El Potente © Benoit Photo

Speedy El Potente looks to stay perfect this year in the Grade II $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap going one and one sixteenth miles on the turf. Saturday's Seabiscuit is part of FanDuel Racing Turf Festival for closing weekend at Del Mar. 

Coming back off a nine-month layoff, El Potente is looking for his third consecutive victory this year. Earning his first stakes win in a dominant fashion in the Grade III Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita on February 1, he received a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Since coming into Dan Blacker’s barn in January of 2023 he has been a token of consistency for owners My Way Racing, hitting the board in his last 10 starts. El Potente is 14-6-2-2 overall with $248,796 in earnings. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios who has been aboard for his last two wins. 

Cabo Spirit will be making his third appearance in the Seabiscuit Handicap, running sixth in the 2023 edition and tenth in last year’s running. His most recent start was the Grade II City of Hope Mile September 27 where he came in second one and a quarter lengths behind highly regarded Johannes. Running second in the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes going a mile and an eighth here on July 27, Cabo Spirit has been winless since taking the Grade III American Stakes by three quarters of a length at Santa Anita in April. Owned by Kretz Racing and trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit is 37-6-5-9 with $1,296,336 in earnings. He will be reunited with Umberto Rispoli who last rode him in April of 2023.

Field of nine in post-position order: Scoobie Quando, Kazushi Kimura 118; Sumter, Mike Smith 121; Almendares, John Velazquez 123; Call Sign Seven, Ricardo Gonzalez 116; El Potente, Hector Berrios 121; Astronomer, Antonio Fresu 119; Old Pal, Kent Desormeaux 118; Cabo Spirit, Umberto Rispoli 123; Stay Hot, Juan Hernandez 123. 

First post time for an 11-race card is 11:30 AM, admission gates open at 10:30 AM. The Seabiscuit Handicap is slated as the fifth race with an approximate post time of 1:30 PM.