By Hank Wesch D’AMATO OPENS MEETING WITH FAVORITE, FOND MEMORIES Trainer Phil D’Amato has the 5-2 morning line favorite in Papacoolpapacool for today’s Oceanside Stakes, the traditional opening day feature of the summer meeting. He...

Finnegans Wake, a winner of almost $1.5 million and an established star on grass, will take on the up-and-coming four-year-old Midnight Storm and five other foes Saturday in the 42nd running of the Grade I...

By Hank Wesch MANY HAPPY RETURNEES, NEWCOMERS IN STABLE AREA The established stables of Del Mar meetings through the years are back. Those of Hall of Famers Bob Baffert, Neil Drysdale, Jerry Hollendorfer, Richard Mandella...

By Hank Wesch AMERICAN PHAROAH MEETS PRESS UPON DEL MAR ARRIVAL Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, displaying star cool, was on display for San Diego area media Tuesday morning, about six hours after arrival at...

By Hank Wesch THE DIRT ON SUMMER 2015 SEASON: IT’S BACK … After eight years on a state-mandated synthetic surface, in this case the Polytrack brand, Del Mar returns to dirt for the 76th summer...

By Hank Wesch American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza win the 2014 Del Mar Futurity The starting gates opened for the 141st Kentucky Derby and the crowd noise drowned out the announcer’s call even though Westgate...

AMERICAN PHAROAH WILL PARADE AFTER FOURTH RACE SUNDAY Triple Crown champion American Pharoah returned to his Del Mar home Monday, two days after the three-quarter-length loss to Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes and will...

Beautifully rated on the lead by jockey Joel Rosario, Eastern invader La Tia led from start to finish Sunday to win the Grade I $300,000 Matriarch Stakes on the 15th and final day of a...

Conquest Stables' Conquest Typhoon and jockey Mike Smith win the Grade III, Cecil B. DeMille Stakes Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (Grade III) MIKE SMITH (Conquest Typhoon, winner) -- "Mark (trainer Mark Casse) thought this horse...

By Hank Wesch GOOD VIBES FROM CALIFORNIA CHROME WIN LINGER AFTER DERBY Immediately following California Chrome’s stirring victory, viewed by 21,889 on track Saturday, Mark Casse sought out Art Sherman. The trainer of runner-up Lexie...