With Honors must overcome outside post in Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf
DEL MAR, Calif. – With Honors fought for the lead in her debut in a one-mile maiden race on turf at Del Mar on July 29, eventually prevailing by a half-length. As the 2-1 favorite, she was expected to win, but the style of the victory left trainer Keith Desormeaux delighted.
“I’ve never taxed her close to what that race did,” Desormeaux said.
The experience should be an asset for With Honors when she makes her stakes debut in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile. The race is one of three stakes on Monday’s final day of the Del Mar summer meeting. The Juvenile Fillies Turf is the eighth race on a 10-race program. The $75,000 Pirate’s Bounty Stakes for sprinters is the third race. The main race is the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs for 2-year-olds.
With Honors drew the outside post in a field of 13 for the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“It’s not an ideal post for a filly with speed,” Desormeaux said.
Owned by Jamie Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods, With Honors will be ridden by Flavien Prat, the leading rider at the summer meeting through Friday. Desormeaux said With Honors thrived through August.
“She’s had plenty of time to recover,” Desormeaux said. “I expect a big race.”
Blame It On Alphie, who won her debut in a maiden race at a mile on turf Aug. 12, is on a similar career path as With Honors. Trained by Richard Mandella, Blame It On Alphie closed from fifth in a field of eight to win by a length. Prat rode Blame It On Alphie, but Mike Smith will have the mount Monday.
“I’ve got high hopes for her,” Mandella said. “Everything looks forward to me.”
Mandella said he is optimistic that Blame It On Alphie can avoid traffic in a big field from an inside post.
“I’ll take the rail and good luck,” he said.
Two fillies in the field have stakes experience. Auntjenn and Unforgivable U were third and fifth in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes on dirt Aug. 6. Unforgivable U also was third in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial at Pleasanton on July 2.
Pirate’s Bounty Stakes
Kafister, who has won three of his last four starts in optional claimers this year, can win the first stakes of his career in his 29th start in the Pirate’s Bounty Stakes at six furlongs. A win would be another achievement in a remarkable career.
Kafister was claimed for $20,000 in 2014 and has since won $267,200 for owners Alan Aidekman and Gaylor Ailshie and trainer David Bernstein.
“We were looking for a racehorse,” Bernstein said Friday. “He’s gotten very good. He’s a big-hearted horse. I hope he’s got another one in him.”
The Pirate’s Bounty is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes with a first-place purse of $50,000 or more since March 1. Kafister drew the outside post in a field of nine.
“That’s where he wants to be,” Bernstein said. “He runs best from out there.”
A 6-year-old gelding, Kafister runs near the lead and can set the pace. He is likely to be in pursuit of Power Jam, a two-time winner for trainer Bob Baffert who will have his stakes debut Monday.
