Hey Nay Nay is 3-for-3 after winning Del Mar Juvenile Turf

Flashing good form throughout, undefeated Hey Nay Nay showed more signs of positive things to come when the colt by No Nay Never fired through the lane to come away the winner by 1 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3, $104,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes on closing day Sunday.

Héctor Berrios rode his mount in the fray right from the start. Then he surged to the front turning for home in the one-mile test on firm turf. The Ireland-bred 2-year-old finished his journey with a time of 1:35.57 and picked up a first prize of $60,000. The early fractions were 22.32, 46.61, 1:11.41 and 1:23.69.

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“I tried to go to the lead, but (trainer John) Sadler said if another rider goes first, just stay second. He gave me a chance. At the turn I relaxed, and he went. In the stretch I went inside and asked him to move, and he responded.”

It was his third victory in his third start but his first in a graded affair. He had won a straight maiden race at Santa Anita and then shipped east to capture the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park. All his outings have been on turf.

“I told him (Berrios) to get clear, because when you’re running 13 2-year-olds on the turf, you don’t want to get slaughtered by some 60-1 shot,” Sadler said. “I said put him in the race, and he just laid second, and that was good. We haven’t seen the best of him. He’s a real chill horse. He’s takes everything well. The idea was to get a race here so he’s ready for the Breeders’ Cup.”

No Nay Nay, owned by Hronis Racing and Iapetus Racing and trained by John Sadler, returned $4.00 for a $2 bet as the even-money favorite in the 13-horse field. He has $156,000 in earnings.

Plutarch finished second. He had 1 1/4 lengths on Proletariat.