by Mike Curry
Zappa spurted away to a commanding advantage entering the final turn and powered to a dominant 6 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 Cougar II Handicap on Wednesday at Del Mar.
The six-year-old Afternoon Deelites gelding earned a starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon with the Cougar II victory as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Trained by John Sadler for owners Gary and Cecil Barber, Zappa won the San Pasqual Handicap (G2) to open this year but was winless in five subsequent starts prior to the Cougar II. He entered off a third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claiming race on June 26 at Hollywood Park.
Zappa went right to the lead in the 1 1/2-mile race and set a measured pace under Garrett Gomez while 7-to-10 favorite Big Booster trailed the seven-horse field. Zappa raced comfortably through an opening quarter in :25.65, half-mile in :50.45, and six furlongs in 1:16.17.
Zappa picked up the pace approaching the far turn, opened a commanding seven-length lead with a half-mile remaining, and coasted to a convincing victory in 2:30.53 on the synthetic Polytrack surface.
“It didn't look like there was a lot of speed in this race, so we thought the strategy for Zappa was to put him closer today than he's been in some of his other races,” Sadler said. “Big Booster only has one way to go, that's to come from dead last. We just literally tried to steal it and Garrett [Gomez] did a beautiful job of it."
Zappa improved to 12 wins from 33 career starts and boosted his earnings to $449,032.
Tissy Fit raced in fifth early, moved up to fourth after one mile, and finished willingly for second. Grade 2 winner Big Booster was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
"We just got outrun. The race set up perfectly for the winner," said Mike Mitchell, who trains Big Booster. "We'll run him on Breeders' Cup day in the [Marathon]. He didn't have to win this race to get in. I think we're in already. I'd be surprised if we don't get in."
Bred in Kentucky by Madeleine A. Paulson and Ernest Moody, Zappa is out of the unraced Theatrical (Ire) mare Julie’s Angel, a half sister to 1992 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Fraise.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor