Avanzare wins Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf by half-length

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) Avanzare rallied to win the $200,000 Del Mar Mile by a half-length Sunday at Del Mar after a layoff of nearly seven months.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Avanzare ran the distance on turf in 1:35.22 and paid $15.40, $7.20 and $5.

Talco returned $3.20 and $3, while Di Giorgio was another length back in third and paid $10.60 to show.

Bal a Bali, the 5-2 favorite, finished fifth in the 10-horse field.

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Avanzare's career earnings to $505,180, with seven wins in 13 starts. The bay gelding has been worse than third just once in his career.

Avanzare had been off since winning the Arcadia Stakes on Jan. 31 at Santa Anita for trainer Tom Proctor.

Stevens won two of the four weekend stakes races at Del Mar. He was aboard Beholder while winning the $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday.