Bam Bam Again
California-bred two-year-olds will be in the Del Mar spotlight Friday in the 68th running of the $100,000 Graduation Stakes at five and one-half furlongs.
Over the years, the Graduation Stakes has provided a steppingstone for many youngsters to the Grade I $300,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity, the traditional championship-deciding event for the division on closing day of the summer meeting.
Those who have parlayed success in the Graduation to victories in the Futurity have been Double Speed (1952), Short Jacket (1960), Slipped Disc (1962), Officer (2001), Icecoldbeeratreds (2002) and Georgie Boy (2007).
Entrants in the 2019 renewal of the Graduation Stakes are Project Leader, Evin Roman; Darnquick, Hugo Herrera; Big Returns, Ruben Fuentes; Shady Empire, Edwin Maldonado; Bulletproof One, Flavien Prat; Fast Enough, Tiago Pereira; Bam Bam Again, Rafael Bejarano; Bluegrass Faith, Geovanni Franco; Square Deal, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., and Pas de Panique, Abel Cedillo.
With the exception of Square Deal, all Graduation runners are winners of a maiden race in their brief careers. Bulletproof One is unbeaten in two outings, a maiden event and the Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton. However, she was scheduled to compete in the C.T.B.A. Stakes exclusively for fillies Wednesday.
Post time for the first of eight races Friday is 4 p.m.