Rockemperor © Breeders' Cup

ALL IN ORDER FOR BROWN’S ROUTINE ASSAULT ON TURF FESTIVAL

Trainer Chad Brown sent seven horses, his assistant Jose Hernandez, two grooms, one hot walker and an exercise rider west from New York and Florida on Tuesday. All charged with the mission of winning some of the seven graded stakes that comprise the Turf Festival over the final four days of the Bing Crosby Season.

With emphasis, of course, on the Grade I, $400,000 Del Mar Derby on Saturday and the Grade I, $400,000 Matriarch on Sunday.

About the same numbers of horses and people that Brown has dispatched in the past, said Hernandez, who has been in charge of the operation “five or six years in a row.” And possibly even higher expectations for success than usual considering four of the seven off the plane are favored in stakes Saturday and Sunday and Rockemperor, who has been in Southern California since the Breeders’ Cup, is the 8-5 morning line choice for today’s Grade II, $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup.

Brothers Jose and Irad Ortiz, Jr., arrive tomorrow to be in the irons for most of the weekend stakes runners. Del Mar riding champion Flavien Prat, who traveled east to ride for Brown in major stakes on occasion during the summer, has the call on Rockemperor today and defending champion Viadera in the Matriarch.

Team Brown’s lineup for the weekend: Saturday – Grade II, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap – Sacred Life (Jose Ortiz, 8/5) and Flop Shot (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 4-1); Hollywood Derby – Public Sector (I. Ortiz, 5-2) and Sifting Sands (J. Ortiz, 15-1); Sunday – Grade III, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille – Verbal (J. Ortiz, 5-2 ); Matriarch – Viadera (Prat, 5/2) and Regal Glory (J. Ortiz, 9/5).

“We’ve been galloping them every day since we got here and they’re all doing fine,” Hernandez said. “I’m on the phone with him every day and he’ll talk with the jockeys before the races when they get here.”

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who’ll saddle Subconscious, the 4-1 second choice to Public Sector in the Hollywood Derby, was asked about facing Brown’s invaders.

“You’re always worried about (Brown’s horses) because they’re very good,” Mandella said. “But there’s nothing you can do about it that’s legal.”

Subconscious, a 3-year-old son of Tapit, was 0-for-3 in a career that began in May, but has won three straight since being gelded, starting with a maiden special here in August and, most recently, in the Grade II Twilight Derby.

“Before (gelding) he was acting a little bit jerk-y, kind of like me in high school,” Mandella said. “Since then he has settled down and become a real racehorse. He had shown a lot of speed, but lately he has settled and finished nicely.”

FIELD PASS COULD PUT FINAL IMPRINT ON MAKER’S DEL MAR SOJOURN

Midwest-based trainer Mike Maker’s venture to Del Mar for the summer and fall meetings hasn’t been as successful as hoped. With assistant Nolan Ramsey handling a string of 20 here the stable got three wins from 26 starters during the summer and has gone 2-for-15 during the Bing Crosby Season.

But it could end on a very high note if Field Pass, a 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, is successful in Saturday’s Grade II, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Field Pass, with seven wins from 22 career starts and earnings of $763,143, was the runner-up to Seabiscuit morning line favorite Sacred Life (8/5) in the Grade III Knickerbocker at Belmont Park on October 10 and Saturday’s second choice at 5/2. He was the only horse Maker shipped out for the Turf Festival, arriving Tuesday.

“His last work at Belmont (5 furlongs, 1:02 breezing) was good and he made the trip fine,” Ramsey said. “He’s a pretty tactical horse. He has good speed but he doesn’t have to have the lead and he doesn’t have to come from too far out of it. So the jock (Umberto Rispoli) can play the break and try to work out a good trip.”

Ramsey’s assessment of the Del Mar experience: “Overall it has been good. It could have been better, but it definitely could have been worse. I’d like to think that we’ll come back next year with the benefit of the learning curve, knowing what type of horses to bring, we’ll be more competitive.”

DUO GIVES D’AMATO MORE THAN OUTSIDE SHOT IN DURANTE

Phil D’Amato-trained Virulente and Helen’s Will drew the No. 8 and far outside No. 11 posts, respectively, for Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes. The posts may be a cause for concern, since the inside is considered advantageous for a one-mile race on the turf course in which the clubhouse turn can come up rather quickly.

But D’Amato is more concerned with his 2-year-old fillies than their post. And, despite the eighth-place finish for Helen’s Well (at 50-1) in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, he said both the Irish-bred filly and her stablemate Virulante, an import from France after a debut win there in August, are doing just fine.

“Helen’s Well came out of the Breeders’ Cup in good shape,” D’Amato said. “I thought she put in a good effort to only get beat 2 ½ lengths and I think she likes this turf course here a lot and it’s a shot worth taking.

“Virulante is a filly I’ve had for about six weeks and she’s gotten better every week. She doesn’t have the seasoning of the other fillies, having run just that one time. But I’m hoping her late turn of foot will make up for that.”

BACKSTRETCH HELP FROM SANTA ANA WINDS MAKE FOR FAST TIMES

Instead of the usual prevailing westerlies, Santa Ana winds were the case during Thursday’s program. And given a push down the backside from what the weather service listed as 13 mph gusts from a northeasterly direction, there were some quick early splits.

The third race, a $50,000 claimer, being a prime example.

With Sea to Success leading the way in the seven-furlong sprint, and eventual winner Herd Immunity only a head behind, the first quarter was run in :21.09 and the half in :42.7. Herd Immunity took the lead entering the stretch as three-quarters were run in 1:07.46 and continued on to a 1 ¾-length victory in 1:20.66.

The track record for six furlongs, set by King of Cricket in 1973 under what longtime Del Mar followers recall as very similar conditions, is 1:07.60.  That’s after an original assessment of 1:07 3/5 set was converted to .60 when official times were changed to hundredths. The record for seven furlongs is 1:20 flat, set by Solar Launch in 1990.

FALL HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE ON TAP SATURDAY

The Del Mar Fall Challenge, a one-day handicapping contest involving 85 big bettors from across the country participating in a $3,000 “buy-in” tournament, will be conducted Saturday.

Of the $3,000 entry fee, $1,000 goes to the prize pool and $2,000 is loaded onto an account wagering card for “live money” wagers. Players may participate on-track at Del Mar or online through TVG.com. Wagering from the Challenge participants is expected to be nearly $350,000.

The Challenge is conducted on-track in the Seabiscuit Skyroom. However, players may wager on any SAM betting machine throughout the facility. Challenge players will check-in Saturday between 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the umbrella table in front of the Executive Offices.

CLOSERS – Two wins on Thursday lifted Juan Hernandez into a 14-12 lead over Flavien Prat as both Prat and Umberto Rispoli (10 wins) were blanked. There was no change atop the trainer standings as Bob Baffert had no starters and Phil D’Amato went 0-for-1.

Del Mar Statistics

Jockey Standings

(Current Through Friday, November 25, 2021 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Friday, November 25, 2021 Inclusive) 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, November 25, 2021 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 38 out of 107 -- 35.51%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 22 out of 54 -- 40.74%
Winning favorites on turf -- 16 out of 53 -- 30.19%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 13 out of 27 -- 48.15%
In-the-Money favorites -- 83 out of 107 -- 77.57%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 24 out of 27 -- 88.89%