O’Neill Wins No. 2,000 with Formally Wild

Blood-Horse

Trainer Doug O’Neill earned his 2,000th victory of his career Nov. 22 at Del Mar, when Formally Wild crossed the wire first in a seven-furlong, $8,000 claiming event at the Southern California racetrack.

Jockey Tyler Baze punctuated the 1 1/2-length win, ahead of second-place finisher and stablemate Ultimate Luck, with a fist pump just before sealing the O’Neill’s milestone victory at the wire.

“This is really the result of having a great team and I’m so blessed to be surrounded by so many people, led by (assistant trainer) Leandro Mora,” O’Neill said in the winner’s circle after the race. “We’d be here all day if I mentioned all of the 60, 70 guys that work their butt off every day.”

Owned in partnership by R3 Racing and Calara Farms, Formally Wild is a 4-year-old Offlee Wild gelding who was a $12,500 claim by O’Neill Oct. 17 at Santa Anita Park. O’Neill retained the gelding, who went unclaimed, but lost Ultimate Luck, whom Ruben Gomez went to $8,000 to claim.

The victory was O’Neill’s 12th win of the Del Mar winter meeting, which began Oct. 29. He’s won four training titles at the seaside racetrack.

His 1,000th victory came when No Means Maybe captured the Bustles and Bows Stakes at Fairplex Park in 2007. Baze was also aboard for that victory.

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