Magic Mark © Benoit Photo

 

Nine well-seasoned California-bred Thoroughbreds will vie Sunday for the $57,000 winner’s share of a $100,000 purse in the featured Cary Grant Stakes at seven furlongs on the main track.

 

Likely to attract solid support in a wide-open betting race is Magic Mark, to be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke for trainer Ron Ellis. Magic Mark was a wire-to-wire winner of a division of the Brubaker last summer at Del Mar. Subsequently, he was second in the E.B. Johnston at Los Alamitos and third in the Big Bear at Santa Anita.

 

Defending champion in the Grant Stakes is Solid Wager, who will have Victor Espinoza in the saddle. Solid Wager, trained by Peter Miller, won the 2015 renewal by a half-length over Raised a Secret. More recently, he was runner-up to Soi Phet in a division of the Brubaker and fifth in the Big Bear Stakes.

 

Coming into the Grant fresh from Santa Anita victories are Tengas Ransom, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., Image of Joplin, Martin Pedroza, and Acceptance, Stewart Elliott. Tengas Ransom won an optional/claiming sprint, Image of Joplin was claimed for $20,000 from a sprint success and Acceptance captured the California Flag at 6 ½ furlongs on the turf.

 

Gold Rush Dancer was unplaced in both the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby but previously was a winner of three consecutive stakes races, all restricted to Cal-breds – the Silky Sullivan, Snow Chief and Real Good Deal, the last-named event at the seven-furlong distance of the Grant Stakes. Flavien Prat has the mount.

 

Completing the line-up are Lucky J Lane, Brice Blanc; Tough But Nice, Fernando Perez, and Grazen Sky, Tyler Baze.

 

Post time for the first of nine races is 12:30 p.m.