O’Neill making stakes plans for Del Mar
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Trainer Doug O’Neill may have as many as two runners in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 29 at Del Mar.
Anarchist, second to 2022 champion male sprinter Elite Power in the Grade 2 True North Stakes on June 10 at Belmont Park, may be joined by Kid Corleone, a recent allowance race winner at Santa Anita.
Anarchist, a winner of 2 of 10 starts, won the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at six furlongs on May 14 at Woodbine, his first stakes win. Anarchist worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita.
Kid Corleone won his 2023 debut in an allowance race at six furlongs on June 16, leading throughout before pulling clear by 1 1/2 lengths. The Bing Crosby could be Kid Corleone’s first start in a Grade 1. He was last of six in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship last October in his stakes debut.
The $400,000 Bing Crosby is the richest annual sprint in California. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which will be run on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
“We’re up in the air on an allowance race or the Bing Crosby,” O’Neill said. “He ran so well the other day.”
Anarchist and Kid Corleone could be part of a big week of racing for O’Neill from July 27-29.
On July 27, the undefeated 3-year-old filly Ceiling Crusher will be a heavy favorite to win her third consecutive stakes and fifth start in the $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.
Ceiling Crusher, who won stakes for statebred fillies at Santa Anita in the spring by 15 1/2 and 17 lengths, worked five furlongs in a quick 58.80 seconds on Sunday.
“She was just rolling,” O’Neill said.
The Fleet Treat Stakes is considered a prep for the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, a $1 million race at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies on Sept. 23 at Parx Racing.
Slow Down Andy, third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland last November, but sixth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap on June 11 at Belmont Park, is expected to start in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 29 at Del Mar.
O’Neill has candidates for the first two stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Del Mar this summer.
Ah Jeez, sixth in the William Walker Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters on May 13 at Churchill Downs, is scheduled to run in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on July 21.
Henry Q, third behind eventual Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes on May 13 at Belmont Park and later fifth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 24, will have his turf debut in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 6.
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