Dialed In’s Defunded was a dominant winner in Sunday’s $150,000 Native Diver S. (G3) at Del Mar, the second straight graded stakes score for the 4-year-old.
Defunded, who came into the race off a win in the Oct. 1 Awesome Again S. (G1), was heavily favored on Sunday and ran to expectations. He was away out of the gate slowly, but made his way up into second in the first quarter-mile. The 4-year-old battled with longshot Go Joe Won for the next half-mile, then put him away at the top of the stretch. All alone in the lane, Defunded won by 4 ¾-lengths in 1:50.12 on a fast track.
“He came away from there a little bit slow, but I wasn’t concerned. This horse doesn’t need to be in front,” said winning rider Edwin Maldonado. “He’s won from off the pace before. I rode him with confidence all the way.”
The top 2 finishers are both owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Defunded’s record now stands at 5-3-1 in 13 starts, with earnings of $608,100.
Pedigree notes from the TDN
One of 22 stakes winners, eight graded stakes winners and three Grade I winners for Dialed In, Defunded is the third black-type performer out of his four-time stakes-placed dam Wind Caper. She has a yearling full sister to Defunded, named Ringy Dingy, who sold to Oracle Bloodstock for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton October.
