Published Thursday, September 3rd, 2020   ( 3 years ago )

"Secret" Vs. "Lady" Saturday in Del Mar's John C. Mabee

Lady Prancealot (IRE) | Benoit Photo

Lady Prancealot (IRE) © Benoit Photo

The 63rd edition of the John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar Saturday has drawn a field of eight older fillies and mares headed by a pair of on-the-rise 4-year-olds in Raymundos Secret and Lady Prancealot.

The Grade II race with its $150,000 purse goes as the 10th of 11 on a card that will have an early starting time of 1 p.m.

Raymundos Secret, a Florida-bred by a British stallion named Treasure Beach, comes into the mile and one-eighth Mabee off a photo-finish tally in a one-mile allowance race at Del Mar on August 14. That was the first start by the Phil D’Amato-trained bay since October 26 of last year, so it surely should serve as a good tightener. It was also the filly’s fourth win in six lifetime starts, all on the green. She races for the partnership of Sierra Racing or Sterling Stables.

Lady Prancealot, who does her running out of the barn of trainer Richard Baltas, comes into the Mabee off a series of stakes tries against some of the better grass fillies and mares on the west coast. The Irish-bred by Sir Prancealot most recently finished fourth – beaten less than two lengths despite trouble along the way – in the Grade II Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar on August 8. Last year she won the Grade III Valley View at Keeneland and the Grade I American Oaks at Santa Anita and sports a bankroll of $574,841. She’s owned by McClanahan, Iavarone or Parkland Thoroughbreds.

Interestingly, though not surprisingly, the top two riders at the session – Umberto Rispoli and Flavien Prat – ride the top two fillies in the feature. Rispoli will get a leg up on Lady Prancealot, while Prat goes aboard Raymundos Secret.

Here’s the full field for the headliner from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Amerman Racing’s Catch the Eye (J.C. Diaz, Jr., 15-1); Lady Prancealot (5/2); Sondereker, Lewkowitz or Albert, et al’s Don’t Blame Judy (Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1); Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams’ Pulpit Rider (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Little Red Feather Racing’s Zee Drop (Abel Cedillo, 6-1); Jeong or Johnson’s Meal Ticket (Tiago Pereira, 15-1); Hronis Racing’s Quick (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 8-1), and Raymundos Secret (2-1).

Pulpit Rider comes into the Mabee off a photo-finish score in the Solana Beach Stakes for California-breds going a mile on the grass at Del Mar on August 15. The 5-year-old mare by the late Lucky Pulpit has won six races and more than $460,000 in purses.

Zee Drop, a 4-year-old chestnut by Lemon Drop Kid, steps into stakes competition for the first time. She’s won three of her eight lifetime outings, including a victory on the green at Del Mar last September.