Del Mar’s inaugural fall Bing Crosby Season, a success in all categories, comes to a climax Sunday (Nov. 30) highlighted by a stakes doubleheader, the Grade I $300,000 Matriarch for older fillies and mares and the Grade III $150,000 Cecil B. DeMille for two-year-olds.
Post time for the first race on the 15th and final day of the new meeting will be 12:30 p.m.
The Matriarch, formerly presented at Hollywood Park, is carded at one mile over the infield grass circuit and drew an outstanding line-up, including the winner of the 2013 Del Mar Oaks, Discreet Marq, who will have Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the saddle for trainer Christophe Clement. The daughter of Discreet Cat, a winner of more than $1 million in her career, was beaten a nose by Egg Drop in the Matriach a year ago at Hollywood Park.
A stout challenger to Discreet Marq figures to be the swift La Tia, another invader from the East Coast from the barn of Armando De la Cerda. Winner of the Athenia at Belmont Park last October, she will be piloted by Joel Rosario.
Lined up again Discreet Marq and La Tia will be Queen of the Sand (Mike Smith), victress in the opening-day Kathryn Crosby Stakes; Lexie Lou (Corey Nakatani) winner of the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine in July; Strathnaver (Rafael Bejarano), third in the Goldikova at Santa Anita in early November; Kadaya (Kent Desormeaux), unraced since February of 2013; Gender Agenda (Joe Talamo), and Sheza Smoke Show (Martin Garcia).
Lexie Lou is a likely scratch from the Matriarch having been entered in Saturday’s Hollywood Derby versus California Chrome and other three-year-olds.
Ten two-year-old colts and geldings are scheduled to go postward in closing day’s supporting feature, the Cecil B. DeMille at one mile on the grass.
Entered are St. Joe Bay, Soul Driver, Guilty, Sebastian’s Heart, Diamond Majesty, Daddy D T, Rock Shandy, Stormy Liberal, Papacoolpapacool and Conquest Typhoon.