New York shipper Verbal tests more experienced foes in DeMille

DEL MAR, Calif. – Verbal may be the most talented horse in the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar, but with just one start on his résumé he’s giving up valuable experience to several worthy rivals, including Optimising and Cabo Spirit, who come off strong efforts over this grass course earlier this month.

Optimising was caught late in the Qatar Golden Mile Stakes on Breeders’ Cup Friday, Nov. 5, finishing second while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 78. In the DeMille – like the Qatar Golden Mile a one-mile turf race for 2-year-olds – Optimising will be making his third start in this country following a private purchase after a winning debut in Great Britain in June.

“I thought his race Breeders’ Cup weekend was very good,” Michael McCarthy, who trains Optimising for Tim and Jed Cohen, said Friday morning. “Very proud of him. Came back and worked well. He’s been a very straightforward horse.”

Optimising drew the rail in the field of 11.

Cabo Spirit scored a front-running victory against maidens last time out Nov. 7, when making his fifth career start and second on turf. An encouraging workout last weekend, his lone drill since that race, convinced his connections to run back in three weeks and supplement him to this race for $1,000.

“The turf moved him up,” said George Papaprodromou, who trains Cabo Spirit for Rustin Kretz. “We wanted to see how he came out of his last race. He’s been doing great. He worked great. So we decided to try our luck.”

Verbal, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Chad Brown, powered clear to defeat maidens by four lengths in his debut Oct. 10 at Belmont Park, earning a Beyer Figure of 74. He landed post 10 in the field of 11. Jose Ortiz, who rode him in New York, rides him back Sunday.

Khantaro d’Oro and Lottery Pick, second and fourth, respectively, behind Cabo Spirit, both were supplemented to the race and will try to earn their first victory in a stakes.

Khantaro d’Oro has improved sharply since moving to turf, with second- and third-place finishes in one-mile maiden races. He is one of two entrants for trainer Doug O’Neill along with Get Back Goldie, who owns the field’s top Beyer figure, 82, earned in a front-running win against maiden-claimers on turf at Santa Anita Oct. 23.

Lottery Pick is an intriguing upset play, despite being marooned in the outside post. He encountered plenty of trouble in his debut in a race that had little pace to help his late run. He should get far more pace here, and he lands the meet’s leading rider, Flavien Prat.

Derecho Dandy, a front-running winner of a fast-paced maiden turf mile at Santa Anita, and Il Capitano, winner of two of his last three starts, figure to at least be part of the contested early pace.

The DeMille, race 3 of nine Sunday, is named for the legendary film director and producer who is the maternal grandfather of Del Mar’s chief executive officer, Joe Harper.