Bidding to become only the fourth horse in seaside track history to sweep Del Mar’s series of three races for three-year-olds, Glen Hill Farm’s stretch-running Enterprising tops a field of eight sophomores entered in the 70th running of the Grade II $300,000 Del Mar Derby Sunday.

 

Fresh from resounding triumphs in the opening-day Oceanside Stakes and the La Jolla Handicap, the Tom Proctor-trained Enterprising figures to go postward a solid favorite in the nine-furlong grass stakes. Hall of Famer Mike Smith again has the call on Enterprising who will be attempting to emulate the series sweeps of Lightning Mandate (1974), Ladies Din (1998) and Blackdoun(2004).

 

Among those opposing the Elusive Quality colt will be an invader from the East coast, the French-bred Flamboyant, who will be piloted by Joel Rosario. Flamboyant, trained on the West Coast by Paddy Gallagher, was third in the Grade I Belmont Derby most recently, beaten slightly less than four lengths by Mr. Speaker.

 

Making their U.S. debuts will be two French-bred colts, Talco, with Corey Nakatani, and Aventador, to be piloted by Elvis Trujillo. Talco, now conditioned by John Sadler, won two of six starts in his homeland, while Aventador, from the barn of trainer Darrell Vienna, is a winner of two of 16 career outings.

 

Completing the line-up are Home Run Kitten (Joe Talamo), a winner of his last two starts, including the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita; Sawyer’s Hill (Martin Garcia), unbeaten in two starts this summer at Del Mar; Midnight Storm (Tyler Baze), a game winner in his latest effort, and Sammy Mandeville (Rafael Bejarano), fourth and third behind Enterprising in the Oceanside and La Jolla, respectively.

 

Supporting features on an attractive 11-race program Sunday are the $90,000 Tanquility Lake Stakes for older fillies and mares at one mile on the main track and the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for three-year-old fillies, also at a mile.

 

Post time for the first race will be 2 p.m.