Vasco © Benoit Photo

A competitive allowance sprint on turf for California-bred fillies and mares will serve as the featured event on Friday’s program as racing returns to Del Mar following a planned four-day pause.

The race, which carries a $72,000 purse, has drawn 12 runners, though only eight can compete in the five-furlong test on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. One of the also-eligibles – George Krikorian’s Big Beauty – could be the race favorite if she gets lucky and draws in. But if she has to wait for another day, favoritism in the daisycutter dash may fall to A. Jason Hall Stables and Stewball Stable’s Queen Molotov, a gray daughter of the now pensioned stallion Mizzen Mast who has run well at this level in her two most recent starts.

Here’s the field for the feature – which goes as Race 3 on the eight-race program that has a first post of 12:30 p.m. – from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:  Richard Barton’s Doris Mae (Juan Hernandez in the saddle, 3-1); Garcia, Hartshorn or Tabish’s Va Va Voom (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1); Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Vasco (Ricky Gonzalez, 3-1); Javier Perez’s Unwritten Code (Tyler Baze, 12-1); Hoof Pick Racing Partners’ Smiling Molly (Ramon Vazquez, 8-1); Dolores Riggio’s D’s Lovely Sophia (Joe Bravo, 6-1); Queen Molotov (John Velazquez, 5/2); Boardshorts Stables’ Her Perfect Vision (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1), and also-eligibles Big Beauty (Flavien Prat, 9/5); Barragan or Ramos’ La Aguililla (Abel Cedillo, 20-1); Phil Lebherz’s Ensleys Dream (Diego Herrera, 8-1), and RKJ Stable’s Redstwirlingdance (Ryan Curatolo, 10-1).  

Big Beauty shows three seconds and a third in four outings this year at the allowance level for trainer John Sadler. She’s a 4-year-old daughter of Mr. Big and shows a win and four seconds in her six turf tries.

Queen Molotov, a 4-year-old, has finished in the top three in six of her nine outings this year. Her switch to Hall of Famers Velazquez Friday should enhance her chances and the gray has the tactical speed to be right in the mix in this one.  

Doris Mae has only two starts on her ledger so far, one last summer and the most recent on October 22 at Santa Anita when she went wire-to-wire in a six-furlong maiden race to tally by a length and a quarter. This will be the first start on turf for the 3-year-old homebred daughter of Dads Caps.

Vasco broke her maiden at Del Mar this past summer at five furlongs on the turf. The Straight Fire 3-year-old has good speed and that’s always a strong factor in a dash like this.

Va Va Voom is the most experienced runner in the field with 21 starts to her credit so far. She’s a 6-year-old mare by Vronsky who just missed in a similar affair this past summer at Del Mar.