Eight Rings would give Baffert his 15th Del Mar Futurity win

DEL MAR, Calif. – The Debutante kicks off a closing weekend that includes six stakes races, two of them graded, two Grade 1, concluding with the Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity for 2-year-olds on Monday.

Eight Rings heads the likely field for the Futurity. His trainer, Bob Baffert, has won the race a record 14 times, including last year with eventual divisional champ Game Winner.

Others under consideration for the Futurity include Fore Left and Defense Wins for Doug O’Neill, Nucky and Wrecking Crew for Peter Miller, Ginoboli for Richard Baltas, and Storm the Court for Peter Eurton. Storm the Court worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 Monday morning under Flavien Prat.

In addition to the Debutante, Saturday’s card includes the Grade 2, $200,000 John Mabee Stakes for female grass runners, and a large field is likely for the 1 1/8-mile race. Expected to run are Ahimsa, Elysea’s World, Ippodamia’s Girl, La Force, Meal Ticket, Paved, Simply Breathless, Toinette, Tooreen Dancer, Vasilika, and Juliet Foxtrot, a British filly who is shipping in for trainer Brad Cox following three straight wins in Kentucky and Illinois to begin her United States campaign.

The Grade 2, $250,000 Del Mar Derby for 3-year-old turf runners going 1 1/8 miles Sunday should include Kingly and Neptune’s Storm, the one-two finishers from the La Jolla Handicap, as well as Hackberry, Moody Jim, Nolde, Nolo Contesto, Originaire, Visitant, and Walker Stalker.