Del Mar 2-year-olds: Flightline's first California-based juveniles set to debut
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Two-year-old races are always fun in the summer at Del Mar, and there always are plenty of them. Roughly one in five summer races are for 2-year-olds, ranging from maiden claiming to Grade 1 and sired by a host of first-crop stallions.
The 2026 season will feature the first California-based 2-year-olds by Flightline, the undefeated 2022 Horse of the Year. Inshallah, a $2.1 million Flightline colt, is nearing his debut for trainer John Sadler. Hot new sires also include Drain the Clock and Early Voting. Kennyten, by Drain the Clock, won his debut with the country’s highest Beyer Speed Figure by a juvenile, a 92.
Vladimir Cerin trains Kennyten, who will aim for the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 8. A month out, his main rival is He Is No Lie, sired by Early Voting. The Best Pal leads to the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 6. Juvenile filly stakes include the Grade 3 Sorrento on Aug. 9 and Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5. Grass stakes late in the meet are the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 5 and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 6.
A new wrinkle to the Del Mar condition book is “auction races” for 2-year-olds. The races are restricted to horses sold at auction, or reserve not achieved, for a specific price or less. The races may have an optional claiming provision. Auction races provide opportunities for less expensive purchases to face similar stock without risk of being claimed. In a sense, they are second-level maiden special weight races. The first auction race is race 3 on Friday, opening day.
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This story offers an early glimpse at 2-year-old prospects for summer at Del Mar. Perhaps the 2026 group will become more relevant than 2025. Aside from outstanding turf colt Stark Contrast, few 2-year-old winners last summer distinguished themselves on the national stage.
For horseplayers, Daily Racing Form clocker reports offer daily workout analysis, including of summer 2-year-olds. Time to jump in.
Bob Baffert
Baffert 2-year-olds are usually expensive and typically fire first out. The past five summers at Del Mar, Baffert is 31 for 92 with debut 2-year-olds. Last summer, Baffert swept all six maiden special weight sprints for 2-year-old colts. The first special weight sprint open to colts this summer is July 25. Although the Baffert-trained $10.5 million Flightline colt named Zedan reportedly will not start this summer, other Baffert 2-year-olds will see action.
This summer is a different ballgame for Baffert, who relocated much of his stable to Kentucky and reportedly purchased a home there. Notwithstanding his split stable, Baffert will have a presence at Del Mar, where he’s won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity 19 times and Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante 12 times. Beyond the sharp spring debut winner Hughes, a $675,000 Into Mischief colt, other 2-year-old prospects will launch their careers for Baffert this summer.
Unraced Baffert colts, with reported auction price, working in California as of early July include Jeff ($450,000), by McKinzie; Psalm ($1.25 million), by Into Mischief; Domus (Baoma Corp. homebred), by Uncle Mo; and Motga ($1.05 million), by Mo Town.
Other colts whose work patterns have been interrupted include Mendoza ($900,000), by Gun Runner; Yacht Master ($525,000), by Into Mischief; Zulu Runner ($350,000), by Drain the Clock; Imperial Flame ($800,000) by Into Mischief; and an unnamed product of Omaha Beach and A Life That’s Good ($350,000).
Unraced fillies working in California include an unnamed Early Voting–Lipstickliesnlovers product ($850,000). Quattro Passi ($190,000), by Girvin, and Holmby ($55,000), by Corniche, are top contenders Saturday in race 4.
Richard Baltas
Baltas is best known as a trainer of older fillies such as Sweet Azteca and Ag Bullet, but he is increasingly effective with debut runners and 2-year-olds. His debut juveniles won at a 14 percent clip the past five years. This summer, he has a handful to keep an eye on.
The roster includes two colts by Twirling Candy – Virevolte and Movingwithpurpose. His juvenile lineup also includes a pair of fillies who have shown potential – Digital Nanny, by Mitole, and an unnamed Yaupon filly whose dam, Birdie Queen, won five races in Peru.
“They’re at San Luis Rey. They’re up to a half,” Baltas said recently.
The colt Virevolte was produced by Place des Vosges, a stakes-placed turf mare Baltas trained. The fillies Digital Nanny and the unnamed Yaupon filly posted a series of identical work times at San Luis Rey.
Phil D’Amato
Most 2-year-old winners for D’Amato in summer at Del Mar are in turf routes. Thirteen of his 18 juvenile wins (maiden and stakes combined) the past five summers were in turf miles.
That does not preclude D’Amato from winning an occasional dirt sprint, and the colt Clear and Present, by first-crop sire Jack Christopher, will be live in his debut early in the meet.
“I’m pretty light” on 2-year-olds, D’Amato said, referring specifically to early summer.
By late summer, things will be clicking.
“I’ve got a couple of Euros that are on their way,” he noted.
The maiden fillies Queenofthewild and Pretty Thoughts, purchased privately by Little Red Feather, could make their U.S. debuts in late summer. Lucille B is a Practical Joke filly who D’Amato said “is training really nice at San Luis Rey.”
Lucille B was up to a half-mile as of early July. The well-regarded Twirling Candy filly Twirl Jam had her training interrupted but is expected to return. Hopes are high for a Curlin filly tentatively named Kidman.
“I think [Kidman] is probably one of my elite fillies, but you won’t see her until the end of the meet,” D’Amato said.
Sharon’s Joy is an Outwork filly who has shown promise in her works at San Luis Rey. In late summer, D’Amato will begin to unveil California-bred 2-year-olds for one of the state’s top breeders.
“Nick Alexander has a lot of nice 2-year-old Cal-breds but not until the end of the meet. This is probably his best crop,” D’Amato said.
D’Amato also has a string at Keeneland that includes a promising Flightline filly named Niosa.
“She is training the best of all my 2-year-olds,” D’Amato said. “She should run at Ellis Park within the month.”
Niosa was produced by D’Amato-trained Grade 3 winner Miss Bigly.
Craig Lewis
Clubhouse Ride consistently ranks among the top stallions in California, and most Lewis-trained 2-year-olds are by the 18-year-old sire. Lewis will take a deep string of unraced Clubhouse Ride progeny to Del Mar, where they will be active in California-bred maiden races. As of early July, their pecking order was not established.
“I’m not good enough to tell who can run yet, but we’ll have a lot of them,” Lewis said early this month.
The cast of Clubhouse Rides includes Pretzel Ride, a full brother to multiple graded stakes-winning speedster Brickyard Ride.
“When he was a baby, he was so twisted up, he looked like a pretzel,” Lewis explained. “Now, he’s grand-looking. Whatever it was, he grew out of it. Can he run? I don’t know. I’m hopeful.”
Pretzel Ride posted his first recorded workout in early July.
No Limit is a sibling to a stakes-placed runner; Club Fighter is from a dam who won 16 races; and Red Raider’s stakes-winning dam has produced five multiple winners. Lewis-trained maidens typically race into condition rather than fire first out.
Other colts by Clubhouse Ride include El Fuego and Golden Club, who starts in race 6 on Saturday. Fillies by the sire include Take Revenge, a full sibling to a stakes winner entered in race 2 on Saturday. Ride Til Dark also is training toward her debut.
Richard Mandella
The colt Wildcatter, as well as the fillies Greer’s Dilemma and Forewarn, are expected to launch their careers for Mandella in 2-year-old maiden races early in the meet. Others trained by Mandella are long-term prospects.
Wildcatter is a Tapit colt produced by a Grade 3 winner.
“He’s going to run pretty [early] at Del Mar. He probably wants a mile,” Mandella said.
Will Do One is a colt by Omaha Beach. His recent six-furlong work suggests he will start soon. Greer’s Dilemma is a Bolt d’Oro filly with a deep female family.
“She’s ready and can run fairly early in the first book,” the trainer said.
Hopes are high for Forewarn, by first-crop stallion Olympiad.
“She’ll run right away at Del Mar,” Mandella said, adding that Forewarn “can do anything.”
Mandella was 2 for 6 last summer at Del Mar with debut 2-year-olds.
Other prospects include Well Versed, an Into Mischief filly produced by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist; Furiosity, an Into Mischief filly; an unnamed Into Mischief filly produced by multiple stakes winner Bound; and Lubie’s Prince, a colt by Girvin.
Long-term prospects are Federer, a Golden Pal colt sidelined after an ankle chip was removed; and Republic, a Constitution colt whose summer work pattern was interrupted.
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Michael McCarthy
The deep McCarthy stable includes a large group of 2-year-olds. And though unraced filly Magic Queen has not been tested in morning works, she certainly ranks among the trainer’s highest-profile juveniles.
Magic Queen is by Into Mischief and produced by Mopotism, which makes her a sibling to multiple Grade 1 winner Journalism. Magic Queen was a $3.9 million RNA (reserve not achieved) at a yearling auction. As of early July, she was up to a half-mile in her works. McCarthy is taking his time with her.
“Not an early five-eighths type,” he said regarding Magic Queen. “If they’re asking to be cranked [early], certainly happy to go ahead and get them on their way.”
As a general rule, summer is to lay a foundation for a career. This year, McCarthy has plenty to work with.
Magic Time is a colt by Not This Time, purchased as a yearling for $1.15 million.
“He acts like he’s got ability. He’ll be a middle-of-the-meet kind of thing, same as” Magic Queen, McCarthy said.
Maxify is a ridgling by Justify. McCarthy said Maxify “hasn’t really been pushed on yet” and is “probably better suited to two-turn races at some stage.”
Saudi Runner is a colt by Gun Runner produced by European multiple Group 1 winner Minding who is “probably going to find his way to the turf,” McCarthy said.
Itinerary is a $600,000 yearling colt by Quality Road with a handful of workouts as of early July. Federation is a colt by Constitution.
“Same thing, just getting the miles underneath him,” McCarthy said.
Super Spike, a colt by Mandaloun, had his first gate work early this month.
The filly contingent is deeper than Magic Queen. Dash is a filly by first-crop sire Cyberknife and sibling to Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner Velocity. Dash is entered in race 4 on Saturday.
Royal Pearl is a $425,000 yearling filly by Mandaloun.
“Nice filly, probably going to need a little bit farther,” McCarthy said.
Ogle is an Oscar Performance filly who is sibling to stakes-winning turf colt Stark Contrast. Ogle is definitely bound for turf.
Miss Parisian is a filly by City of Light who is “probably grass,” McCarthy said. Idolizing, a filly by first-crop sire Idol, is a prospect for later. She is a sibling to graded winner Spectator. An unnamed Maclean’s Music–Kinsley Kisses filly has shown potential in early works.
Another top prospect for McCarthy is a Flightline filly based in Kentucky. McCarthy said Flightastic, produced by multiple graded winner Stonetastic, is “a ways away” from her debut.
California-bred filly Free Closer won her debut at Santa Anita, then was unplaced in the Churchill Downs Debutante. She will aim for statebred stakes at Del Mar.
Jeff Mullins
Intrepido brought Mullins back to the Grade 1 juvenile level last fall by winning the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, but Mullins’s 2-year-olds rarely run in early summer.
“I’m middle to the end of the meet guy,” he said before shipping his stable from Santa Anita to Del Mar.
Mullins enters summer with “six or eight” 2-year-olds, including a well-regarded pair by first-crop stallions – the colt Sir Rockatan, by Early Voting, and filly Vanta, by Greatest Honour. As of early July, Mullins had not pressed them yet.
“They’re coming along slow,” he said. “They haven’t separated themselves.”
Sir Rockatan and Vanta are owned by Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas, owners of Intrepido.
As a general rule, Mullins-trained maidens are prepping first out and typically improve second out. Last summer at Del Mar was a perfect example. Intrepido finished fourth in his July debut at 5 1/2 furlongs, then stretched out and crushed maidens by more than three lengths before winning the American Pharoah at Santa Anita.
Doug O’Neill
More than a third of O’Neill’s starters at Del Mar the past five summers were 2-year-olds. This summer should follow suit.
O’Neill’s 2-year-olds are led by stakes-placed He Is No Lie, an Early Voting rocket ship penciled in for the Best Pal Stakes. Pocket Listing, an impressive debut winner who subsequently misfired in a Grade 3 at Saratoga, will drop in to face California-breds in the Graduation Stakes on Aug. 7 or the I’m Smokin’ Stakes on Sept. 7.
Others are works in progress. Unraced colts include an unnamed Mandaloun colt produced by Switching Gears, making him a sibling to top turf sprinter Gear Jockey. The Mandaloun colt has already worked five times from the gate.
“He can run,” O’Neill stated.
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Whiskey Bridge, a colt by Lexitonian, is a sibling to graded stakes-placed Robusta.
“Like Robusta, [Whiskey Bridge] is probably going to want a little experience and a little bit more distance,” O’Neill said.
Phone Booth is a Pavel colt who is a sibling to stakes winner Pavlovian. Phone Booth is entered as an also-eligible in race 6 on Saturday against California-breds. Freedom Sings, by Independence Hall, is in the same race.
Billy Goat, who chased and tired in his debut, is a colt by Vekoma purchased for $20,000. He looks formidable Friday in race 3, an auction race.
O’Neill maiden fillies include debut runner-up Janie Not Jeanie, by Mandaloun, who’s entered in race 4 on Saturday along with also-eligible first-time starter Vino Vino Vino, a sibling to two stakes winners and believed to be precocious. Mystic Empress, by Mystic Guide, is entered in the same race.
Let Her Fly, runner-up on turf in Kentucky, is a Twirling Candy filly who could stretch to a mile early in the Del Mar meet. Other fillies are Mooberry, by Essential Quality; Confetti Rain, by Girvin; an unnamed Idol–Caradini filly just getting started; and Dee Snook, an Irish-bred filly who will improve second out when she runs long.
Two others in early training are a small-sized Happy Saver–Crafty Lady filly and an Early Voting–Ruthenia filly O’Neill describes as “leggy, two-turn-ish.”
George Papaprodromou
Papaprodromou will enter summer with his largest-ever roster of 2-year-olds – roughly 30 head. Although not all will start at Del Mar, several have shown early promise.
Well-regarded colts include Flight Club, by Flightline, and Bird Biscuit, by Life Is Good. On Broadway, a California-bred filly by first-crop stallion Nashville, is entered Friday in race 5. Empire of Ash is a California-bred colt by Pavel whose work pattern recently was interrupted. Her Strut, by Tap Back, and Ms Grainger Dancer, by Pavel, face California-breds in race 2 on Saturday.
As a general rule, Papaprodromou-trained maidens race into condition rather than fire first out, but this summer marks a new wrinkle for the trainer, with his largest juvenile roster yet. Handicappers are advised to monitor early results.
John Sadler
“I’m going to be heavily dependent on my 2-year-olds this year,” Sadler stated.
He has the ammunition. Early Encore, by Early Voting, romped first out and is an early favorite for the Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds on Aug. 7. Sadler will be active with first-time starters, including three by Flightline – colts Inshallah and Ala Sawab, and the filly On Edge.
Inshallah was produced by Bar of Gold, the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner.
“He’s the kind of prospect you want, by a Breeders’ Cup winner out of a Breeders’ Cup winner,” Sadler noted. “He looks like a runner.”
Inshallah was purchased this spring for $2.1 million.
Ala Sawab was produced by stakes winner Message, while the filly On Edge was produced by Sadler-trained multiple graded stakes winner Edgeway.
“They’re all penciled in to [debut] in August,” Sadler said.
Hopes are high for others in the wings. Mixit is a McKinzie colt who is a sibling to a Grade 3 winner, and Rosaura is a Maxfield filly whose unraced dam is a sibling to a Grade 1 winner. As of early July, Mixit and Rosaura were working three furlongs.
A pair of California-bred fillies by Kentucky sires have shown promise – Just Work It Out, by Justify, and Rosa’s Miracle, by Corniche. Rosa’s Miracle is a contender Friday in race 5. Weho is a Yaupon filly who could debut later, while Don’t Short Ur Self is a Clubhouse Ride filly.
“It’s a pretty good group,” Sadler said.
Stay tuned.
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