Champion Stellar Wind and three other older fillies and mares were entered Wednesday morning to face mighty Beholder in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes.

 

Post position draw was scheduled Wednesday afternoon but the field, in alphabetical order is:  Beholder, Divina Comedia, Off the Road, Stellar Wind and The Dream.

 

The 1 1/16-mile main track event, won by Beholder in 2015 as a stepping stone to her historic victory over males in the TVG Pacific Classic, is a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 3 at Santa Anita.

 

Beholder, who worked five furlongs in :59.20 on Sunday, galloped around the Del Mar oval Wednesday morning, as she will do every day leading up to the 23^rd career start for the 6-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes, a three-time Eclipse Award winner and earner of more than $4.7 million.

 

Trainer Richard Mandella nominated two stablemates of Beholder, Juno and Off the Road, to the Hirsch. The Hall of Fame conditioner said Monday morning that Off the Road is a go, but Juno will be pointed to the Osunitas Stakes on Sunday, August 7.

 

Off the Road, a 5-year-old, Brazilian-bred daughter of Quick Road owned by Quick Road Stable, was imported from Brazil and made her U.S. racing debut last October at Santa Anita. She is winless in five starts, all at Santa Anita, at both the allowance and overnight stakes level under five different riders.

 

“It’s a Grade I and I hope to get some black type (graded stakes success) on her record,” Mandella said. “I don’t think she can beat Beholder, but you never know.”

 

Stellar Wind, the top 3-year-old filly of 2015, was runner-up to Beholder, beaten a length and a half, in the Grade I Vanity at Santa Anita on June 4. The race was the 2016 debut for Stellar Wind, the second of the year for Beholder, who has won eight straight races.

 

Divina Comedia, a 5-year-old French-bred mare trained by Simon Callaghan for Marsha Naify, was fifth in the Vanity,  but came back a month later to win the Southern Truce in 1:42.89 at the Hirsch distance.

 

“It’s a pretty stiff task for our filly, but she just won the listed stakes and is training well,” Callaghan said. “Beholder and Stellar Wind are clearly a class above, but we’re hoping we can get a part of (the purse).”

 

The Dream is a Chilean-bred Group I winner in her native country making her U.S. debut for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

 

 

 

San Diego Handicap winner California Chrome, back in the familiar  surroundings of trainer Art Sherman’s stable at Los Alamitos, has resumed light exercise toward his planned start in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on August 20.

 

“He’s doing great,” Sherman said here Wednesday morning. “I talk to my son (and trainer Alan) every day. We’ll probably breeze (California Chrome) this weekend, probably Sunday or Monday.”

 

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who worked a mile in 1:39.40 here before Sunday’s races, left trainer Doug O’Neill’s barn at 2:30 a.m. to begin a journey to Monmouth Park, New Jersey, for Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational.

 

O’Neill is also headed east to oversee the final preparations for the Paul Reddam-owned 3-year-old who started his career with eight straight wins, including the Del Mar Futurity, before finishing third to Exaggerator in the Preakness Stakes.

 

 

 

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent out American Freedom for a four-furlong workout in a bullet :47.00 while American Cleopatra covered three furlongs in :35.60  here Tuesday.

 

American Freedom, a 3-year-old Pulpit colt who has won three of four career starts, most recently the Iowa Derby, shipped Wednesday morning for New Jersey and a run against Nyquist in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday.

 

“He looks great and he’s on his way,” Baffert said Wednesday morning. “I’ve done really well in that race, because I’ve had some really good horses to run in it.”

 

Baffert has been a powerful presence in the Haskell, winning five of the last six runnings with American Pharoah (2015), Bayern (2014), Paynter (2013), Coil (2011), and Lookin At Lucky (2010), and additionally with War Emblem (2002) and Point Given (2001).

 

American Cleopatra, a full sister to Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile-Littleprincessemma) is “very close” to being ready for her racing debut, Baffert said. A debut Baffert said will come here later this summer.

 

Baffert-trained Dortmund, runner-up to California Chrome in the San Diego, is back to the track jogging in early preparation for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic. Gary Stevens, who was aboard Dortmund for the San Diego, has the mount on defending TVG Pacific Classic champion Beholder.

 

“That (Dortmund call) was a one shot deal,” Baffert said. He added that he’s not sure who will be aboard Dortmund in the Classic.

 

 

Mrazek is the 3-1 morning line favorite in Wednesday’s Real Good Deal while My California was tabbed the 7-5 morning line choice by oddsmaker Russ Hudak for Friday’s CTBA in Del Mar’s stakes offerings during the first three days of the meeting’s Week 3 programs.

 

Owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O’Neill, Mrazek won the 2015 Graduation Stakes in his only Del Mar appearance. The 3-year-old son of Square Eddie drew the No. 7 post in a field of 10.

 

From the rail out: Family Code (Tyler Baze, 20-1), Smokey Image (Martin Garcia, 7-2), Packin Heat (Iggy Puglisi, 20-1), Tough It Out (Joe Talamo, 4-1), Tribal Fighter (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), Boy Howdy (Santiago Gonzalez, 20-1), Mrazek (Mario Gutierrez, 3-1), Gold Rush Dancer (Flavien Prat, 5-1), Tough But Nice (Fernando Perez, 20-1) and Tanan Guard (Alex Solis, 6-1).

 

My California, owned by Mercedes Stable LLC and trained by Robertino Diodoro, was a 9 ½ length winner breaking her maiden in her second career start on June 16 at Santa Anita and will face four others, all with one victory in two starts, in the $100,000, 5 ½-furlong sprint for California-bred 2-year-old fillies.

 

The field, from the rail: My California (Tyler Baze, 7-5), Cioppino Pasadino  (Edwin Maldonado, 4-1), I’ll Be Around (Fernando Perez, 4-1), Love a Honeybadger (Jamie Theriot, 8-1) and You’re Late (Stewart Elliott, 2-1).

Lord Nelson and Subtle Indian, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade I Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on June 25, top a list of 19 nominations for Sunday’s Grade I $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes.

 

Owned by Spendthrift Farm and trained by Bob Baffert, Lord Nelson scored his  fifth victory in 11 starts in the Triple Bend.  The 4-year-old son of Pulpit has career earnings to $598,271.

 

Baffert has also nominated Drefong, Justin Squared, Power Jam and Toews On Ice to the 6-furlong sprint, a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series event which often determines the sprint division champion of the meeting.

 

Entries will close and the draw for post positions will be conducted on Thursday.

 

 

CLOSERS – Santiago Gonzalez notched three wins on Sunday to two for Flavien Prat to forge a tie for the lead atop the jockey standings with 10 wins each entering the week … Phil D’Amato tops the trainer list with five wins, only one ahead of Mark Glatt and John Sadler. The top three trainers are all saddling winners at an impressive 31 percent clip … Selected workouts from 324 officially timed over the last three days: Monday – Paquita Coqueta (4f, :46.60), Infobedad (5f, 1:01.60), Jeweled (5f, :58.80), Lord Nelson (5f, :59.00), Majestic Kitten (5f, 1:01.00), Jazzy Times (6f, 1:11.00), Vale Dori (6f, 1:10.80); Tuesday – American Cleopatra (3f, :35.60), American Freedom (4f, :47.00), Drefong (4f, :47.00), Prize Exhibit (5f, 1:02.60); Wednesday (Lieutenant Colonel, 4f :46.00), Lost Bus (4f, :51.00), Vyjack (4f, :49.40), Klimt (6f, 1:12.40) and Toews On Ice (6f, 1:12.40).  

 

 

DEL MAR STATISTICS 

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 24, 2016 Inclusive)

Jockey	Mts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	I.M.%	Money Won
Santiago Gonzalez	44	10	6	8	23%	55%	$350,089
Flavien Prat	48	10	4	3	21%	35%	$467,640
Kent Desormeaux	38	6	9	5	16%	53%	$440,870
Victor Espinoza	19	6	4	3	32%	68%	$461,326
Rafael Bejarano	34	5	8	6	15%	56%	$461,326
Tyler Baze	47	5	6	8	11%	40%	$385,993
Mario Gutierrez	23	4	3	1	17%	35%	$201,752
Gary Stevens	16	3	3	1	19%	44%	$256,675
Stewart Elliott	26	3	2	1	12%	23%	$85,795
Mike Smith	19	2	3	5	11%	53%	$213,790

 

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 24, 2016 Inclusive)

Trainer	Sts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	I.M.%	Money Won
Phillip D' Amato	16	5	3	1	31%	56%	$440,801
Mark Glatt	13	4	2	4	31%	77%	$158,550
John W. Sadler	13	4	2	3	31%	69%	$223,300
Doug F. O'Neill	31	3	3	4	10%	32%	$156,450
Richard Baltas	12	3	2	2	25%	58%	$200,281
Neil D. Drysdale	10	3	1	1	30%	50%	$151,824
Bob Baffert	15	2	5	1	13%	53%	$199,495
Robertino Diodoro	8	2	3	1	25%	75%	$136,470
Brian J. Koriner	8	2	3	1	25%	75%	$82,050
James M. Cassidy	17	2	2	4	12%	47%	$135,037

 

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 24, 2016 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 24 out of 74 -- 32.43%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 17 out of 47 -- 36.17%

Winning favorites on turf -- 7 out of 27 -- 25.93%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 6 out of 8 -- 75.00%

In-the-Money favorites -- 55 out of 74 -- 74.32%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 7 out of 8 -- 87.50%

 

 

Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793