Best Pal Stakes

Notes:
A competitive group of males is set to square off in California s first graded stakes of the year for juveniles. Story to Tell and Bad Read Sanchez, the top two finishers from the W. L. Proctor Memorial S. at Los Alamitos last month, will meet again, with the former drawing the rail this time. Story to Tell was second to subsequent Graduation S. champ Wake Up Nick when the Dan Hendricks charge drew the inside post in the Santa Anita Juvenile S. in June. Jockey Joe Talamo was able to take the colt to the outside from the second post in the Proctor and had clear sailing to the wire. Conversely, Bad Read Sanchez, who won his initial outing from the number two hole, negotiated an eventful trip from the inside post in the Proctor and settled for a 1 1/4-length loss to his rival. Henry s Holiday gives the Doug O Neill barn another shot here should Bad Read Sanchez fail. The son of Harlan s Holiday impressed when winning a Santa Anita maiden race at first asking but could only manage a fourth-place finish of six in the Juvenile there. Woodbine-based trainer Mark Casse, who has a string in California for the first time, sends out a pair of runners who raced at Churchill Downs before shipping west. Skyway was a respectable third in the G3 Bashford Manor S. under the Twin Spires after winning on Keeneland s synthetic surface in his initial outing. Conquest Bigluck E broke his maiden at first asking at Churchill and was flattered when the show finisher from that contest came back to score. Highway Boss didn t show much in two starts at Turf Paradise then motored to victory in a maiden claimer at Santa Anita and again in the Everett Nevin S. at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet. Recent Los Alamitos maiden winners Rowdy Dylan and Two Six Wins complete the field, and both will need to step it up to vie for top honors in this spot.



The Best Pal Stakes is an American grade II horseracing event that takes place each year at Del Mar Racetrack, California. It is open for thoroughbred horses with an age group of two capable of racing six and half furlongs on the dirt.

Best Pal Stakes Past Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Owner	Time
2012	Know More	Doug O'Neill	Garrett Gomez	J. Paul Reddam	1:16.14
2011	Creative Cause	Mike Harrington	Rafael Bejarano	Heinz Steinmann	1:15.62
2010	J P's Gusto	David Hofmans	Patrick Valenzuela	Gem Inc.	1:16.61
2009	Lookin at Lucky	Bob Baffert	Garrett Gomez	M. Pegram, K. Watson, P. Weitman	1:16.06
2008	Azul Leon Ââ€	Douglas F. O'Neill	Rafael Bejarano	Joseph LaCombe Stable	1:16.73
2007	Salute the Sarge	Eric J. Guillot	Michael Baze	Southern Equine Stable	1:19.43
2006	Principle Secret	Christopher Paasch	Alex Solis	C. R. Cono LLC	1:16.15
2005	What a Song	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1:15.64
2004	Roman Ruler	Bob Baffert	Corey Nakatani	Fog City Stable	1:15.93
2003	Perfect Moon	Melvin F. Stute	Pat Valenzuela	M. Stute & The Hat Ranch	1:16.90
2002	Kafwain	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:17.00
2001	Officer	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:15.08
2000	Flame Thrower	Bob Baffert	Corey Nakatani	Gary M. Garber	1:16.51
1999	Dixie Union	Richard E. Mandella	Alex Solis	Diamond A Racing Corp./ H. Sarkowsky	1:16.40
1998	Worldly Manner	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	Golden Eagle Farm	1:16.60
1997	Old Topper	Noble Threewitt	Alex Solis	Barbara Hunter	1:16.40
1996	Swiss Yodeler	Michael C. Harrington	Alex Solis	Heinz Steinmann	1:16.00
1995	Cobra King	Mike Puype	Russell Baze	Betty Biszantz	1:15.80
1994	Timber Country	D. Wayne Lukas	Alex Solis	Gainsway Farm et al.	1:16.60
1993	Creston	Jenine Sahadi	Corey Black	Evergreen Farm	1:16.20
1992	Devil Diamond	Gary F. Jones	Kent Desormeaux	Golden Eagle Farm	1:22.60
1991	Scherando	Richard W. Mulhall	Francisco Mena	Chase Mishkin	1:22.40
1990	Best Pal	Ian Jory	Pat Valenzuela	Golden Eagle Farm	1:22.20
1989	A. Sir Dancer	Charles Marikian	Eddie Delahoussaye	G. Arakelian Farms	1:23.00
1988	Rob an Plunder	Craig A. Lewis	Chris McCarron	Diamond Jim, et al.	1:23.00
1987	Purdue King	Irvin Guiney	Chris McCarron	John Valpredo	1:23.20
1986	Temperate Sil	Charlie Whittingham	Bill Shoemaker	Frankfurt Stable	1:23.00
1985	Swear	Willard L. Proctor	Eddie Delahoussaye	Claiborne Farm	1:36.60
1984	Saratoga Six	D. Wayne Lukas	Angel Cordero, Jr.	French, Klein, Lyon, et al.	1:36.80
1983	Party Leader	Gary F. Jones	Ray Sibille	Elmendorf Farm	1:37.20
1982	Roving Boy	Joseph Manzi	Eddie Delahoussaye	Robert E. Hibbert	1:35.40
1981	The Captain	Laz Barrera	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Harbor View Farm	1:36.80
1980	Bold and Gold	W. A. Reavis	Dean Hall	Ted Rexius	1:37.40
1979	Doonesbury	Barney Willis	Sandy Hawley	Roberts, Roffe & Willis	1:35.40
1978	Flying Paster	Gordon C. Campbell	Donald Pierce	Bernard J. Ridder	1:35.60
1977	Spanish Way	Laz Barrera	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Harbor View Farm	1:36.00
1976	Visible	Vincent Clyne	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Elmendorf Farm	1:35.80
1975	Crazy Channon	Harold C. McBride	Donald Pierce	Colvin, Engelson & Nadel	1:37.20
1974	Diabolo	Sidney Martin	Bill Shoemaker	Frank M. McMahon	1:35.60
1973	Battery E.	Dennis W. Sparks	Wayne Harris	Diamond M Ranch	1:30.60
1972	Brave Dance	Wayne B. Stucki	Fernando Toro	J. Kel Houssels	1:29.80
1967	Acknowledge	Gordon C. Campbell	William Harmatz	Vicgray Farm	1:49.40
1967	Het's Cadet	L. J. Brooks	Miguel Yanez	Wallace F. Zager	1:49.60