Baltas, D'Amato run teams through turf festival tuneups

DEL MAR, Calif. – The only track in Southern California where horses are allowed to work on turf is Del Mar, which will host the stakes-filled turf festival in less than two weeks. That resulted in 29 horses working over the local course Sunday morning, including 10 each from the barns of Richard Baltas and Phil D’Amato.

“That’s why they’re here. They can work on grass,” Baltas said.

Baltas’s group included One Bad Boy, the 2019 Queen’s Plate winner who won the Lure Stakes last month at Santa Anita in his second start following a layoff of more than 13 months. One Bad Boy went five furlongs around orange cones, known as dogs, in 1:01.20 as a tuneup for the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf for older horses Nov. 28.

“I might run Next Shares there, too,” Baltas said after Next Shares – winless in six starts since winning the Seabiscuit in 2019 - went five furlongs on turf in 1:01.

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Their rivals are expected to include Bowies Hero, who is seeking his first win since the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile in 2019. He worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 for D’Amato.

D’Amato also recently acquired Count Again and Say the Word, top-class runners from Canada who are pointing to the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup going 1 1/2 miles Nov. 27. Count Again, winner of the Grade 3 Singspiel and fourth most recently in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer, worked five furlongs in 1:01. Say the Word, who won the Northern Dancer after finishing third in the Singspiel, worked five furlongs in 1:00.

Among those Del Mar’s racing office has listed as possible for the Turf Cup are Arklow, most recently sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf for Brad Cox, and the Mike Maker-trained duo of Aquaphobia and Big Agenda.

D’Amato also has the long-distance specialist Acclimate nearing a return after being off since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, in which he finished ninth. Acclimate, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap and Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano in 2019, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40.

Bodhicitta, a candidate for the Grade 1, $300,000 Matriarch Stakes at one mile on turf for older females on closing day Nov. 29, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 for Baltas. Bodhicitta won the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon here during the summer meet.

Her local rivals could include Zee Drop, who was second in the Grade 2 Goldikova last month at Santa Anita. She worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 for D’Amato.

Richard Mandella said the Matriarch is the next spot for Jolie Olimpica, who will be making her first start since finishing second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in July.

Another possible Matriarch candidate is Red Lark, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks during the summer meet. Fourth most recently in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Red Lark worked three furlongs in 37.40 seconds for Paddy Gallagher in her first drill since the Queen Elizabeth.

The marquee name for the Matriarch is Sharing, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner who is scheduled to ship west for trainer Graham Motion. She won the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks undercard last time out.

Big Fish, who won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf during the summer meet and was fifth most recently in the Zuma Beach at Santa Anita, worked five furlongs in 1:03.60 for trainer David Hofmans. He is expected to go in the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille for 2-year-olds going one mile Nov. 29.

Mandella said he will run Caisson in the DeMille after a troubled fourth last time out in the Zuma Beach. He beat maidens during the summer meet here.

On Sunday at Santa Anita – where horses can only work on dirt – Scarto, runner-up in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby in his last start, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 for trainer Mike Puype as a tuneup for the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby Nov. 28.

Smooth Like Strait, the Twilight Derby winner, is also expected for the Hollywood Derby, as is Storm the Court, who was second in his grass debut in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap during the summer. Storm the Court, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male, was sixth in the Kentucky Derby in his last start.

Among those expected to ship in for the Hollywood Derby are the Christophe Clement-trained duo of Decorated Invader and Gufo. Gufo won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in his last start.