Racing! Michael Wrona pays it forward

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we wish the best to Corey Nakatani on his impending surgery and recovery.

Everybody needs a break, especially when your profession is limited to a few dozen people in this country. The likeable and talented Michael Wrona, track announcer at Santa Anita and Santa Rosa, is one who likes to pay it forward.

He helped give Frank Mirahmadi a shot at a minor track he was calling, although Frank is pretty good about creating his own breaks. At Santa Rosa today, he’s going to turn over the microphone in the sixth race to James Wallace, a 24-year-old from Orange County. (There’s a chance if there are scratches it could be moved. Believe it or not, it may be more difficult to call a short field than a big one.)

Wallace has been following the long-held strategy of all play-by-play announcers by doing practice calls, in this case on the roof of Santa Anita. Michael has been reviewing them and imparting his wisdom.

“I think he’s reached the point where he deserves a shot, and Santa Rosa management has been kind enough to offer him the opportunity,” Wrona said.

So, if you get a chance, see how James does in the sixth race.

Nakatani to have surgery

Jockey Corey Nakatani will undergo surgery on his back I the next two weeks and be out for two months after that, reports Jay Privman in the Daily Racing Form.

Nakatani’s agent and son, Matt, told Privman: “He has a herniated disc that’s up against the spinal cord. He needs this to get back to normal.”

Matt Nakatani also said there would be some clean up of a previous injury during the surgery. Nakatani was injured on Saturday when his mount, Irish Spring, went down after apparently clipping heels with Aussie Fox. It was a fatal injury for Irish Spring.

More on McKinzie

On Wednesday we mentioned McKinzie’s potential return. Our own Jon White, Santa Anita morning-line maker and racing historian, offered this perspective.

“Bob Baffert has said he would like to run McKinzie in the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 22, though Baffert also has conceded it will be ‘tight’ to make that race with him. Based on that, I would say that if McKinzie does not have any hiccups, he has a pretty good chance to run in the Pennsylvania Derby. Otherwise, Baffert will have to go in a different direction with him. If it were a situation in which McKinzie had come close to being ready for the Pennsylvania Derby but just could not quite make it, I would not be surprised if Baffert then might consider the Goodwood for him. But the best bet at this point, I'd say, is McKinzie will return in the Pennsylvania Derby.”

Thanks, Jon.

Some Del Mar stats

Just some stats to chew on.

(Through Sunday)

Winning favorites: 47 of 131 (35.88%)

Winning favorites on dirt: 38 of 82 (46.34%)

Winning favorites on turf: 9 of 49 (18.37%)

Winning odds-on favorites: 14 of 19 (73.68%)

In-the-money favorites: 91 of 131 (69.47%)

In-the-money odds-on favorites: 19 of 19 (100%)

Del Mar review

Wednesday’s feature was a $62,000 allowance for horses 3 and up going a mile. Divisor, under a very smart ride by Santiago Gonzalez, won by a half-length in a tough stretch duel over Show Me Da Lute. Gonzalez kept Divisor on the front or within a neck for most of the race and when they were in mid-stretch showed it was going to be his race to win.

Divisor paid $12.80, $7.70 and $4.80 for trainer Phil D’Amato. Canadian Game was third.

Del Mar preview

Thursday is a good day if you like turf racing as half the eight-race card is on the grass. First post is the usual 2 p.m.

Not sure what the feature of the day is as there are two allowance races, but we’ll pick the fourth race because at $65,000, it’s $3,000 more than the seventh race. Wait, you say? (I know you didn’t really say that.) Doesn’t Del Mar usually put their feature as the penultimate race? Well, yes, they do, unless such race has only five starters, which is the number in the fourth. The track wants full field for the late horizontal betting sequences.

In that race, one mile for horses 3 and up with a bunch of other caveats, morning-line maker Russ Hudak said you’ll probably go after the Baffert horse, but after that, who knows? Baffert’s Lookie Loo is 2-1, Conqueror is 5-2, Ike Walker is 7-2 and Giant Influence and Sheer Flattery is 4-1.

Lookie Loo has won two of five races, including an allowance. Flavien Prat is the rider.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 7, 6, 8, 5, 9, 10, 8, 10.

Bob Ike’s DMR pick of the day

SEVENTH RACE: No. 8 Bobbie Lincoln (5-1)

Hard-trying mare from the Ron Ellis barn has made only three starts (two wins) as a 5-year-old but obviously tries hard and should fit well in this Cal-bred allowance spot. She's bred to like turf and is tactical enough to get position from her outside box. Main threat and exacta partner looks like Donut Girl.

Wednesday’s result: Kidmon never challenged at any point in a disappointing performance.

Bob Ike is a Partner/VP of Horsebills.com (here's a video) and the proprietor of BobIkePicks.com (full-card picks, 3 Best Plays and betting strategy).

Final thought

Still looking to jump the circulation of this newsletter. Can’t beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you don’t like it, then you’re probably not reading this. Either way, send to a friend and just have them click here and sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

If you have any thoughts, you can reach me at [email protected]. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa

And now the stars of the show, Wednesday’s results and Thursday’s entries.

HARTEL saved ground stalking the pace, moved up inside on the turn, came out into the stretch, bid three deep in the lane, gained the lead under urging outside the runner-up a sixteenth out and proved best. TRUCK SALESMAN pressed the pace three deep on the backstretch, re-bid outside the leader leaving the turn, took the advantage into the stretch, battled between foes in upper stretch then inside the winner in the drive, could not match that one in the final sixteenth but saved the place. FLYING SCOTSMAN angled in and settled off the pace inside, came out into the stretch and gained the show. SEEKING REFUGE chased three deep then outside a rival, came out into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. ORACLE OF OMAHA had good early speed and dueled inside, inched away briefly midway on the turn, fought back inside the runner-up leaving the turn and into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. CALDER VALE dueled between horses then stalked outside the winner or a bit off the rail leaving the turn and also weakened. LINCOLN CITY chased between horses then a bit off the rail on the turn and gave way in the stretch. HERDSMAN broke a bit slowly, settled just off the rail to the stretch and had little left for the drive.

SNAKED dueled three deep then outside a rival on the turn, took the lead into the stretch, kicked clear under urging and proved best. SHANGHAI TOOTSIE chased off the rail, came four wide into the stretch and gained the place. PRAY FOR CORDAY pressed the pace four wide on the backstretch, stalked off the rail on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and held third. KELSEYBELLE stalked inside, came out into the stretch, split rivals past midstretch and was edged for the show toward the inside. SPECTACULAR STORM close up stalking the pace between rivals then outside a foe on the turn, came three deep into the stretch and weakened. IRISH CREAM N KAFE had good early speed and dueled between horses then inside on the turn and into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. TENGAS ANGEL a step slow to begin, chased off the rail then inside on the turn, came out into the stretch and did not rally. KALSA broke a bit slowly, dropped back off the rail, came three wide into the stretch and was not a threat. TACY sent along early, pressed the pace inside then stalked along the rail on the turn, came out past midstretch and weakened.

MARJORIE E had speed three deep then angled in and stalked inside, moved up along the rail leaving the second turn, came out into the stretch, took the lead outside the pacesetter in midstretch and pulled clear under urging. LIL BIT DANGEROUS chased outside a rival, advanced along the rail on the second turn and into the stretch, lacked room off heels in midstretch, came out and gained the place. MONGOLIAN WINDOW had good early speed and set a pressured pace inside, inched away a bit off the rail into the stretch, fought back and drifted in a bit in midstretch, could not match the winner and lost second late. NOVEMBER TALE (IRE) angled in and settled off the pace inside, came out into the stretch and bested the others. SWALLOWS INN GAL saved ground stalking the pace, cut the corner into the stretch and weakened. LETHAL LEGACY stalked the pace three deep then outside a rival leaving the second turn and also weakened. MARRIED BY NOW was in a good position stalking the pace between horses then outside a rival leaving the second turn, came three wide into the stretch and also weakened. ARROWSPHERE had speed between horses then dueled outside a rival, dropped back into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

LAKERBALL dueled five wide between horses then four wide between foes midway on the turn, angled in and took the lead between rivals leaving the turn and drew off under urging in the stretch then steady handling late. JELLYBEANKRISTINE pressed the pace six wide on the backstretch and five wide on the turn, continued four wide leaving the turn and into the stretch and held second. SASSY KITTY had good early speed and dueled inside, fought back leaving the turn and into the stretch and held third. FILTHY stalked a bit off the rail, went around a rival leaving the turn then cut the corner into the stretch, came out some in the drive and lacked a rally. AWEPOLLONIA settled outside a rival, went around a foe into the stretch then angled to the inside and improved position. STORMS A BREWN dueled four wide between horses then three deep between foes on the turn, fell back leaving the turn and weakened. MORNING PRESS broke a step slowly, settled inside, came out leaving the turn and into the stretch and did not rally. CROSSHAVEN dueled three deep between horses, fought back between foes midway on the turn, also fell back leaving the turn and had little left for the stretch. DEPENDE DE TI stalked off the rail then outside on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and weakened. LUNAGONNAMOONYA had good early speed and dueled between horses, stalked a bit off the rail then angled in on the turn and gave way.

DIVISOR sent between horses early, angled in and dueled inside, fought back to a short advantage under urging past midstretch and gamely prevailed. SHOW ME DA LUTE had speed outside foes then angled in and dueled outside the winner then between foes on the backstretch, battled outside the winner again on the second turn, fought back to a short lead into the stretch, battled outside that one through the drive and was outgamed. CANADIAN GAME stalked the pace inside, came out into the stretch and bested the others. KIDMON stalked between horses then a bit off the rail, angled in on the second turn and weakened. SUPER DUPER COOPER stalked three deep between horses then bid three wide between foes on the backstretch, stalked again on the second turn, came three wide into the stretch and also weakened. RIVER ECHO (GB) stalked four wide on the first turn, bid four wide on the backstretch, tracked again on the second turn then four wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

PACIFIC SONG stalked between horses then outside, came three deep into the stretch, bid four wide between foes to gain the lead a sixteenth out and gamely prevailed under urging. STERLING'S TEMPLE was in a good position stalking he pace between rivals early then outside, continued four wide on the turn and into the stretch, bid five wide a sixteenth out and continued willingly to just miss. SPEND IT chased a bit off the rail then inside on the turn and through the stretch and bested the others. BLAZE OF GLORY dueled inside, fought back on the turn, came from the whip in the stretch, was between foes a sixteenth out and weakened late. JUNE TWO FOUR broke a bit slowly, chased inside, split rivals on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. AWESOME E K dueled four wide then outside a rival on the turn and into the stretch, regained the advantage, was between foes a sixteenth out and weakened late. STARSHIP CHEWY settled off the rail, came four wide into the stretch and did not rally. JONAS pulled between rivals then chased outside on the turn and three deep into the stretch and had little left for the drive. WELLDIDYOUGETIT squeezed a bit at the start, dueled between horses, stalked a bit off the rail on the turn, dropped back between foes leaving the turn and also had little left for the stretch. SCORPIO dueled between rivals, dropped back into and on the turn and gave way.