Super Patriot begins ambitious Del Mar campaign in Osunitas

This may be a super busy Del Mar summer meeting for Super Patriot, the favorite in Sunday’s $65,000 Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares.

The Osunitas could lead to a stakes start in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on Aug. 8 or the $125,000 Solana Beach Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on Aug. 15. At the end of the season, the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes on Sept. 5 is another option.

The Del Mar meeting is being held over nine weekends this year, allowing for a possible third start. The first goal is the Osunitas Stakes at a mile on turf.

“We expect a big effort on Sunday,” said Billy Koch, the managing director of the Little Red Feather partnership that co-owns Super Patriot.

“She is the type of filly that can run back-to-back races. We need to get through Sunday and hopefully she will run her race.”

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Super Patriot, trained by Richard Baltas, won the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at a mile on turf June 6 at Santa Anita in her first start since February. Flavien Prat rode Super Patriot for the first time in the Fran’s Valentine.

“I really like her,” Prat said. “It was against Cal-breds, but she proved she can run against open company.”

Earlier this year, Super Patriot was second by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita. Last summer at Del Mar, Super Patriot won consecutive starts in allowance races with claiming options on turf at Del Mar.

Claimed for $35,000 in June 2019, Super Patriot has since earned $214,180.

The Osunitas is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a first-place purse worth $50,000 or more to the winner, other than in statebred stakes, at a mile or longer since Sept. 1.

The Osunitas drew a field of eight. Three other fillies and mares in the field placed in stakes earlier this year – Don’t Blame Judy, Meal Ticket, and Sedamar.

Don’t Blame Judy was second in the Possibly Perfect Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf June 14 at Santa Anita. Trained by Eric Kruljac, Don’t Blame Judy was sixth in the 2019 Osunitas.

Meal Ticket was second in the Golden Poppy Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf June 7 at Golden Gate Fields. Trained by Matt Chew, Meal Ticket was second in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita in April 2019.

Sedamar was second to Super Patriot in the Fran’s Valentine, leading briefly in the stretch in her first start since January. Trainer Shelbe Ruis said earlier this week that Sedamar needed the start and gained much-needed fitness.

Sedamar had won her two previous starts in allowance races with claiming options at a mile on turf and 1 1/16 miles on turf last November and January.

“I like the flat mile,” Ruis said. “She’s ready to go.”