Del Mar Oaks rematches top three San Clemente finishers
While the Pacific Classic is the obvious focus of the Saturday card, four other stakes support it, most notably the Del Mar Oaks, the day’s other Grade 1 race.
The Del Mar Oaks, at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies, drew 11 entrants Sunday morning, including Laura’s Light, who comes off a win in the one-mile San Clemente, the local prep for the Del Mar Oaks. Guitty and Warren’s Showtime, second and third in the San Clemente, are back again, and the field has significant international intrigue owing to French import Miss Extra, now with Richard Mandella after finishing ninth most recently in the French Oaks, her first loss of the year following three victories.
Mandella stable star United should be a heavy favorite Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Del Mar Handicap, a 1 3/8-mile grass race that is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland. United, second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year to Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, has won three straight races, including the Eddie Read here July 26. He has 10 rivals, including Santa Anita Handicap winner Combatant, and Red King and Ward ’n Jerry, winners of Grade 3 turf races at Santa Anita earlier this year.
United worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Monday morning.
The Grade 3, $100,000 Green Flash for turf sprinters at five furlongs drew a field of eight, including Bay Area standout Mikes Tiznow and stakes winner Chaos Theory, a recent arrival here after being claimed at Churchill Downs by trainer John Sadler.
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The Grade 3, $100,000 Torrey Pines for 3-year-old fillies going a mile attracted seven runners, including the unbeaten Secret Keeper, stretching out and making her stakes debut following a maiden win at Santa Anita and allowance victory here.
Also of interest on Saturday’s card is a race for maiden 2-year-old fillies, the day’s first, which includes the highly regarded Princess Noor, a daughter of Not This Time who was purchased at auction for $1.35 million in April. Princess Noor had been working under her dam’s name, Sheza Smoke Show, at the start of the meet prior to her name being approved.
◗ Thousand Words, upset winner of the Shared Belief over Honor A. P. in his last start, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 on Monday in preparation for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.