Jeremy's Legacy must contend with outside post in U.S. debut

DEL MAR, Calif. – Irish import Jeremy’s Legacy, purchased for a partnership and making her U.S. debut Saturday in race 6 for trainer Doug O’Neill, must overcome the outside post in a field of 11 if she is to prevail in the one-mile grass race.

“It’s a terrible post, but having [jockey Rafael] Bejarano is a huge plus,” said O’Neill. “If she’s not seven wide going into the first turn, she’s got a big chance.”

Jeremy’s Legacy ran twice in Ireland before being acquired by her current connections.

Also in the field is Whispering Softly, who finished second at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1 in her lone start for trainer Graham Motion.

“It’s not ideal coming back so quickly, but if you don’t run this week, you can’t run on grass out there until after Christmas,” said Motion.

Motion said Whispering Softly will be part of the string he keeps at Santa Anita during the main winter meeting that opens the day after Christmas.

“We’ll have 15 stalls, similar to last year,” he said.

** Santiago Gonzalez was denied a stay on appeal for his recent three-day suspension for careless riding, so he must sit out Sunday as well as next Thursday and Friday, though the suspension does not preclude him from riding in graded stakes races.

** Felipe Valdez also was denied a stay on appeal for his recent seven-day suspension and began his vacation Thursday, so there were wholesale changes to mounts he already had been named on for both Thursday and Friday. The decision was known before the draw Wednesday for races Saturday and Sunday, so Valdez was not named on anything those days.

** Neither Kent Desormeaux nor Mario Gutierrez will ride Saturday at Del Mar due to mounts in the Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs.

** Del Mar will have a reggae festival Saturday featuring the band Iration.