Faversham © Benoit Photo
Thoroughbred racing returns to historic Del Mar Wednesday when the 79th season begins with a ten-race program highlighted by the seaside track’s traditional opening-day feature, the $100,000-added Oceanside Stakes for three-year-olds at one mile over the infield Jimmy Durante grass course.
Post time for the first race is 2 p.m. Presented on a five-day-a-week schedule, Wednesday through Sunday, the 36-day meeting will feature a 41-race stakes schedule worth $7.3 million topped by the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on Saturday, August 18. The season will conclude Labor Day Monday, September 3.
The Oceanside Stakes attracted a full field of 14 sophomores, with two on an also-eligible list, and shapes up as a wide-open betting contest with several entrants having performed well in stakes competition.
The field, in post position order: Arawak, Gary Stevens to ride; Texas Wedge, Flavien Prat (Del Mar’s leading rider in 2017); Pepe Tono, Alonso Quinonez; Artie Be Good, Stewart Elliott; Desert Stone, Corey Nakatani; Shane Zain, Mario Gutierrez; Restrainedvengeance, Evin Roman; Faversham, Tiago Pereira; Move Over, Tyler Baze; Calexman, Giovanni Franco; Heartfullofstars, Santiago Gonzalez; Soltero, Joe Talamo; Afleet Ascent, Kent Desormeaux, and Respect the Hustle, Tyler Conner. Also eligible are More Honor, Pereira, and Risky Proposition, Talamo.