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San Luis Rey horses take top three finishes, lead throughout

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

San Luis Rey Training Center fillies took the top three finishes in the eighth race Nov. 19 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and led throughout the one-mile turf race.

Precious Insight, who is trained by Walther Solis and was ridden by Tiago Pereira, won the maiden special weight race for 2-year-old California-bred fillies. La Deuxième Étoile, whose trainer is Doug O'Neill and whose jockey was Mario Gutierrez, finished second 1 1/4 lengths behind Precious Insight. Peter Miller trains Lovers Odyssey, who finished half a length behind La Deuxieme Etoile and who had Joe Bravo as her jockey.

Precious Insight took over the lead approaching the stretch from Roubaix, who is trained by Paula Capestro and was guided by Diego Herrera; Roubaix led until that point and finished fifth.

The race was the seventh career start for Precious Insight, who began her racing career with a sixth-place finish April 30 at Santa Anita Park. Her most recent race prior to her Nov. 19 win was at Santa Anita on Oct. 16; she finished second in that one-mile turf race.

"We were expecting for her to have a good race," Solis said. "Every time she's run, she has improved:"

Pereira was Precious Insight's jockey for the April 30 and Oct. 16 races, so Solis relied on Pereira's knowledge of the filly rather than on pre-race instructions. "He had rode her the time before. He knew her ability," Solis said.

Roubaix and Herrera broke first among the 11 entries in the race. Warren's Queen Bee and jockey Juan Hernandez broke second while Precious Insight and Pereira broke third with La Deuxième Étoile and Gutierrez breaking fourth and Lovers Odyssey and Bravo being eighth out of the gate. A quarter of a mile into the race Roubaix had a three-length lead over Precious Insight, who was in second a length in front of Warren's Queen Bee. La Deuxième Étoile was fourth, a head behind Warren's Queen Bee and a head in front of fifth-place She's a Bit Sassy. Lovers Odyssey was in ninth; she trailed Roubaix by 9 3/4 lengths and eighth-place Heaven's Ghost, a San Luis Rey filly trained by Dan Dunham and ridden by Ryan Curatolo, by three lengths. The first quarter-mile took Roubaix 23.46 seconds.

Over the next two furlongs She's a Bit Sassy moved into second and trailed Roubaix by a length. Precious Insight was in third, three lengths in back of She's a Bit Sassy. La Deuxième Étoile was in fourth half a length behind Precious Insight and two lengths in front of fifth-place Warren's Queen Bee. Lovers Odyssey held the ninth position and was 12 1/2 lengths behind Roubaix and four lengths behind eighth-place Bonnie Brae. Roubaix traveled the first half of a mile in 47.12 seconds.

Three-quarters of a mile past the starting gate Precious Insight was in second, two lengths behind Roubaix and a length in front of She's a Bit Sassy. La Deuxième Étoile was in fourth, half a length behind She's a Bit Sassy and a length in front of fifth-place Candy On Top. Lovers Odyssey was still in ninth although only 6 1/2 lengths behind Roubaix and half a length behind eighth-place Bonnie Brae. Roubaix needed 1:12.24 for the first six furlongs.

Precious Insight entered the stretch 1:25.17 into the race with a half-length lead over La Deuxième Étoile, who was a head in front of third-place Roubaix. Lovers Odyssey was fifth at the start of the stretch, four lengths in back of Precious Insight and half a length behind fourth-place Candy On Top.

The winning time for Precious Insight was 1:37.80. "She ran great," Solis said.

Bonnie Brae finished fourth, half a length behind Lovers Odyssey and a head in front of Roubaix. Heaven's Ghost finished eighth, seven lengths behind Precious Insight and 3 1/4 lengths in back of seventh-place Infinite Love, another San Luis Rey filly trained by Solis who was ridden by Tyler Baze that day.

Precious Insight was foaled at Lovacres Ranch in Warner Springs on March 26, 2019. She was sired by Mohaymen and her dam is Alseera. Terry Lovinger wass her breeder and is also a part-owner along with Naseer Mohammed Fasihuddin and Amanda Navarro.

The race had a $70,000 purse not including starter bonuses. First place paid 60% of that, or $42,000. Precious Insight now has career earnings of $64,658.

Solis will give Precious Insight some rest and plans to race her next during the Santa Anita Park winter meet which begins Dec. 26. "I just look forward to keeping her on the grass," Solis said.

 

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