The $300,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1) on Saturday will be the top race this weekend at the San Diego, California, venue with Concave and She’s a Tiger, the top two finishers in the Grade 2 Sorrento on August 7, highlighting the field of eight juvenile fillies.
Concave brings a two for two mark into the seven-furlong test, breaking her maiden on Hollywood Park’s turf first-time out. The Doug O’Neill-trained daughter of Colonel John rallied determinedly to defeat the front-running She’s a Tiger while switching to Polytrack in the August 7 Sorrento, earning a commendable 92 BRIS Speed rating for the half-length decision, and the bay filly should only appreciate the added distance Saturday given her stamina-laced pedigree.
Pat Valenzuela picks up the mount on Concave.
She’s a Tiger made a smashing debut at Pleasanton in late June, scoring by nine lengths as the 1-5 favorite, and followed with a comfortable tally in the July 13 Landaluce at Hollywood Park as the 3-5 chalk. The Tale of the Cat filly dueled early in the Sorrento and battled back gamely after being passed in the stretch, and trainer Jeff Bonde will add blinkers to keep the bay filly more focused.
She’s a Tiger also receives a rider switch from Frank Alvarado to Hall of Famer Gary Stevens.
Sprouts exits a victory in the July 19 CTBA for California-breds, but the speedy filly has had success against open rivals, winning the Cinderella by open lengths two starts back. Mario Gutierrez sticks with the Edward Freeman charge.
Bob Baffert will send out three starters and Awesome Baby looks like the most talented member of the bunch following her sharp 4 3/4-length debut score over the Polytrack on August 4. Martin Garcia rides. Secret Compass broke her maiden in her second start on July 28 and will be piloted by Joseph Talamo. Fascinating, who is still a maiden with a pair of third-place finishes to her credit, rounds out the Baffert trio.
Bajan and Southern Sunshine, the one-two finishers from an August 10 maiden special weight affair, complete the line-up.
The $300,000 Del Mar Derby (G2) tops three stakes on Sunday, and the popularity of this race has created the officials here to make two separate editions of this grassy test. Gervinho won a division of the Oceanside S. here on opening day and rates a chance to win right back for Carla Gaines assistant Jerry Quinn, who has done some fine work since taking over the reins for this stable. The bay son of Unusual Heat has never run a bad one and could be seen stalking the pace early on.
Swaps S. (G2) winner Chief Havoc, Michael Stidham’s import Dorsett, the Jeff Mullins-trained Dry Summer, a nice fourth in the La Jolla (G2) in his first start in six months, talented stakes winner Gabriel Charles, American Derby (G3) star Infinite Magic, No Jet Lag, a fine allowance winner in his U. S. debut, La Jolla (G2) third Pure Royalty and Rising Legend, who also won a division of the Oceanside, are among the probables for these races.
The other pair of stakes on Sunday is the $100,000 Torrey Pines S. and the $90,ooo Adoration S.
In the $150,000 Yellow Ribbon H. (G3) on Monday, Grade 2 winner Quiet Oasis, John Mabee (G2) third My Gi Gi, the graded placed Long Face, Group 1-placed In the Stars and Royal Heroine (G2) runner-up Egg Drop, are among the top names likely for this race.
The Sunday undercard will host the $150,000 I’m Smokin S. and the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Del Mar 2013 Summer Wagering
A bet that was instituted in 2011 – the .50¢ Player’s Pick Five – continues on the betting menu again this season. The wager requires picking the winners of the day’s first five races and will be available at a minimum price of .50¢. It carries the additional advantage of having a takeout of only 14%.
The full array of Del Mar bets is as follows: $2 win, place and show; $1 Exacta; $2 Quinella; $1 Trifecta; $2 rolling Double; $1 rolling Pick Three; $1 Superfecta (.10¢ minimum); $1 Place Pick All; $1 Super High Five; $2 Pick Six; .50¢ Player’s Pick Five, and .50¢ Pick Four.
Bet 2013 Del Mar Summer horse racing online with TwinSpires.com and watch it live on TwinSpiresTV.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club 2013 Summer Meet
Dates: July 17 through September 4
Del Mar Thoroughbred Racing Schedule: Del Mar will conduct a 37-day meeting, racing on a Wednesday through Sunday basis up until Wednesday, September 4. There will be one additional day added to the seven-week schedule – a holiday program on Labor Day Monday, September 2.
Post Time: First post on most days will be at 2 p.m. with the exception of Fridays when cards start at 4 p.m.
Del Mar Race Track Information
main track data: 1-mile oval; a Polytrack surface was installed in 2007; chutes of 7 furlongs and 1¼ miles; stretch length: 919 feet;
infield grass course: Jimmy Durante Turf Course, 7-furlong oval, with a diagonal chute that allows for races up to
11/8 miles.
total Del Mar fairgrounds acreage: 350
stable accommodations: 2,100
additional amenities: Features an extra video and timing system – Trakus – installed in 2007; offers a parallel website – www.delmarscene.com – aimed at younger racing fans
Del Mar Summer 2013 Racing Schedule:
The traditional opening-day feature, the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for three-year-olds at a mile on turf, has once again proven popular enough to be split into two divisions. In its 32 runnings since 1981, the Oceanside has been split no fewer than 26 times. It serves as a key prep for the track’s sophomore championship event, the $300,000 Del Mar Derby slated for September 1.
Del Mar’s opening weekend also features the first of the meet’s Grade 1 contests, the Eddie Read on Saturday.
The track’s signature race, the $1 million Pacific Classic, anchors a stakes tripleheader on August 25. Pacific Classic Day includes a pair of Grade 2 events, the $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs and the $200,000 Del Mar Mile on the Jimmy Durante turf course.
The other Grade 1 offerings are the Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs (July 28), the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles (August 3), the Del Mar Oaks at nine panels on the lawn (August 17), the Del Mar Debutante at seven-eighths (August 31) and the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity on closing day (September 4).
With the exception of the lucrative Pacific Classic, all of Del Mar’s Grade 1 races carry purses of $300,000.
Five of the stakes have been deemed Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races, meaning automatic, fees-paid berths for designated Breeders’ Cup races. They are the Bing Crosby (for a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint), Clement L. Hirsch (Ladies’ Classic), Del Mar Handicap (Turf), Pat O’Brien (Dirt Mile) and Pacific Classic (Classic).
Two of the track’s stakes have been enhanced by $50,000 this season, while a third has been reduced. The added stakes money goes to a pair of California-bred grass races — the California Dreamin’ Handicap (July 21) and the Solana Beach Handicap (August 18) — each now increased from $100,000 to $150,000 as part of the statewide breeding commitment to a more lucrative stakes program for homegrown runners.
The Yellow Ribbon Handicap (September 2), which prior to last year was run as the Palomar Handicap, had its purse reduced from a one-year level of $250,000 to its original prize of $150,000 for its 2013 renewal.
Besides its 33 major stakes, Del Mar also will offer 10 overnight stakes with purses boosted to a record level of $90,000 each.
Racing begins at the seaside oval on Wednesday, July 17 and there will be 14 different wagers offered, starting with the traditional win, place and show and running all the way down to several five- and six-horse combination bets.