Old Trieste Doesn’t Put His Best Foot Forward at Del Mar

DEL MAR — Old Trieste stumbled on the road to the Breeders’ Cup Classic Sunday when Hollycombe added to a day of upsets with a 9-1 shocker in the $195,100 Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Sunday’s race and the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita next month were to be the lightly raced Old Trieste’s foundation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 6. Trainer Mike Puype’s 4-year-old colt, whose career has frequently been interrupted by problems with an abscessed foot, may still make it to Gulfstream, but he will have to improve on Sunday’s effort, in which he finished third after being bet down to 2-5 odds.

Hollycombe, ridden by Gary Stevens, and Old Trieste, with Chris McCarron aboard, battled for the lead through fractions of 22 2/5, 45 3/5 and 1:09 2/5, but it was Hollycombe who had the most left for the stretch run. Hollycombe won by one length, with Flying With Eagles, who was 18-1, coming from behind to beat out Old Trieste by a neck for second.

The race was only the second this year for Old Trieste, who went in with six wins in 11 starts, including a win in last year’s Del Mar Handicap.

Hollycombe, trained by Paco Gonzalez for owner John Toffan, has also been a horse with problems. The 5-year-old didn’t get to the races until this year and had never run in a stake before Sunday. He won at Del Mar with a 1:36 3/5 mile two weeks ago, and Sunday his time was 1:35 2/5. Hollycombe carried 116 pounds, six less than Old Trieste.

Said Puype of Old Trieste’s performance: “I’m not concerned. This race was important for the schedule because of all his problems.”

Old Trieste stumbled leaving the gate.

“That didn’t help me,” McCarron said. “Gary’s horse jumped right out of there. Then I got bumped about 40 yards away from the gate and I had to use him some getting up there. He needed the outing, we knew that. But I thought with his class and inherent ability he would be able to overcome that.”

Gonzalez wasn’t anxious to bring back Hollycombe in two weeks, but Toffan wanted to run. McCarron had ridden the horse in all his other races, which produced three wins and one second.

“Chris put some heavy pressure on me at the half-mile pole,” Stevens said. “But when Chris would come at me, my horse would just find a little more and keep on going. At the three-eighths pole, I was confident. Old Trieste had given me his best shot and I knew I had him.”

Horse Racing Notes

Three of the five horses--Cameron Pass, Captain Steve and Forest Camp--entered for Wednesday’s closing-day Del Mar Futurity are trained by Bob Baffert. The favorite will be undefeated Dixie Union, who has won three in a row. The other horse entered is Commmendable. . . . Perfect Six, winner of the $81,300 Torrey Pines Stakes, gave trainer Bill Morey his first winner of the meet. . . . Mike Pupye got his first win of the meet with One For Harry one race after Old Trieste’s third-place finish. One For Harry, at 3-1, had the lowest odds of a horse to win a Pick Six race Sunday. Other winners in races five through 10 went off at odds of 21-1, 13-1, 5-1, 9-1 and 11-1. . . . Old Habits, owned by Bonnie Vessels in a partnership with nine other women, won the $235,074 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. The 3-year-old gelding, trained by Danny Cardoza and ridden by Dusty Stimpson, began his career at Los Alamitos.