(Edited Del Mar Thoroughbred Club report)

DEL MAR, Calif. – Irish-bred Ferneley, benefiting from a beautifully-timed ride by Joel Rosario, Del Mar’s top jockey this summer, swept to the lead in the upper stretch and ran on strongly to win Saturday’s featured $238,000 Del Mar Mile for older horses over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Ferneley, sent to the gate as the 5-1 second choice, won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:33.11 for the once-around the grass oval. Allcansayis Wow and Lethal Heat, four-year-old fillies in a field of male horses, were second and third, respectively, separated by a half-length, with Victor’s Cry fourth in the field of nine. Temple City was withdrawn from the line-up.

“I had a good, good trip. I kept him down inside and was trying to save ground. I had my eye on that 7 horse (favorite Monterey Jazz). I knew he was the one to beat. I was hoping some of those horses up front would engage him; they did. When I came out and around and I saw him (Monterey Jazz) falling back, I knew I had a big shot. He’s a really nice horse. His race the other day (third to Colonel John in the Wickerr July 31) here was a good one. He got beat by a nice horse that day. But he’s nice, too,” Rosario said.

Monterey Jazz, the 4-5 favorite under David Flores, raced prominently until the stretch and then faded badly to be seventh in a disappointing performance.

“We’re all puzzled at his (Monterey Jazz) effort. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him, he just wasn’t the Monterey Jazz we know. David (Flores) was happy with his spot but when he asked him to run, there wasn’t anything left,” trainer Craig Dollase said

Ferneley, owned by the Silver Springs Stud Farm of David and Ian O’Rourke of Paris, Kentucky and conditioned by Ben Cecil, was scoring his sixth victory in 26 starts. First money of $120,000 increased the horse’s earnings to $405,824.

“He ran really wide last time (Wickerr Handicap), but maybe that helped him this time. He seemed to be just right for this race. The only instructions I gave the rider were to try to save all the ground he could. Of course, then he was about eight wide going into the first turn because everybody took back. But Joel [Rosario] rode him perfectly after that,” Cecil said.

Ferneley returned $13.20, $6.40 and $4.60. Allicansayis Wow, who was piloted by Garrett Gomez, paid $11.80 and $7.80 as a 10-1 longshot, while Lethal Heat returned $5.80 to show.

The Del Mar Mile is a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile which will be run Saturday, Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. However, Ferneley is not eligible and would have to be supplemented to the race.

Trainer John Sadler, moving nearer his second consecutive title at Del Mar, sent out four winners — Play Nine at $34.40 in the third, Mona de Momma at $5.20 in the sixth and Dave in Dixie at $17.60 in the seventh.  He won his 22nd race of the summer, sending out Icemancometh at $9 in the tenth and final race of the afternoon.

Jockey Rafael Bejarno, who was winless on three mounts Friday in his return to competition after being seriously injured on opening day, July 22,  won his first race since then aboard Mona de Momma.

The stakes win was the third of the meeting for Rosario and his first in the Del Mar Mile. He now has four stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for Cecil and his first in the Del Mar Mile. He now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Saturday’s attendance was 23,982.