Closing week stakes all about the 2-year-olds
Juveniles take center stage closing weekend at Del Mar. Five of the six stakes Sept. 9-11 are for 2-year-olds including a pair of seven-furlong Grade 1s – the TVG Del Mar Debutante for fillies on Sept. 10, and Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 11.
Nominations to the Debutante and Futurity closed in June; nominations closed this week for the I’m Smokin Stakes for Cal-bred 2-year-olds on Sept. 9, Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 10, and Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 11. Nominations also closed for the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes, a filly-mare turf route Sept. 10. Below is a look at possible fields and nominations.
Cal-bred 2-year-olds race six furlongs for a $125,000 purse in the I’m Smokin on Friday, and Kangaroo Court is expected to be strongly favored based on his second-start maiden victory. Tim Yakteen trains Kangaroo Court, who won by more than 14 lengths with an 81 Beyer. Graduation Stakes runner-up Straighten Up is among the 10 nominees.
Fillies and mares race a mile and one-eighth on turf in the John C. Mabee, which is one of three stakes on the final Saturday card of the season. Among the 11 nominees are likely favorite Going Global and her Phil D’Amato-trained stablemate Going to Vegas. Both are Grade 1 winners.
Juvenile fillies race a mile on turf in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies turf on Saturday. The 16 nominees include Group 3-placed European import Havana Angel and Comanche Country, who won her U.S. debut in a maiden race.
The prospective field for the seven-furlong Debutante on Saturday is fluid. Impressive debut winner Justique is a possible starter pending a weekend workout. Other candidates for the Debutante include maiden winners And Tell Me Nolies and Home Cooking, along with Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes winner Vegas Magic.
Two-year-olds race a mile on turf in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sunday. Among the 30 nominees are five from Europe who would be making their first start in the U.S. – Dandy Man Shines, Gaelic Nation, Mas Rapido, The Bullion Bomber and Ti Sento. Maiden winners Ah Jeez, Bear Mountain and Four A Laugh also nominated.
The feature race Sunday, closing day, is the seven-furlong Futurity. Cave Rock is the presumptive favorite based on his 101-Beyer debut win. He is trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the Futurity 15 times. Baffert also trains Futurity possible Havnameltdown, winner of the Grade 3 Best Pal last out. Others considered possible are maiden winners Newgate and Classical Cat, and Cal-bred stakes winner The Big Wam.
Los Alamitos opens for a two-week week meet on Friday, Sept. 16.