Iron Man Cal © Benoit

The mighty Thoroughbreds make their return to the popular seaside locale that is Del Mar this Friday and the 80th edition of the Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside Stakes highlights a 10-race card that begins at 2 p.m. This will be the 86th summer session at the sun-splashed oval founded by Bing Crosby and his Hollywood pals back in 1937.

There will be 31 days of the sport over the summer stretching out to Sunday, September 7. Opening weekend will be a three-day affair, but then things will switch to the usual Thursday-through-Sunday format that Del Mar regulars are used to for the majority of the stand.

The Oceanside, the first of Del Mar's trio of grass stakes for 3-year-olds, drew a field of 10 and John Lies (pronounced "Lees"), the track's new morning line maker, says he'll make Little Red Feather or Madaket Stables' Iron Man Cal the favorite. The Collected colt was beaten in a photo in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf here last November and will have Antonio Fresu in the boot Friday.

Racing fans will have to adjust their ears just a bit to start off the Del Mar season as -- for the first time in 40 years -- someone other than Trevor Denman will be in the booth up on the seventh floor calling the races. Denman told Del Mar officials that "my soul told me it was time," and announced his retirement this past March.

Happily, Del Mar was not left high and dry. National announcing star Larry Collmus (he's the guy who calls the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup on NBC), who has pinch-hit for Denman several times over the past five years, jumped at the opportunity to succeed one of his idols and will smoothly slide into the booth in his new role.