaks is six weeks away, Callaghan said the race is a realistic target.

“She’s pretty far along,” he said. “Her fitness level is pretty good. We’re moving forward and we’re happy. We think the Oaks is still a possibility.”

Callaghan said Bellafina is a candidate for the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga on Aug. 8 after a five-furlong workout in 1:02 at Del Mar on Friday. The $300,000 Ballerina is run at seven furlongs.

Bellafina, 4, was second to Sneaking Out as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 4. Bellafina has won 7 of 16 starts, with all the wins in graded stakes.

The Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 21 is another option for Bellafina, Callaghan said.

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EMILY SHIELDS Camino Del Paraiso has finished second or third in four straight open stakes. He faces restricted company on Sunday.