Arms Runner can start Miller's meet with a bang in Oceanside

DEL MAR, Calif. – Everyone wants to come out firing at Del Mar, and it helps to arrive with adequate ammunition. Trainer Peter Miller has plenty of that.

The preseason choice to lead the standings, Miller entered runners in seven of the 10 races Wednesday, including the exciting Arms Runner in the Oceanside Stakes, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds that is the traditional feature on opening day of the Del Mar summer meet.

“I think we’re in good shape,” Miller said, referring to Arms Runner.

But the comment also applies to several of his Wednesday starters and the overall depth of his stable. Miller won more races (76) during the first half of the season than any other trainer in Southern California, led the Santa Anita spring meet 36-25, and has his sights set on his third Del Mar summer title.

“I’d have to think we’re one of the favorites,” Miller said. “I mean, we won the [Santa Anita] meet by 11.”

Arms Runner won twice at Santa Anita, both in turf sprints, including a sharp stakes victory last out. When he stretches out to two turns for the $100,000 Oceanside, Arms Runner will be the least experienced of the 16 entrants, and one of the fastest on figures. Miller also entered the front-runner Allaboutmike and Vending Machine.

The main challenger for Arms Runner is Bowies Hero. The two-time stakes winner is trained by Del Mar 2016 leading trainer Phil D’Amato, who has fewer bullets this season but a solid lineup of stakes and allowance runners.

“To win leading-trainer titles, you have to have horses in all categories,” D’Amato said. “I don’t have those $10, $12, $20,000 claimers like I did last year.”

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The Oceanside battle between Arms Runner and Bowies Hero is the first Miller-D’Amato duel of the summer. Another with greater significance comes Aug. 5 in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The Sorrento is expected to match the Miller-trained stakes winner Surrender Now against the D’Amato-trained debut winner Spectator.

They are among a 2-year-old filly division that appears to be exceptionally strong this year. Wednesday’s card includes an appealing maiden special weight race for fillies led by debut runner-up Tyfosha and first-time starters Varanasi and Just a Smidge.

The race-5 maiden sprint begins a pick-six sequence with overflow fields. A second-level turf allowance for fillies and mares is race 6 and includes the California return of trainer Tom Proctor, whose Family Meeting is among the favorites.

Race 7 is a first-level allowance route led by the fast maiden winner Absolutely Stylish. The Oceanside is race 8, followed by a maiden sprint for California-bred juvenile fillies that is race 9. The race-10 finale is a $16,000 claiming route.

The Oceanside is the first of three Del Mar turf stakes for 3-year-olds and leads to the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 6 and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 3.

Fourteen can start in the Oceanside, which includes Pioneer Lad, Rockin Rudy, Lucky Bode, Placido, Grecian Fire, Bird Is the Word, Caribou Club, Fortune of War, Monster Man, Many Chuckles, Reign On, and Harbour Master.

key CONTENDERS

Arms Runner, by Overdriven

Beyers: 95-86

◗ His two-start career is similar to how 2010 Oceanside winner Twirling Candy came into the race – off two sprint wins.

◗ Based on a strong finish last out and sharp subsequent works, Arms Runner should handle one mile. Miller said his seven-furlong work July 5 was big.

“He galloped out a mile in 1:37 – just a super gallop-out – and did it the right way,” he said.

Bowies Hero, by Artie Schiller

Last 3 Beyers: 87-89-76

◗ He finished fourth in his most recent start on June 3, a Grade 3 Belmont Park stakes won by multiple Grade 1 winner Oscar Performance.

“I just freshened him up for the Del Mar turf series,” D’Amato said. “He’s won on the course before.”

◗ Bowies Hero won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf last summer and a minor turf stakes in May at Santa Anita after stumbling badly at the start.

Bird Is the Word, by Birdstone

Last 3 Beyers: 87-88-89

◗ The runner-up to Bowies Hero in May, he has raced one mile on turf five times, with one win and three seconds.

Allaboutmike, by Zensational

Last 3 Beyers: 84-83-61

◗ The Oceanside is his first route.

“He’s got a lot of speed,” Miller said. “Probably see him on the front end and Arms Runner sitting off the pace. He beat older horses last time. He might surprise some people.”

◗ Nine of the last 15 Oceanside winners were coming off a win.