Roadster © Benoit Photo
Another highly-successful Del Mar summer Thoroughbred racing season concludes Labor Day Monday in a traditional manner, with presentation of the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Futurity as the centerpiece of a ten-race program beginning at 2 p.m.
In addition to the seven-furlong Futurity for the best two-year-olds in the West, two other stakes will be run, the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and the $75,000-added C.E.R.F. Stakes.
Roadster, impressive winner of his only start, by four and one-quarter lengths in late July, is the pre-race favorite at 6-5 to provide trainer Bob Baffert with an amazing 14th success in the Futurity, emulating such stars as, to recall just a few, Silver Charm, Officer and American Pharoah, the last-named the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in l978.
Mike Smith has the call on Roadster, a son of Quality Road who was a $525,000 yearling purchase by the Speedway Stable of Peter Fluor of Houston, Texas at Keeneland last year.
Seeking to upset Roadster will be Sparky Ville, Gary Stevens; Rowayton, Drayden Van Dyke; Savagery, Joe Talamo; Spin Lightning, Flavien Prat; Sigalert, Tyler Baze, and Game Winner, Tiago Pereira.
The Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, at one mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course, attracted eleven entrants – After the Rose, Posh Holly, Kathryn’s Sky, Lady Prancealot, Hyde Park Corner, Summering, Noble Contessa, Imperial Creed, Angel Alessandra, Bizwhacks and Be A Shero. Summering, to be piloted by Van Dyke, is the morning line choice.
The C.E.R.F. Stakes, a six-furlong sprint, will match eight older fillies and mares – Phantom Proton, Impasse, Dis Smart Cat, Miss Sunset, Shoe It N Moe It, Lake Time, Time for Ebby and Classy Tune. Miss Sunset is the pre-race favorite.