O'Neill, Baffert among top trainers with talented juveniles for Del Mar meet

DEL MAR, Calif. – First it was I’ll Have Another, then came Nyquist. With victories in the Kentucky Derby in two of the last four years, it’s no wonder trainer Doug O’Neill is getting more 2-year-olds from a wider array of clients, and he heads into this summer’s Del Mar meet, which opens Friday, with the likes of Stonestreet Stables, Calumet Farm, and Zayat Stables now in the fold.

“Thank you, Team Reddam,” he said, referring to Paul and Zillah Reddam, the owners of I’ll Have Another and Nyquist, “and thank you, Nyquist. They’re the reason we’re starting to get clients and horses like that.”

O’Neill already has struck with Stonestreet, whose filly Dynamite Charge was a debut winner at Santa Anita on July 4 and is being pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 6, the prep for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 3. The colt Term of Art (by Tiznow) should debut for Calumet early in the meet, though O’Neill said he “acts like a classic distance horse.” Sorry Erik (Wilburn) is among his more precocious colts. Other colts to watch include Farley (Distorted Humor) and Whatsontheagenda (Dialed In).

O’Neill also trains one of the two most-followed young horses on this circuit in R Sunday Surprise, the full sister to California Chrome who was third in her debut last month and will return in a maiden race restricted to California-breds.

The other filly with an oversized following here is American Cleopatra, the full sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. She is unlikely to debut until later in the meet, but her trainer, Bob Baffert, has plenty to keep him rolling, starting with the precocious fillies Fact of Life and Noted and Quoted, both daughters of first-crop sire The Factor who could race as early as Saturday, and Adorable, second to Dynamite Charge in her debut.

Baffert also has a deep roster of unraced colts, including the $975,000 2-year-old buy Dredan (Union Rags), Bernin Sensation (Bernardini), Big Gray Rocket (Tapit), and the Pioneerof the Nile colts First Degree Burn and Irish Freedom. Klimt, who won a maiden race Sunday at Santa Anita, will come back Aug. 13 in the Grade 2, $200,000 Best Pal Stakes, the prep for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5. Nyquist won last year’s Futurity en route to year-end honors.

“I’ve got some nice ones,” Baffert said. “Most will be ready the middle of the meet. They’re just coming around now.”

Jerry Hollendorfer, who won last year’s Debutante with the champion Songbird, again looks to have a strong hand, led by Unique Bella, who was second in her debut June 23 but whom the barn still holds in very high regard. Princess Julia (Distorted Humor) and With Love (Tapit) are other fillies of his to watch. His colts include Silver Assault, who won his debut and then was a troubled third in the Santa Anita Juvenile last Saturday, as well as newcomers Honor and Courage (Unbridled’s Song) and I’m a Lucky Guy, a Giant’s Causeway colt out of Blind Luck, the champion filly Hollendorfer trained.

Keith Desormeaux, who won this year’s Preakness with Exaggerator, heads into the meet with several well-regarded youngsters. Miss Southern Miss was his most precocious filly – she won first out and then was third in the Landaluce Stakes last Saturday – and his unstarted fillies include Sabi Sands (Lemon Drop Kid) and With Honors (War Front). His colts include Straight Fire (Dominus), who could debut as early as Sunday, and Surf Shack (Malibu Moon).

Richard Mandella doesn’t usually get his 2-year-olds cranked up early unless they’re quite special, as with Beholder, so keep an eye on his filly Kitty Union (Union Rags). “I think she’s pretty nice,” Mandella said.

Peter Miller usually has a number of 2-year-olds pointed to Del Mar. Chalon, a debut winner who was scratched out of the Landaluce, “looks like she tied up,” Miller said, and is being pointed to the Sorrento. Soul Singer (Flatter) is another filly he likes. His colts include Chasing Aces, second in his debut and scheduled to run Sunday, and newcomers Big League (Speightstown) and Earnhardt, a son of Overdriven – and a half-brother to the Miller-trained Calculator – who was a $525,000 2-year-old buy.

Phil D’Amato believes Excavation, third to Klimt in his debut, will improve with distance. His filly Slalom (Bodemeister) and colt Kopitar (Shackleford) should debut later in the meet.

Mark Glatt has increased his usual roster of 2-year-olds and looks to have a promising runner in Law Abidin Citizen, who was third in his debut behind Silver Assault and Chasing Aces, a race from which Klimt already has returned to win.

Spendthrift Farm has spread its runners among a number of trainers, with Simon Callaghan landing the colt Plum Dandy (Medaglia d’Oro) and Carla Gaines securing the filly Partyinthepaddock (Harlan’s Holiday). “We think she’s pretty nice,” Gaines said.

Other newcomers to watch include the John Sadler-trained filly Morganite (Gemologist) and colt Cistron (The Factor), the colts Hootie (Candy Ride) and Orejas (Tapizar) for Michael McCarthy, the filly Whisky and Wine (Dialed In) for Jeff Mullins, the colt Tybee Island (Scat Daddy) for Richard Baltas, and the filly Champagne Room (Broken Vow) for Peter Eurton.