Monster Bea a prospect for La Jolla, Del Mar Derby
DEL MAR, Calif.- Monster Bea, winner of the restricted Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-old on turf on Friday, will start at least one more time at the current Del Mar summer meeting and perhaps twice.
Trainer Peter Miller said he plans to gauge Monster Bea’s energy in coming weeks before deciding on whether to run in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Aug. 6 or wait for the $250,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4.
“We’ll play it by ear,” Miller said on Sunday. “If he’s tearing down the barn, we’ll look at the La Jolla. If not, we’ll wait for the Del Mar Derby.”
Monster Bea is owned by Gary Barber, who made the decision to send the gelding from trainer Mark Casse in Kentucky to California. Monster Bea won an allowance race at Churchill Downs on June 10 in his final start for Casse.
The Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap would be Monster Bea’s second start in a graded stakes. He was fifth in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga in September 2015.
The La Jolla field is likely to include Lucky Bryan, the winner of an optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on turf in Saturday’s seventh race. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Lucky Bryan closed from 10th in a field of 12 to win by a nose over All the Marbles. Lucky Bryan started from the outside in the field.
“For me, he ran very good from the 12-hole with a good, smart ride,” trainer John Sadler said.
Owned by Peter and Kostra Hronis, Lucky Bryan was third in the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in May and a troubled fourth in the Rainbow Stakes there on June 18.