How to bet the Red Carpet Stakes

A total of 10 fillies and mares will run 1 3/8 grassy miles on the Del Mar lawn in Sunday’s $100,000 Red Carpet S. (G3). Trainer Jonathan Thomas has two for the affair, and both of his entrants are viable win threats in the tilt. 

Red Carpet Wagers

• $25 win #2 Mrs. Astor ($25)
• $2 trifecta key 2 with 4,5,10 ($12)
• $2 trifecta 4,5,10 with 2 with 4,5,10 ($12)

Defending champ #2 Mrs. Astor has won or placed in six consecutive stakes races leading into this contest and has to be on all tickets. The five-year-old daughter of Lookin at Lucky has hit the board in each of her trio of local assignments to date and comes in fresh for an excellent layoff conditioner. The Augustin homebred is a proven marathoner with versatility in her running style, and Umberto Rispoli will have the bay mare in range throughout the event. 

Thomas’ #4 Will Then is less proven at distances of this kind, but I expect her to thrive in her initial attempt going longer than nine furlongs. War of Will filly is a graded heroine on this lawn and has a one-paced running style that will translate well to the 1 3/8 miles on this occasion. She will have to step forward as a sophomore facing her elders, but I trust this barn as well as sharp turf pilot Hector Berrios. The three-year-old will be seen stalking the tempo from the second flight in the early going. 

#10 Musical Rhapsody, one of three in the field for trainer Phil D’Amato, was a smart runner-up in this race in 2023 and has appeal to me at a price from the outside post slot. The six-year-old daughter of Holy Roman Emperor has put in a pair of efforts at shorter distances this campaign after being on the bench for more than 11 months, and she gets back to what she does best in this endeavor. The Irish-bred mare will have to overcome a potentially wide voyage under Armando Ayuso, but I like her chances to do so and hit the board at a square number. 

D’Amato’s #5 Public Assembly has squared off with graded foes in a handful of races in succession as of late and fits in this field from a class standpoint. The Grade 3 vixen has positive experience running extended trips on the grass in the past and will appreciate the stretch out from one mile to 1 3/8 miles, while making her second try off the short break. The More Than Ready four-year-old might be close in the early portion of the race with regular pilot Antonio Fresu staying in the silks.