O'Neill makes plans for stakes runners
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Trainer Doug O’Neill has finalized plans for three of his stakes-level runners – He Is No Lie, Listenupshance, and Pavlovian – for the upcoming Del Mar summer meeting.
The 2-year-old He Is No Lie, beaten a head in the $219,665 Bashford Manor Stakes at six furlongs at Churchill Downs last Sunday, will have his third career start in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 8. The $150,000 Best Pal Stakes is a prep race for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 6.
In the Bashford Manor, He Is No Lie set the pace and led by four lengths in the stretch. He was caught in the final strides by the 31-1 outsider Blessed Flyer. He Is No Lie won his debut by eight lengths in a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on May 15.
Listenupshance was third in a tough running of the Grade 3 True North Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga on June 6, finishing three-quarters of a length behind Book’em Danno, the champion male sprinter of 2025.
O’Neill said the 4-year-old Listenupshance will have his Grade 1 debut in the $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 25. The winner of the Bing Crosby earns a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
Pavlovian won the $500,000 Sunland Park Derby by a nose in New Mexico in February but has been beaten in his last three starts. Pavlovian was second by a head in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 21, finishing a length in front of third-place finisher Golden Tempo.
Golden Tempo returned to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2, a race in which Pavlovian finished last of 18, and proceeded to win the Belmont Stakes as well. Pavlovian was later seventh of eight in the Grade 3 Matt Win Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs on June 7.
O’Neill said that Pavlovian was given a brief rest at a farm in recent weeks and is scheduled to have his first start of the summer in the $150,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on July 31.
The Del Mar summer meeting begins on July 17.
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