Country Grammer among solid field for Saturday's San Diego Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. - After a successful journey to the Middle East earlier this year, Country Grammer will have his 2022 American debut in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Saturday.

The $300,000 San Diego is quite a place for a comeback.

Country Grammer is part of a probable field that includes There Goes Harvard, Defunded, Royal Ship, and Stilleto Boy; the first four finishers of the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 30. The field also includes Express Train, who won the Santa Anita Handicap in March; Parnelli, who won an allowance race at Santa Anita on June 11; and Mandaloun, who was fourth in the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on July 2.

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All have had accomplished years, but cannot match the 2022 earnings of Country Grammer, who has earned $10.46 million by finishing second in the $20 million Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles in Saudi Arabia in February and winning the $12 million Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles in the United Arab Emirates on March 26 in his latest outing.

The San Diego will be Country Grammer’s first start at 1 1/16 miles since a third-place finish in an allowance race at Belmont Park in June 2020 when trained by Chad Brown. Country Grammer joined trainer Bob Baffert’s stable before the start of 2021 season. The highlight of Country Grammer’s campaign last year was a win in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup in May 2021.

The San Diego Handicap is designed as a prep race for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Sept. 3.

“It’s a little short for him,” Baffert said of the San Diego distance. “It’s a good prep and a good chance to get a race over the track. We’ll see where he fits.”

On Sunday at Del Mar, Country Grammer worked six furlongs in 1:11.40. The San Diego will be his first his career start at Del Mar. Country Grammer, a 5-year-old horse by Tonalist, has won 4 of 10 starts.

There Goes Harvard, who had his stakes debut in the Hollywood Gold Cup, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on Sunday. Trainer Michael McCarthy has not ruled out starting There Goes Harvard in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on July 31 as a prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic.