O'Neill hopes to continue juvenile success in Best Pal Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Since May 1, trainer Doug O’Neill has won 40 races nationwide, finished first in the trainer standings at the Santa Anita spring-summer meeting, and had four wins on July 18, opening day of the Del Mar meeting.

O’Neill’s 2-year-old runners have played a pivotal role in that success. O’Neill had won nine races from 57 2-year-old starters from May 1 through Sunday, compared to three wins from 26 starters in the same span last year.

“We’ve had a lot of luck with the homebreds and the private purchases,” O’Neill said Wednesday.

O’Neill has had one 2-year-old stakes winner this year with Lippy in the Juan Gonzalez Stakes at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting on June 30. Saturday, O’Neill will have his fourth starter in a 2-year-old stakes at Del Mar this summer when Mason Dixon runs in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs.

So far at this meeting for O’Neill, Lippy was third in the CTBA Stakes for California-bred fillies on Aug. 1, Carnivorous was fourth in the Graduation Stakes for California-breds on Aug. 4, and Dichotomy was eighth in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes last Sunday.

Mason Dixon, a Union Rags colt, won his debut in a $150,000 claimer for maidens at five furlongs July 21, closing from fifth in a field of nine to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I like the way he did it,” O’Neill said. “He’ll have to improve.”

The $200,000 Best Pal Stakes will have a small field. The field is expected to be led by the impressive maiden special weight winner Instagrand, who is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. Maiden winners Owning, Sparky Ville, and Synthesis are among the other projected starters in the Best Pal, a key prep for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3.

Through the rest of the month, O’Neill figures to be active in stakes and maiden races for 2-year-olds.

Lippy is being pointed to the $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred fillies on Aug. 29, while Dichtomy is likely for the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Sept. 3.

The Into Mischief colt Tariq, who was purchased for $450,000 at the Barretts sale in April, is expected to start in a maiden race at Del Mar.

Two of O’Neill’s 2-year-old winners from earlier this year are sidelined.

Toothless Wonder, a maiden winner at Santa Anita in May who was 10th in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes on June 30 at Churchill Downs, is out of training for what O’Neill described as a mental freshening.

Quant Savant, a maiden winner at Santa Anita in May, is at an equine clinic recovering from injuries sustained when she fell over the inside rail shortly after the start of the Gonzalez Stakes at Pleasanton.