San Clemente re-match on tap in Del Mar Oaks

Prize Exhibit, Sunset Glow and Paulina’s Love were one-two-three, respectively, in the July 19 San Clemente H. (G2) at Del Mar, and on Saturday the trio square off once again as part of an eight-filly field entered for the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1).

Sunset Glow, winner of the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and runner-up to Lady Eli in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last season, was making just her third start of the year in the San Clemente. Sent off the 8-5 favorite in that one-mile contest, the Wesley Ward pupil dueled throughout before finally gaining the lead and then losing it to Prize Exhibit in the stretch.

Before the San Clemente, Sunset Glow ran second in the Wait a While S. on May 16 and opened her sophomore campaign with a third-place effort behind Lady Eli in the Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland. Gary Stevens was aboard for the gray filly’s last race and retains the mount in the Del Mar Oaks.

Prize Exhibit rallied for a nice score in the Senorita S. (G3) at Santa Anita Park prior to the San Clemente, and will attempt to make it a hat trick of graded wins on Saturday. The dark bay lass opened her career in her native England and came to the United States last fall for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. She finished fourth in that late October affair and remained stateside, soon joining trainer James Cassidy’s barn.

Santiago Gonzalez has been in the irons for both of Prize Exhibit’s U.S. triumphs and will be holding the reins on Saturday.

Paulina’s Love was a one-paced third throughout the San Clemente at 12-1, but that was still a nice effort considering it was just her second stakes try and her first since breaking her maiden on April 25. The Richard Baltas pupil was seeking a third-straight victory in the contest, after taking her maiden and a June 5 allowance/optional claimer, and might offer up some nice odds once again under Tyler Baze.

Her Emmynency just missed by a neck to Sunset Glow in the Del Mar Debutante last year, but was no match for that rival or anyone else in the San Clemente. The bay three-year-old ended up last of six in her second start of the season, but could rebound here in her third start off the break. Rafael Bejarano has the call.

Sharla Rae is cutting back for the 1 1/8-mile Del Mar Oaks off a seventh-place finish in the 10-furlong Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) on Independence Day. Rattataptap will try to turn the tables on Prize Exhibit after running fourth behind that foe in the Senorita most recently.

The Del Mar Oaks field is completed by Majestic Heat, who is making her stakes bow in this spot, and fellow stakes debuter Zipessa, unbeaten from two lifetime efforts thus far.

Prize Exhibit photo courtesy of Benoit Photos