Olorda © Zoe Metz Photography
Del Mar’s second fall Bing Crosby racing season comes to a close Sunday highlighted by an exciting stakes doubleheader – the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes and the Grade I $300,000 Matriarch Stakes, both races carded at one mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Post time for the first of nine races will be 12:30 p.m.
The 35th Matriarch Stakes attracted a talent-laden, full field of 14 older fillies and mares, with one runner on an also-eligible list. Shipping in from the East Coast are Hard Not to Like (John Velazquez), Recepta (Elvis Trujillo), Stellar Path (Silvestre de Sousa), Filimbi (Jose Lezcano), Olorda (Joel Rosario) and She’s Not Here (Mike Smith). The last-named was a two-time winner at Del Mar last summer, accounting for the Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap.
Representing the “home team” are Chati’s On Top (Corey Nakatani), Prize Exhibit (Santiago Gonzalez), Curlin’s Fox (Victor Espinoza), Crowley’s Law (Rafael Bejarano), Gender Agenda (Tyler Baze), Stormy Lucy (Kent Desormeaux), Queen of The Sand (Brice Blanc), Baruta (Drayden Van Dyke) and also- eligible Alexis Tangier (Gary Stevens).
Filimbi, owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, has been tabbed as the 7-2 morning line favorite in an attractive betting contest.
Dressed in Hermes is the 7-2 early favorite among 13 two-year-olds in the DeMille Stakes. His opposition is comprised of Manhattan Dan (Lezcano), Collected (Martin Garcia), Tusk (Velazquez), Canada (Stevens), Frank Conversation (Mario Gutierrez), Ninety One Assault (Desormeaux), Hot Ore (Baze), Arizona Moon (Van Dyke), Rare Candy (Talamo), Imperious One (Bejarano), Storming Candy (Edwin Maldonado) and Archaeo (Nakatani).