Stevens has key mounts in Santa Anita's opening weeks

ARCADIA, Calif. – At 55, Gary Stevens has a list of 2-year-old mounts that could make for an interesting next few weeks at Santa Anita.

Stevens will ride Del Mar May for the first time in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Sept. 29. On Oct. 8, Stevens is booked to ride King of Speed in the $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds on turf.

Those races will determine if those 2-year-olds are sent to Churchill Downs for Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2.

Del Mar May, owned by Calvin Nguyen, is winless after two starts – second place finishes in a maiden race at Del Mar on July 18 and the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 5.

Stevens has worked Del Mar May for trainer Richard Baltas, including six furlongs in 1:14.20 on Sept. 13.

“She’s very intelligent,” Stevens said. “She shows me some tendencies of some 2-year-olds that have become nice 3-year-old fillies.”

Remarkably, Hall of Famer Stevens has never won the Chandelier, which was run as the Oak Leaf Stakes through 2011. He has multiple wins in many stakes at Santa Anita, including a record nine victories in the Santa Anita Derby.

Baltas considered running Del Mar May in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1, but opted to skip the race in favor of the Chandelier. The winner of the Chandelier will receives a fees-paid berth in the BC Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2. Bellafina, winner of the Del Mar Debutante, will be favored in the Chandelier.

The Chandelier is one of seven graded stakes at Santa Anita over Sept. 28-30 that will lead to Breeders’ Cup races. Santa Anita opens its autumn meeting on Sept. 28.

King of Speed, trained by Jeff Bonde, won for the first time in his fifth start in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, closing from ninth in a field of 10 to win by three-quarters of a length at 15-1. King of Speed was fourth in two maiden races for sprinters before switching to turf, where he was third and second in maiden races before the stakes win.

“When I first worked him, I thought, ‘This is my Del Mar Futurity horse,’ ” Stevens said. “He would come running, but he’s a Baby Huey, a slow learner.

“I talked with Jeff and I said, ‘The only races they’re running long are on turf. Let’s give it a go.’ ”

King of Speed, who is owned by David and John Del Secco, could start in the BC Juvenile Turf on Nov. 2. Stevens thinks the colt may have a future in dirt stakes, even though the recent success was on turf.

“I’m not convinced he can’t do both,” Stevens said. “That’s something we’re still talking about.”