Linda's Gift © Benoit Photo

The 5-year-old mare Linda’s Gift, who obviously sports a large pair of lungs, will get to show her stuff again this Friday when she heads a field of seven slated to run the demanding distance of 11 furlongs on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in the $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes, the highlight of an eight-race card at Del Mar.

The race speaks to the hand-to-hand cooperation between two of racing’s key elements in California – the California Thoroughbred Trainers and the Thoroughbred Owners of California.

Linda’s Gift, owned by the partnership of Nicotra, Cronin or Mandara, et al, is currently on a nice roll having captured four of her last five starts, the four all being run at marathon distances on the grass. She’s by Triple Crown champion Arrogate out of a Tapit mare, so color her blood very blue. And she takes her lessons from Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella, which is a good thing for any racehorse. And she’s been handled of late by veteran Tiago Pereira, which has proven to be a good thing.

Thus it’s easy to see why she’s been hung the 4/5 morning line favorite in the test. Further it is noted that two of her six scores have been accomplished on the Del Mar green, so the “horses for courses” factor also comes into play.

A trio of Irish-bred distaffers are rated the best chance to take down the favorite, headed by Bacharach, Deburgh or Schatz’s Duvet Day (4-1), Michael House’s Musical Rhapsody (9/2) and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, et al’s Sunset Glory (5-1).

It all makes for a most interesting mix in the headliner.

Friday’s card will be the first of the meet that has a starting time of 3 p.m., an adjustment from the usual 4 p.m. first post for the afternoon. It will stay at 3 p.m. for the remainder of the Friday programs through the conclusion of the meet on September 8.