Comical will regroup in Del Mar Debutante

DEL MAR, Calif. – Comical, a 2-year-old filly trained by Doug O’Neill, had an unceremonious end to her undefeated record with a last-place finish in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 3.

The winner of the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes in the mud at Saratoga on July 11, Comical disputed the pace on the backstretch in the Sorrento, then faded rapidly through the stretch.

Comical is in the midst of a late summer reboot and will reappear in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Aug. 31, O’Neill said. He wants to use the Del Mar Debutante to prove Comical is still capable of the performance she delivered in the Schuylerville.

“I think we’ll see the Comical before her last race,” O’Neill said on Friday.

The $300,000 Del Mar Debutante is the championship race of the meeting for 2-year-old fillies. In the Sorrento Stakes, Julien Leparoux rode Comical, who raced from an inside post.

“She drew the rail and the inside was tough that day,” O’Neill said. “Being forwardly placed, he was trying to keep that position and it took something out of her. Being on the inside was extremely demanding.”

O’Neill, 51, has won 38 stakes at Del Mar in his career, but has not won the Del Mar Debutante. He was second with Piedi Bianchi in 2017 and third in 2015 with Land Over Sea.

The other candidates for the Del Mar Debutante are Immediate Impact, Inspiressa, Leucothea, Powerfulattraction, and Pure Xena. Comical is the only stakes winner in the group. Powerfulattraction was second in the Sorrento to Amalfi Sunrise, who has been sidelined with an injury.

There are two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds here on Labor Day weekend. Monday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs is the main race on the closing day of the summer meeting. O’Neill plans to start Defense Wins and Fore Left.

Defense Wins was second to Collusion Illusion in a maiden special weight race on July 21. Fore Left was third behind Collusion Illusion in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 10.

Collusion Illusion is not scheduled to start in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity and instead will be pointed for the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.

The Del Mar Futurity has a projected field of eight, including Eight Rings, Ginobili, Nucky, Schrodinger, Storm the Court, and Wrecking Crew.

The final week of the meeting begins on Wednesday with a program that includes the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes for 2-year-old California-bred fillies at six furlongs. There are eight stakes in the final six days of the season, including four graded stakes.

There are two Grade 2 stakes on turf – the $200,000 John Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 31 and the $250,000 Del Mar Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 1.