Seabiscuit is considered one of horse racing's greatest longshot stories, so fittingly the race that bears his name at Del Mar provided a massive upset Nov. 29. With a wall of horses battling in the final sixteenth, it was Call Sign Seven who sneaked through on the rail to win the $201,500 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at 68-1.
The long odds were justified as Savio-Cannon Thoroughbreds' 4-year-old Speightstown colt was racing for the first time since finishing seventh in allowance company in March. As he returned to racing form, trainer Michael McCarthy entered him in "five or six" second-level allowances that did not fill. The alternative became racing 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Seabiscuit.
Jockey Ricardo Gonzalez settled toward the back of the eight-horse field in the early stages as favored El Potente set fractions of :23.27, :47.11, and 1:11.15. As the temporary rail disappeared outside the sixteenth pole, Gonzalez dove to the inside and rallied up past four other rivals to win by a half-length in 1:41.71.
Astronomer finished second and El Potente held for third, the top five separated by less than a length.
"I was a little disappointed to see where we were around the turn, we were getting a little bit shuffled back," McCarthy told FanDuel TV's Joaquin Jaime about his early thoughts in the race. "The horse was doing well, fresh. Another great ride by Ricky."
Call Sign Seven paid $139.00 to his backers on a $2 win wager.
Bred in Kentucky by Willow Oaks Stable, Call Sign Seven was a $315,000 purchase by his owners out of the Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services consignment at the 2022 edition of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale. He has now won half of his six career starts and has improved his earnings to $190,500.
Call Sign Seven is the 150th black type stakes winner for his late sire, Speightstown, and is out of the winning Awesome Again mare Awesome Marchesa.
Video: Seabiscuit H. (G2T)
Whisper Hill's Just Aloof Ships In, Wins Jimmy Durante
Trainer Chad Brown was confident enough to ship Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Just Aloof across the country for the $103,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T), and the 2-year-old Justify filly validated the move when she dominated the mile turf race for juvenile fillies.
In her lone previous start Oct. 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Just Aloof rallied from fifth place to win a maiden special weight by a neck. Ridden by Hector Berrios Saturday, she displayed more early pace, tracking front-runner Bourbon and Ginger from second through fractions of :22.63, :47.21, and 1:12.36.
Berrios asked Just Aloof turning for home and she lived up to her name, gradually taking charge then winning going away by 2 1/2 lengths. She completed the mile on the firm turf in 1:36.78.
Latte Luv finished second, and it was another half-length back to La Ville Lumiere and Yours Sincerely, who finished in a dead heat for third.
Just Aloof is out of the group 3-winning Galileo mare Aloof, whom Whisper Hill purchased for $3.9 million at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She resold to Avenue Bloodstock for $75,000 at the 2023 edition of the same sale.
