Lynne's Legacy wins Solana Beach Stakes

San Luis Rey Training Center mare Lynne’s Legacy won the Solana Beach Stakes race Aug. 9, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Lynne’s Legacy entered the stretch sixth among the seven horses in the one-mile turf race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, but she crossed the finish line a neck ahead of Pulpit Rider.

“It was so exciting,” Lynne’s Legacy trainer Doug O’Neill said.

O’Neill didn’t give jockey Rafael Bejarano instructions on riding Lynne’s Legacy.

“He has won on her before,” O’Neill said.

Lynne’s Legacy and Bejarano broke fourth. A quarter-mile into the race they were last. San Luis Rey filly Mo See Cal, who is trained by Peter Miller and was ridden by Flavien Prat, held the lead and needed 22.80 seconds to cover the first two furlongs. Mo See Cal led second-place A Walk in the Park by one length. Lynne’s Legacy was 7 1/2 lengths behind Mo See Cal and 2 1/2 lengths behind Pulpit Rider, who was sixth.

The first half-mile took Mo See Cal 46.44 seconds. She was still in the lead with a half-length advantage over A Walk in the Park, who is trained by Phil D’Amato and was stabled at San Luis Rey earlier this year before being relocated to the active racing tracks. Lynne’s Legacy was still seventh but only 5 1/4 lengths behind Mo See Cal.

Mo See Cal still had the lead when she reached the three-quarters of a mile point 1:10.13 after the starting gate opened, although her lead over A Walk in the Park had been reduced to a head. Lynne’s Legacy was sixth at that point, trailing Mo See Cal by 6 1/4 lengths and fifth-place Pulpit Rider by 1 1/2 lengths while leading seventh-place Coco Kisses by a head.

The race had been contested for 1:21.79 when Mo See Cal entered the stretch with the lead, 1 1/2 lengths in front of A Walk in the Park and five lengths ahead of Lynne’s Legacy, who was sixth a length behind fifth-place Fiery Lady and five lengths in front of Coco Kisses.

“She wants to run from the back,” Bejarano said.

In horse racing, “speed” refers to horses with fast starts. Those horses win if they build up enough of a lead to hold off the horses which excel in closing.

“I was glad to see the speed early,” Bejarano said.

“He gave her a wonderful ride,” O’Neill said of Bejarano.

Lynne’s Legacy won the race in 1:33.92.

“The whole crew did a wonderful job having her ready to go,” O’Neill said.

Although Pulpit Rider and jockey Drayden Van Dyke crossed the finish line second a neck in back of Lynne’s Legacy a steward’s inquiry determined that Pulpit Rider and Van Dyke interfered with other horses in the stretch and they were disqualified and placed sixth.

Don’t Sell, who is also trained by O’Neill and was ridden by Mario Gutierrez, finished a head behind Pulpit Rider and was given second place. Don’t Sell, who trained at San Luis Rey last year as a 2-year-old before beginning her racing career, finished a nose in front of Mo See Cal, who finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of A Walk in the Park.

The win was the first for Lynne’s Legacy since she won the Miss America Stakes at Golden Gate Fields Dec. 8, 2018. That was her only previous stakes win. The Solana Beach Stakes was her 35th start and her sixth victory.

Her previous race was the June 16 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita Park, and she finished fifth. Bejarano mounted Lynne’s Legacy for her May 2018 and June 2018 wins at Santa Anita.

“She’s just been such an honest mare for us,” O’Neill said.

Lynne’s Legacy was sired by Unusual Heat out of Top of Our Game and was foaled in California March 21, 2013.