Eastern invaders will be in force for final weekend at Del Mar
DEL MAR, Calif. – Led by Grade 1 winners Decorated Invader, Gufo, and Sharing, a strong group of horses from prominent Eastern barns such as Christophe Clement, Graham Motion, Chad Brown, Brad Cox, and Mike Maker are all expected for the final week of racing at Del Mar, which includes seven graded grass stakes over the final four days of the meet, which closes Nov. 29.
Decorated Invader and Gufo, both trained by Clement, are set for the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 29. The 1 1/8-mile turf race is coming up well above average, with local runners Smooth Like Strait, Scarto, and champion Storm the Court also expected.
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Decorated Invader, a three-time stakes winner earlier this year and winner of the Grade 1 Summer Stakes last year, most recently was second in the Grade 2 Hill Prince on Oct. 18 at Belmont Park to Get Smokin, who also is expected to travel west for the Hollywood Derby for trainer Tom Bush.
Gufo has won five of his last six starts, and comes off a win Oct. 3 in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. His lone loss in that streak came Aug. 15 in the Saratoga Derby to Domestic Spending, who has not raced since then but is expected for the Hollywood Derby for Brown. Irad Ortiz Jr. is expected to ride Domestic Spending.
Smooth Like Strait and Scarto were one-two in last month’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. Storm the Court, though winless since last year’s Eclipse Award-clinching victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was a good second here during the summer in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap in his turf debut and was sixth in his last start in the Kentucky Derby.
Ever Dangerous, trained by George Weaver, and Fancy Liquor, trained by Maker, also are possible following their one-two finish in the Bryan Station on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Bye Bye Melvin, third in that race, is possible for Motion. Pixelate, a troubled fourth in the Bryan Station and winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby during the summer, also could return for Mike Stidham.