It's a Cal-bred fest in the late pick four

DEL MAR, Calif. – The annual foal crop in California has declined 66 percent over the past two decades, but the number of California foals currently racing is enough to make the final four races Thursday at Del Mar an all-statebred sequence.

California’s 2002 foal crop was 3,823. In 2022, the most recent year stats are available from The Jockey Club, the foal crop numbered just 1,314. Long term, the downtrend is frightening. Short term, Del Mar bettors are interested in finding the California-bred winners of races 5-8 on Thursday.

A turf sprint for 2-year-old maiden fillies, a dirt route for older maidens, an allowance dirt sprint for fillies and mares, and a turf sprint for older maidens comprise the California-bred late pick four. The winningest entrant on the card runs in the filly-mare sprint that is the featured seventh race.

Baby Kristen won eight of her first 22 starts before Northern California-based trainer Bill McLean and an ownership group claimed the 5-year-old mare for $40,000 in July at Pleasanton. Her attributes included early speed, a winning habit, and California-bred allowance eligibility.

“We knew she had this condition, and the time before she ran a great race” – finishing second – “against the boys,” McLean cited as reasons to claim the veteran.

Baby Kristen won the day she was claimed, and in her first start for McLean, on July 25 at Del Mar, she wired California-bred turf sprinters to earn $45,600.

The ownership group is already “out” on the $40,000 claim, and Baby Kristen is still eligible for the statebred allowance condition on dirt. From here on, it’s all gravy.

Baby Kristen, now 10 for 24, stretches from five furlongs to six on Thursday and goes turf to dirt under Kazushi Kimura.

“She’s fine on dirt,” McLean said, noting Baby Kristen’s 7-for-10 record on dirt. The longer distance is not likely to be an issue over the speed-friendly main track.

“Six furlongs is a little farther, but right now the track’s showing a little speed bias, so that might help her,” McLean said.

Eighteen of the 32 dirt sprints this summer were won by the pacesetter.

Baby Kristen’s rivals include presser Whimsical Heir, five-time winner Wishtheyallcouldbe, lightly raced Sharp Ride, and potential pace rival No Cap.

Race 5 kicks off the late pick four. First-time starter Nell’s Legacy might be the one to beat in the maiden filly turf sprint. A $325,000 juvenile by Ghostzapper, she is trained by Phil D’Amato. Orange Thunder, a Clubhouse Ride sibling to graded winner Closing Remarks, is using the sprint as a prep for longer, according to trainer Craig Lewis.

Second-time starter On Time Tam is likely to improve after she broke slowly and finished sixth in her well-bet debut; Peter Miller starts firsters Grazen Gator and Tapatia Leah.

Race 6 marks the third start for improving It’s My World, runner-up last out in a similar maiden dirt mile. His rivals include stretch-out Bart Sip Some and Be Punctual.

Race 8, a turf sprint for older maidens, includes Miller-trained Capital Outlay, a third-place finisher in his last four starts, and Red On Sunday, who is making his second start back from a layoff. Doug O’Neill-trained Mining District has worked fast for his debut.