Game Time battles several stakes winners in opening day Oceanside

The breezy Del Mar summer meet that begins Friday always ranks among the highlights of the California racing season, though opening day this year includes a worrisome tailwind out of Northern California.

It was announced days ago that Golden Gate Fields will close at the end of 2023, joining a list of shuttered California tracks including Hollywood Park, Fairplex Park, and Bay Meadows. While the pending closure of Golden Gate may not directly impact Del Mar this summer, the surprise development illustrates the uncertain future of West Coast racing.

The good news is that from Friday through Sept. 10 closing day at Del Mar, the racing is as good as it gets in California. Summer is when the hotshot 2-year-olds begin careers, including many in an accompanying Daily Racing Form story, when top sprinters race six furlongs in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes July 29, and when the handicap division aims to the richest stakes of the season – the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic Sept. 2.

John Sadler trains candidates for all the above, and he will try to kickstart the meet Friday in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes with Game Time, coincidentally a Golden Gate stakes winner last out. After the colt’s front-running victory May 28 in the Alcatraz Stakes, Sadler circled opening day at the track where the turf meets the surf.

“We really like going down there [to Del Mar],” Sadler said. “I love it. You get out of L.A. when it’s hot.”

With his 2022 Pacific Classic winner Flightline retired, Sadler will look forward. “Every year is unique to itself,” he said. “We’re going to hopefully debut a couple new horses early in the meet and touch more stakes early this meet than we did last summer.”

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Peaceful Waters, an allowance sprinter purchased at a horses-of-racing-age sale, could make his comeback against The Chosen Vron in the Bing Crosby. Also on July 29, Sadler plans to start Missed the Cut against Defunded in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, a Pacific Classic prep. Sadler entered horses in four races Friday; race 10 turf allowance starter Twist is his best shot.

The Sadler-trained Game Time is one of many contenders in the Oceanside, a restricted stakes for 3-year-olds that is race 8 Friday on a card that begins with first post at 2 p.m. Game Time drew post 13 in the 14-entrant turf mile.

Oceanside contenders also include Escape Artist, Classical Cat, Agency, and Conclude. An upset candidate who could make his U.S. debut is French import Zalamo. Others entered are Mas Rapido, El Oro, Ah Jeez, Mr Fisk, Kid Azteca, Panic Alarm, Ever a Rebel, and Ze’bul.

As usual on opening day at Del Mar, fields are deep. Average field size is 11.3 for the 10-race program, not counting also-eligibles. One conspicuous absence is the result of a rules change that regards the whip. Juan Hernandez, Southern California’s top rider, will not ride opening day. He was suspended for a one-strike-over-the-limit crop infraction July 4, when rode Eda to a neck victory in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. at Los Alamitos. Hernandez is expected to return Saturday.

The most likely Oceanside winner could be Escape Artist based on his recent allowance romp by more than four lengths. A ridgling trained by Michael McCarthy, Escape Artist made his career debut Dec. 26 at Santa Anita and improved each subsequent start. He is 2 for 5.

McCarthy said he and owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners “liked [Escape Artist] from the start. We took our time with him, seems like it’s benefited him. He’ll find himself, hopefully, an Oceanside-Del Mar Derby type. A very nice horse.”

Kent Desormeaux rides stakes-placed Escape Artist in the Oceanside, which is the initial race in a three-race summer program for 3-year-olds on turf. The Grade 3 La Jolla is Aug. 6, followed by the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby Sept. 3.

Classical Cat has not raced since winning the Eddie Logan Dec. 30 at Santa Anita, but trainer Phil D’Amato said the 3-for-4 colt “is training with purpose” and expects Classical Cat to fire first start back. He also entered stakes-winning turf sprinter Conclude. D’Amato, who led or tied for the Del Mar training title the past two summers, won the Oceanside last year with Balnikhov. He also starts the most probable winner opening day – maiden turf filly North East Star in race 3.

“Del Mar’s a change of scenery,” D’Amato said. “The horses like it. Usually, it’s a little cooler weather [at Del Mar] this time of year as opposed to [Santa Anita]. And, run for a lot of money.”

◗ Del Mar guarantees a $1 million payout opening day in the unlikely event of a single-ticket winner in the 20-cent jackpot pick six. Opening day last summer, there were 26 winning pick six tickets; the 2021 summer opening day produced 29 winning tickets.

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