Carressa © Benoit Photo

With Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza along for the ride, 2-1 second choice Carressa breezed to the front past 4-5 favored Persepolis midway on the backstretch and was never threatened thereafter, winning Del Mar’s feature by eight and one-quarter lengths Friday.

Carressa, a three-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Mercedes Stables and trained by John Shirreffs, ran the mile over a fast track in 1:36.90 in accounting for her second victory in five starts.

Persepolis, with Flavien Prat in the saddle, easily held the runner-up spot, four and one-quarter lengths ahead of Meso. Cyrielle was a distant fourth ahead of Kynance, fifth and last. Kookie Gal was scratched.

Carressa returned $6.40, $2.80 and $2.40. Persepolis paid $2.40 and $2.20, while Meso returned $4.40 to sho w.

Three jockeys had doubles on the program -  Abel Cedillo, Rafael Bejarano and Drayden Van Dyke. Cedillo won the second on The Stiff at $5.80 and the third aboard Rare Find at $4.80; Bejarano’s winners were Carnelian Hero at $2.80 in the fifth and Velvet Queen at $14.40 in the seventh while Van Dyke took the fourth on Govenor Cinch at $4.20 and the eighth aboard California Kook for a $7.60 payoff.

Racing resumes Saturday, featuring the Grade III $100,000 Native Diver Stakes for older horses at a mile and one-eighth. Post time for the first race is 12:30 p.m.