Kiss Today Goodbye works half-mile for Del Mar Derby

DEL MAR, Calif. - By the time Kiss Today Goodbye starts in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6 his third-place finish in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1 could be held in high regard.

Kiss Today Goodbye finished behind Thousand Words and Honor A. P. in the Shared Belief Stakes at a mile on dirt. Thousand Words and Honor A. P. are scheduled to start in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

The Shared Belief was Kiss Today Goodbye’s stakes debut. Kiss Today Goodbye closed from last of four to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind Thousand Words.

“He was coming on – against some good horses,” trainer Eric Kruljac said Sunday.

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Kiss Today Goodbye will have his turf stakes debut in the $200,000 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles. In preparation, Kiss Today Goodbye worked a half-mile on turf in 49.80 seconds Sunday. While the time was the same as Kiss Today Goodbye’s clocking on turf Aug. 23, Kruljac said he considered Sunday’s workout to be more productive.

“Last time, he was carrying his head high,” Kruljac said. “He seemed to accelerate more. He looked more comfortable.”

Kiss Today Goodbye, owned by John Sondereker, won a maiden special weight race at a mile at Santa Anita in February in his fifth start and did not start again until May 17, when he was eased in a first-condition allowance race against older horses at a mile at Santa Anita.

The Shared Belief Stakes was Kiss Today Goodbye’s first start of the summer.

In the Del Mar Derby, Kiss Today Goodbye will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke, Kruljac said. Van Dyke replaces Umberto Rispoli, who will have the mount on Pixelate, who has been second or third in five stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at four tracks this year.

Trained by Mike Stidham, Pixelate was second by a half-length in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Delaware Park on July 4.

There are three stakes on turf for 3-year-olds at the Del Mar summer meeting and this year’s series will have a different winner in each race. Hit the Road, who won the $103,500 Oceanside Stakes on July 10, was turned out for a rest in early August. Smooth Like Strait, who won the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 9, is expected to start in Saturday’s Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Two fillies are nominated for the Del Mar Derby – California Kook and Warren’s Showtime, who were second and third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 22. Their trainers – Peter Miller and Craig Lewis – said Sunday the fillies may start against males.

The Del Mar summer meeting ends on Labor Day. There are two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs in the final two days – Sunday’s $250,000 Del Mar Debutante for fillies and Monday’s $250,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity.

The Debutante field is led by Princess Noor, an impressive maiden-race winner in her debut on Aug. 22, and the undefeated My Girl Red, who won her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 7.

The Del Mar Futurity field includes two maidens who recorded fast workouts from the gate Sunday – Spielberg worked six furlongs in 1:12.60, while Dixie’s Two Stents worked five furlongs in 59 seconds.

The race is led by two winners from Aug. 8 – Weston, the winner of the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes, and Dr. Schivel, a maiden-race winner that afternoon.