FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       
            MAY 9, 2009

CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS PUBLICITY
714-820-2690

DLT RUNAWAY UPSET FIELD IN MY DEBUT HANDICAP

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA... For a few minutes
it appeared as if the  $15,000 My Debut Overnight Handicap
would go down in history as one of those races that produce a
rare triple dead heat. It was that close of a race. Instead,
Ugo De La Torre's DLT Runaway did enough to earn a surprising
victory in the 220-yard dash, as she defeated Nancy Scane's
Im Dashing and Anna Baker's Just Dash, by the slightest of
margins in the event for older mares. Im Dashing and Just
Dash did finish in a dead heat for second place.

Ridden by Santiago Mendez, DLT Runaway enjoyed a perfect
break from post three and then ran the race of her life to
hold off her fast closing rivals. Previously trained by Danny
Montes but now under the tutelage of Ugo's brother, Jose De
La Torre, DLT Runaway won at odds of 21-1 while earning her
fourth victory in 12 career starts. The daughter of Spanish
Boot, who covered the distance in :11.706, earned $8,250 for
the win.

"When I first saw it I thought it was going to be a triple
dead heat," said trainer Jose De La Torre. "All three mares
hit the wire pretty hard and it looked like at the same
time."
   
The 4-year-old mare only raced four times during her
sophomore year because of an injury. The mare injured her
knee in that allowance start last May, forcing her to undergo
surgery. After a layoff of more than six months, she returned
to finish a lackluster sixth place in an allowance test in
December. Another four-month break followed except that she
came back with winning on her mind. Racing from post four on
April 12, DLT Runaway had a solid break but then flew in the
final 100 yards to win the allowance race by a half-length.
The win did come with a price. 

"She cut herself badly in that race," De La Torre said. "We
were not sure if she was going to make it to this race."

De La Torre, who saddled the Thoroughbred Easy Swinger to
victory in a Quarter Horse stakes race at 870 yards, was
actually picking up his first ever handicap win in a Quarter
Horse race with a Quarter Horse bred. De La Torre credited a
couple of other factors in regards to DLT Runaway's win. 

"Santiago Mendez has done a great job riding this mare," he
said. "He gallops her, he works her and now he's ridden her
to two victories in a row. Santiago is already a good rider
at Los Alamitos but I think he's going to be a great rider
here for many years to come."

DLT Runaway's mother, Adashin Runaway, also deserves
recognition according to the trainer. 

"Ugo owns her as well," he said. "She was a pretty good
runner and now she's become a good producer."

Adashing Runaway won seven of 13 career starts while making
$40,535. She ran second in the 2002 Costa Mesa Handicap but
as a 2-year-old she won the 2001 Huntington Harbour Handicap
at Los Alamitos and the Evergreen Futurity at Les Bois Park.
She is also the mother of Adashin Shoer, who is a three-time
winner at Los Alamitos, and Pepe El Trueno, who ran third in
last year's Katella Handicap and fourth in both the Vespero
Handicap and the California Breeders Sprint Stakes. 

"I didn't think we had much of a chance to win this race but
anything can happen in this sport," De La Torre said. "I was
talking to Blane Schvaneveldt before this race and he thought
that DLT Runaway had a chance to win this race. It was great
to hear someone like Blane say that about my horse but I
never expected us to beat all the tough mares in this race.
Our mare has a big heart and will give you her best. She had
a great race tonight."

DLT Runaway will continue to compete in handicap races
according to her trainer, but she'll also be pointed to the
Bank of America Racing Challenge. She will likely compete in
the Merial California Distaff Challenge. Im Dashin and Just
Dash each covered the distance in :11.712. Both mares earned
$2,625 each for running in second place. Shelbys Surprise,
Pappys Corona, Sumbeachincalifornia, Dimples First Dash and
Silver V completed the field.

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