Sobradora Inc © Benoit Photo
Del Mar’s third Fall Thoroughbred racing season, named in honor of track co-founder Bing Crosby when it was inaugurated two years ago, begins Friday with a nine-race Veterans Day holiday program featuring the $75,000-added Kathryn Crosby Stakes for older fillies and mares.
Post time for the first race Friday and every day is 12:30 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24 when the opener will be at 11 a.m. The 15-day session will continue through Sunday, December 4 on a four-day-a-week schedule Thursday through Sunday after opening weekend. Fourteen stakes will be presented with two Grade I races, the $300,000 Hollywood Derby on Saturday, December 3 and the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes on December 4 highlighting the final weekend.
Six older fillies and mares are entered in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes at a mile and one-sixteenth over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Argentine-bred Sobradora Inc, impressive winner of the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar last summer, is the morning line favorite under perennial leading rider Rafael Bejarano. Her foes will be Amboseli, Mike Smith; Keri Belle, Norberto Arroyo, Jr.; Dressed to a T, Mario Gutierrez; Do The Dance, Tyler Baze, and Glory, Flavien Prat.
In celebration of Veterans Day, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will salute the military with special events throughout the afternoon.