Exaulted tests turf win streak vs. tough Del Mar Mile field
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What began as an experiment in January has evolved into a spectacular career revival for Exaulted, the 6-year-old horse owned by Lee and Susan Searing and trained by Peter Eurton.
Exaulted has not only thrived since he was switched from racing on dirt to turf, but has been such a success that he has already booked a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. A start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf is part of the build-up to that international race.
Unbeaten in four starts on grass, Exaulted has not raced since a win in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 29, a victory that secured his BC Mile berth.
Eurton has watched with delight as Exaulted has thrived this year, and earned a major role in the $300,000 Del Mar Mile.
“At the beginning of January, it was a hope and a dream,” Eurton said. “To become a reality, it feels good. We still have some work to do. This race is very important.”
Last year on Labor Day weekend, Exaulted was fifth in an allowance race on dirt. Before this year, his best result in stakes were two third-place finishes in seven-furlong dirt races at Santa Anita in early 2021.
The Del Mar Mile is the seventh race on an 11-race program that begins at 1:30 p.m. Pacific. The race is part of the 20-cent Rainbow pick six that has a mandatory payout.
Exaulted has not scared away many rivals. The race drew a strong field of 10, including eight other stakes winners.
Exaulted will be tested by a field that includes Du Jour and I’m A Gambler, who were first and third in the restricted Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar July 23; Count Again, the winner of the Shoemaker Mile in 2022; Balnikhov, a three-time stakes winner; and Irideo, who was second in the Shoemaker Mile in May.
The Del Mar Mile does not include Hong Kong Harry, who won the race in 2022 and is scheduled to start in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 30, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
Eurton said on Wednesday that the Del Mar Mile could be Exaulted’s final start before the BC Mile, but has not ruled out another prep in the City of Hope Mile.
“It’s a good chance this will be the one that takes us into the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “I don’t want to eliminate things at this point.”
What is more of a certainty is that Exaulted will race from a stalking position under jockey Juan Hernandez. Exaulted is favorably drawn for that style in post 4.
“Hopefully, we can get a good position,” Eurton said.
Exaulted is likely to race near I’m A Gambler, who started for the first time this year in the Wickerr Stakes. Trained by Mark Glatt, I’m A Gambler was always close to the front in the Wickerr and was beaten a length.
“We thought he ran excellent,” Glatt said. “He’d been off a long time. We didn’t think we had him tightened down for a race of that caliber. We’re hoping with a recent race and a good month of training that he’ll be double tough.”
“He’s got natural speed and wants to be forwardly placed.”
Even without Hong Kong Harry, D’Amato has two leading contenders in Balnikhov and Count Again.
Balnikhov was second to stablemate Gold Phoenix in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar July 30. Balnikhov won the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf at Del Mar in 2022.
“I think he’s a horse that likes this turf course,” D’Amato said. “He’s always produced big races here.”
Count Again was fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the Read despite a 14-month layoff, closing from last on the turn. He completed a sweep of the first four positions in the Read for D’Amato-trained runners.
“I think he needed to get the rust off,” D’Amato said. “It had been more than year. He came flying ferociously fast.”
With the benefit of a start, Count Again can be a threat on Saturday, if he can come close to replicating the form that led to his win in the 2022 Shoemaker, D’Amato said.
“If he’s gives me 95 percent of the performance he gave last year, I think it puts him in contention,” D’Amato said.
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