Princess Noor © Benoit Photo

SIX TO ANSWER THE CALL FOR SUNDAY’S GRADE I DEL MAR DEBUTANTE

A showdown between highly touted debut winner Princess Noor and Sorrento Stakes victor My Girl Red is anticipated for Sunday’s Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Debutante, which annually determines the top 2-year-old filly of the meeting.

Princess Noor, a $1.3 million purchase in February by the Zedan Racing Stables of Amir Zedan of Lexington, Ky., and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, was a cruising 2 ¼ length winner in her first career start on August 22. The daughter of Not This Time has been established as the 8-5 favorite on John Lies’ morning line.

My Girl Red, an Erich G. Brehm homebred daughter of Texas Red trained by J. Keith Desormeaux, set her career record at 2-0 with a wire-to-wire, 4 ¾ length victory as the odds-on choice in the Grade II Sorrento. She is the morning line second choice at 3-1.

Baffert, who also has Illumination entered, will be seeking a record-extending ninth Debutante victory.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who has 38 career stakes victories at Del Mar, will send out Get On the Bus, the Sorrento runner-up in her racing debut, in hopes of securing a first Debutante score.

“She was a little green (inexperienced) in the Sorrento,” O’Neill said. “But I think with maturity and more racing that will go away. She drew the No. 1 (post) again, but  she has trained well and, especially with young horses, a lot can change race-to-race. For good or bad.

“So much depends on getting a good trip and hopefully Mario (Gutierrez) can work one out from the rail and save some energy for the last part.”

The field from the rail with riders and morning line odds: Get On the Bus (Gutierrez, 8-1); Roll Up Mo Money (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); My Girl Red (Flavien Prat) Princess Noor (Victor Espinoza); Illumination (Abel Cedillo, 4-1), and Forest Caraway (Ricardo Gonzalez, 7-2).

HALF-DOZEN ENTERED FOR CLOSING-DAY RUNHAPPY FUTURITY

Six 2-year-old males were entered Friday for Monday’s 73^rd edition of the Grade I, $250,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity, the traditional closing-day feature which normally determines the top 2-year-old of the meeting.

Undefeated (2-for-2) Weston, trained and co-owned by Ryan Hanson, coming in off a victory in the Grade II Best Pal Stakes on August 8, will face five rivals that only have one win from a combined 10 starts.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out the $1 million yearling purchase Spielberg, second to Futurity rival Dr. Schivel in his lone start, as the sole hope of adding to his record 14 victories in the race.

The post position draw was later Friday. The entrants, in alphabetical order: Dixie’s Two Stents (Mario Gutierrez); Dr. Schivel (TBD); Dyn O Mite (Victor Espinoza); Scooby (TBD); Spielberg (Abel Cedillo), and Weston (Drayden Van Dyke).

THREE FILLIES ENTERED AGAINST MALES IN GRADE II DEL MAR DERBY

An unanticipated battle of the sexes was set up Thursday when entries closed for Sunday’s Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Derby. Three fillies were entered against nine males for the 1 1/8-mile run over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course that is the last in the series of three stakes for 3-year-olds during the summer meeting.

Neither Hit the Road, winner of the opening-day Oceanside Stakes, nor La Jolla Handicap winner Smooth Like Strait were entered for the Derby, which often determines the top 3-year-old of the meeting.

Peter Miller (California Kook), Leonard Powell (Guitty) and Craig Lewis (Warren’s Showtime) are the trainers who will saddle the fillies. California Kook was second in the Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Oaks on August 22; Warren’s Showtime was third, and Guitty seventh.

“It’s an uncharacteristically weak division this year, that’s the main reason,” Miller said. “That’s why you’re seeing the fillies take on the boys. In a normal year, you wouldn’t see it.

“It’s a chance to run in a straight age group (3-year-olds) in a graded stake for a good purse. My filly wants the distance – she could take more actually – we’re hoping she runs a big race.”

The field from the rail with riders and morning line odds: American Farmer (Ricardo Gonzalez, 20-1); California Kook (Flavien Prat, 5-1); Guitty (Eswan Flores, 8-1); Pixelate (Umberto Rispoli, 3-1); No  Slo Mo (Geovanni Franco, 30-1); Kanderel (Juan Hernandez, 12-1); Warren’s Showtime (Jorge Velez, 6-1);  Kiss Today Goodbye (Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1); Dominant Soul (Edwin Maldonado, 20-1); Heywoods Beach (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 12-1); Margot’s Boy (Tiago Pereira, 12-1), and K P All Systems Go (Abel Cedillo, 6-1).

PULPIT RIDER MAKES UNEXPECTED RETURN IN JOHN C. MABEE

In the post-race session following the Solana Beach Stakes victory on August 15, trainer Mike Puype was asked if Pulpit Rider would be seen again at the meet. He responded with a firm “No.”

“Not enough time left and there’s not another Cal-bred stake,” Puype said. “I don’t know if she’ll show up again. Maybe we’ll find a spot for her at Santa Anita, but we’ll be back here in November, regardless.”

But they’re back in September, part of a field of eight for Saturday’s Grade II, $150,000 John C. Mabee Stakes for older fillies and mares.  Contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, it’s an eighth of a mile longer than the Solana Beach, which Pulpit Rider got up to win by a nose from off the pace.

“She loves the course and came out of the last race well,” Puype said by phone this morning in explaining the change in plans. “I hope it’s not a mistake to be running back quick, but there’s quite a bit to be gained in a graded stake and I’m pretty confident she’ll do well.” 

The field from the rail with riders and morning line odds: Catch the Eye (J.C. Diaz, Jr., 15-1); Lady Prancealot (Umberto Rispoli, 5-2); Don’t Blame Judy (Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1); Pulpit Rider (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Zee Drop (Abel Cedillo, 6-1); Meal Ticket (Tiago Pereira, 15-1); Quick (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 8-1), and Raymundos Secret (2-1).

THE ANNOUNCER’S BOOTH: HAIL …

There’s livin’ the dream. There’s workin’ the dream. And then there’s the combination of both that starts today and will continue through closing day on Monday for John Lies.

Announcing at Del Mar has been a dream for Lies, 43, since shortly after his family moved to San Diego County from Huntington Beach in the early 1980s and he first heard Trevor Denman making calls and started imitating him. Del Mar patrons know how good he became at that from hearing Lies call the “Hip Hop Derby” -- a bounce-ball competition for kids from Camp Del Mar -- Denman style in recent summer seasons.

He also developed his own style and technique, which has been heard over the loudspeakers at tracks in Texas, Oklahoma and Kentucky over nearly two decades. Smaller tracks where, as is often the case, he was called upon to not only serve as the announcer, but the morning line maker, racing secretary and whatever else was needed.

The multi-tasking continued on annual summer returns to Del Mar. Here, Lies has worked in the racing office on entry days, served as the simulcast broadcast host/handicapper, the back-up timer and, this season he’s also been the morning line maker.

Starting today, however, he’ll be turning over the simulcast role to TVG personality Kurt Hoover, the hand-timing job to clocker Toby Turrell and doing what he’s always wanted to do – call full cards for four straight days at his home track.

Today will be the busiest. Lies will be at the racing office at 8 a.m. taking entries for Monday’s 11-race closing day program, then he’ll proceed to calling the nine-race card that starts at 2 p.m. As he’s become accustomed to doing at smaller tracks, he’ll study Monday’s program during the time between races and tentatively set morning lines. Finally, he’ll head home to review and hone morning lines for closing day through the evening before finalizing and submitting them Saturday morning.

“It’ll be a treat for me (on Saturday afternoon) to show up at Del Mar, and the only responsibility I have that day (and for the next two) is to be the announcer,” Lies said.

He figures he’s been to at least one day of racing during Del Mar’s summer meeting every year since 1982, when he was six years old, and is absolutely certain he hasn’t missed an opening day since 1985. His memory marker: 1985 was one year after the debut of Denman in the announcer’s booth.

The booth he’ll step into is the one this summer that was filled by Larry Collmus, who was called upon to fill in for Denman when he opted to stay at his Minnesota home due to concerns over the COVID-19 situation.

THE ANNOUNCER’S BOOTH: …AND FAREWELL

Larry Collmus spent a time at Del Mar in November of 2017 and called the races as the track debuted as a venue for the Breeders’ Cup.

“I was only here for a few days, and it was pretty busy, so I didn’t have time to do much,” Collmus said.

It was two days of races with purses totaling in the mid-$20 millions before thousands of fans from around the world.

This summer, called in to replace Trevor Denman, it was 23 days of races before practically no fans before Collmus had to depart on Monday for Louisville and calling the Kentucky Derby for NBC. Different, like everything else in life in 2020.

But still an enjoyable experience, Collmus said in a soon-to-exit interview on Sunday before his flight out Wednesday.

“I had a great time, that’s for sure,” Collmus said. “Not just calling the races, but being in the whole area for two months and meeting a lot of new people. It was a refreshing summer for me. I know it was a lot different than the normal Del Mar experience, but for me it was pretty darn good.”

With racing cut to three days a week, there was time to explore San Diego. Mostly with the man he called ”President of my welcoming committee,” Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing.

“I got to play golf at Torrey Pines three times and that was fun,” Collmus said. “The final score was Torrey Pines 3, Larry 0.”

He got to sample some local restaurants. Took a recommendation to make Claire’s on Cedros in Solana Beach as his morning stop. “I went there every day and ordered a lot of different things, which was unusual for me,” Collmus said. “Back in Jersey I eat the same thing every morning, but Claire’s had so many good things I mixed it up.”

Like every other Del Mar racing follower, Collmus got introduced to Umberto Rispoli, who leads the jockey standings in his first year.

“I’d never met him and I ran into him at a restaurant in Encinitas, Maurizio’s,” Collmus said. “Not only is he a great jockey, but a fun guy to hang around. And it was great catching up with my old friend Aaron Gryder, whom I’ve known forever.”

He’ll be calling his 10^th Kentucky Derby, a few months after calling his 10^th Belmont Stakes.

“That’s 2020 in a nutshell.”

CLOSERS – In order to avoid conflict with the Kentucky Derby, the celebrity Saturday edition of the Beach Boss contest with Ray Paulick will be moved to Sunday this week. Further details in tomorrow’s Stable Notes…A reminder: first post will be moved back an hour, to 1 p.m. for the final three days of the meeting -- Saturday, Sunday and Monday … Starting Saturday, the main track will close for training at 9:30.

Del Mar Statistics

Presented by Torrey Hollistics

Jockey Standings

(Current Through August 31, 2020 Inclusive)    

Trainer Standings

(Current Through August 31 2020 Inclusive) 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 31, 2020 Inclusive)

 Winning favorites -- 79 out of 240 -- 32.92%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 46 out of 132 -- 34.85%
Winning favorites on turf -- 33 out of 108 -- 30.56%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 23 out of 44 -- 52.27%
In-the-Money favorites -- 155 out of 240 -- 64.58%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 41 out of 44 -- 93.18%