Nay V Belle © Benoit Photo

A pair of wily Hall of Fame riders had their mounts swing out on the turn for home, then had them level off and run hard through the lane in the five-furlong feature test at Del Mar Friday. Kent Desormeaux, with more than 6,100 wins to his credit, picked up one more when he just bested Mike Smith, who has more than 5,700 victories on his ledger.

Desormeaux proved a neck better on Saints or Sinners’ Nay V Belle, who ran the five panels on the lawn in :57.20. Smith was coming hard on Team Valor International’s Egyptian Mau, but ran out of lawn at the wire in the filly & mare allowance contest.

Finishing third two and a quarter lengths father back was Upland Flats Racing’s Miss Roberts.

Nay V Belle, trained by Mark Glatt, scored the third victory of her career and picked up a first prize of $50,400 from the gross purse of $86,000. The 4-year-old daughter of Midshipman now has $267,960 in earnings. The winner returned $16.00 to those who invested $2 in her prior to the start of the dash.

Racing begins at Del Mar on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.  It will be the most lucrative day of the sport at the seaside oval this summer with five Graded stakes on the bill, including the $1-million Pacific Classic, the richest race in the west.