Formidable Man © Benoit Photo
SHIPPERS ADD SPECIAL SPICE TO SALTY G1 BING CROSBY
It wouldn’t be a Grade I at Del Mar if it didn’t have out-of-state shippers and, with the Breeders’ Cup returning to the seaside oval in November, there’s even more reason to ship in and give it a shot.
Trainers Gregory Sacco and Rodolphe Brissett are both here this weekend for just that reason. Both have horses entered in Saturday’s G1 Bing Crosby, the first of six Grade I events this summer at Del Mar and the first of six ‘Win and You’re In’ races this season.
Sacco comes in from the East Coast with Crazy Mason, winner of the G2 Carter at Aqueduct in April. He’s using this visit to Del Mar as a sort of reconnaissance mission.
“To see if he likes Del Mar, the ship and everything that entails coming out for the Breeders’ Cup,” Sacco says. “He’s in great form and doing super so it just made sense at this time to try him to see if he handles the ship, handles the track and if he’s good enough to compete in the Breeders’ Cup.”
So far Crazy Mason has passed all the tests.
“Everything’s been perfect,” Sacco states. “He really shipped like a pro. Bounced over the track the last two days; head into the feed tub. So we couldn’t have asked for a better ship. He’s just settled in great.”
Crazy Mason is a 4-year-old son of the Stay Thirsty stallion Coal Front. He had his three-race win streak snapped last out when he caught a sloppy track at Saratoga and ran third in the G3 True North. Unlike many in the Bing Crosby, Crazy Mason is a true closer, though he hasn’t always been.
“He got bumped hard leaving the gate a couple of starts ago,” Sacco recalls. “He never really dropped back that far until that day. Horses, they remember everything so the last two times he’s been slightly hesitant and farther back than we would like. He’s not a rocket out of there by any means but he’s certainly not a lethargic horse either. We’re hoping he comes out and is within range and not in another zip code.”
Brisset’s World Record is one of the expected front runners in the Crosby, a style that may have cost him in his last race when got run down and just missed in the G3 Aristides at Churchill Downs.
“It didn’t work the way we were looking at it,” Brisset says about the race setup. “Skelly (the race favorite) missed the break and when he rushed up there (to the front) we hooked him. I saw the :20.3 and 43-flat. The fact that we held on for second was pretty amazing.”
Like Sacco, Brisset is attracted to the ‘Win and You’re In‘, which guarantees the winner a spot in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar in the fall. He’s also hoping to learn something about his horse this weekend.
“Mainly (we’re here) to try to win a Grade I with a good runner,” Brisset explains. “But you also give it a try so that, if you have to come back in the fall, you know if he likes the track. The Bing Crosby is the only Grade one in America going six furlongs before the Breeders’ Cup.”
Brissett has two very fast sprinters in his care, both with eyes on the Breeders’ Cup. Mullikin is the other and by bringing World Record out west, he can keep his two speedballs separated.
The 80th running of the G1 Bing Crosby is Race 10 on the 11-race program. Probable post is 6:30 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Crazy Mason (Christopher Elliott, 6-1); Dr. Venkman (Antonio Fresu, 4-1); Hejazi (Juan Hernandez, 7/2); Smooth Cruisein (Kyle Frey, 20-1); World Record (Flavien Prat, 3-1); Roll On Big Joe (Julien Leparoux, 6-1); Mbagnick (Armando Ayuso, 5-1); Spirit of Makena (Abel Cedillo, 20-1), and Lovesick Blues (Geovanni Franco, 20-1).
GOLD PHOENIX, FORMIDABLE MAN CLASH IN SUNDAY’S G2 EDDIE READ
When you spend as many summers at Del Mar as the veteran Thoroughbred Gold Phoenix, you tend to build a nice little fan base. He’s been the Del Mar summer meet’s top grass horse two year’s running. But there’s a new shooter on the scene, aptly named Formidable Man, looking to displace the king of the hill.
The two titans will meet Sunday in the 52nd running of the G2 Eddie Read, a mile and an eighth test on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Gold Phoenix won the race two years ago then ran a disappointing seventh last year.
The Irish-bred is now in his fourth summer at the seaside oval. He has won Del Mar’s top summer grass race for older horses, the G2 Del Mar Handicap, an unprecedented three straight years.
Gold Phoenix has run twice in 2025 and is coming off of his first trip out of California since arriving here in 2021. The chestnut gelding ran fourth in the G1 Turf Classic on Derby Day at Churchill Downs.
“I thought he ran a good race,” trainer Philip D’Amato says. “It rained all week and the bad part of the racecourse was the inside. Nobody was coming up the inside. Unfortunately, that was the only option Umberto (Rispoli) had. He rallied strong but caught the deeper part of the racecourse.”
D’Amato is hoping the Eddie Read will set up Gold Phoenix for another run at the Del Mar Handicap on August 30.
“I think the competition is a smidge easier,” D’Amato says of the Eddie Read compared to what Gold Phoenix ran against in the Grade I in Kentucky. “We know he likes the turf course so hopefully that’ll do the trick.”
Enter Formidable Man, the young buck looking to unseat the cagey veteran. He’s put together a pretty nice resume the past two years at Del Mar. After breaking his maiden here in 2023, he won all three of his races at Del Mar in 2024: the Oceanside, the G2 Del Mar Derby and the G1 Hollywood Derby.
“He thrives down here at Del Mar,” trainer Michael McCarthy notes. “His record here is exemplary.”
The 4-year-old son of City of Light remains in top form, capturing the G1 Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita earlier this year before running a close fourth in the G1 Shoemaker Mile.
“I thought we were just too far back,” McCarthy says. “Just the way things shaped up he was farther back than we would have liked. It was unfortunate because I thought he ran a winning race.”
There are a couple of other contenders who could crash Sunday’s party.
Trainer Peter Eurton brings his ridgling Stay Hot to the dance. He won the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar last year then ran second in the G2 Del Mar Derby, second in the G2 Twilight Derby and then second again in the G2 Mathis Mile before Eurton gave him a break.
“We’ll turn them out so they can have an opportunity to grow a little bit,” Eurton states. “Develop and relax. Get over their long 2-year-old and 3-year-old campaigns. He was running at the end of his two and then the whole year. He came back and his workouts were much different -- 58 and change. Doing things the right way without being asked.”
The 4-year-old son of Summer Front made his 4-year-old debut a winning one in the Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star Park last month.
Cabo Spirit has developed into a horse to be reckoned with. He won the La Jolla Handicap and the G2 Twilight Derby in 2022 then went nearly two years without a victory before taking last year’s G2 John Henry Turf Classic. This year he ran third in the Kilroe Mile, just three-quarters of a length behind Formidable Man. He followed with a win in the G3 American, then just missed in a three-way blanket finish in the Shoemaker Mile.
There’s also Atitlan, a sharp 4-year-old bay colt who has stepped up his game in 2025. He won the G3 San Luis Rey turf marathon in March and then returned on Derby Day and won the G2 Charlie Whittingham at Santa Anita.
The Eddie Read is Race 9 on the 11-race Sunday program at Del Mar. Probable post time is 6 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Dicey Mo Chara (Juan Hernandez, 12-1); Balnikhov (Kazushi Kimura, 10-1); Atitlan (Hector I Berrios, 4-1). Formidable Man (Umberto Rispoli, 5/2); Gold Phoenix (Kyle Frey, 3-1); Stay Hot (Antonio Fresu, 6-1); Cabo Spirit (Mike Smith, 5-1), and Balladeer (Abel Cedillo, 20-1).
JUAN HERNANDEZ TEES-UP NEW SEASON AT DEL MAR
On most days during the week, you’ll find jockey Juan Hernandez at the track riding horses or in the gym working out. You don’t get to be the top rider without staying involved and in shape. But nearly every Tuesday, a dark day for racing in Southern California, Hernandez hooks up with a few of his fellow riders and they hit the links.
“Right now it’s really good,” Hernandez says of his golf game. “I was playing really bad. I don’t know why. Golf’s weird. It can be really tough and difficult. You play great and then the next week you play like you never played before and that’s me.
“I play with some jockeys, some trainers or some agents,” Hernandez adds. “We just go and have fun, try and forget about the horses a little bit. We enjoy the day. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses.”
The golf course might be the only place his fellow jockeys can get the upper hand on the rider who has become a dominant figure in Southern California racing. And unfortunately for the rest of the jockey colony, Hernandez has no plans of quitting his day job to become a professional golfer.
Hernandez has won four straight riding titles at Del Mar and six of the last seven dating back to the fall of 2021. He had won seven straight titles up at Santa Anita, dating back to 2023’s winter meet before Antonio Fresu broke the string at this past spring’s Hollywood meet.
He’s back this year to defend his summer title and has every intention of keeping the streak alive. With an agent like Craig O’Brien and quality horses from trainers like Bob Baffert, there’s no reason to think his name won’t be at the top of the jockey standings on September 8.
“This is a really nice place,” Hernandez says. “The life here is really nice. It’s right next to the beach. Del Mar has a lot of races. Four days and big fields; I love that.”
Still, Hernandez has been branching out the past couple of years, piling up the frequent flier miles with trips to New Mexico and Arkansas.
“If you have a good horse going out-of-town you have to take the chance,” Hernandez notes. “I went to Keeneland for a weekend and did pretty good. I won a couple of races for Mike Maker and then went up to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby weekend. I rode Queen Maxima up there and we won a big stakes with her. I rode another winner for Baffert, Fort Bragg. I finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. I’m glad I did pretty good and I appreciate the support from the owners and trainers.”
He attributes much of his success to O’Brien.
“Craig is a really good agent,” Hernandez says. “He has a good relationship with the trainers and owners. I think that’s an advantage. He’s been in this business a long time so he knows his job. I think he’s been a big part of my success.”
As for his motivation, Hernandez doesn’t have to look any further than his family.
“I love riding,” Hernandez states. “Ever since I was a little kid and watched my Dad ride horses I knew that I wanted to be a jockey. I just fell in love with the horses. I have a family here and in Mexico. I get a lot of support from them and they expect me to do good. So I can’t let them down.”
So what’s left for the 33-year old jockey. He’s won a lot of riding titles but he hasn’t hit the holy grails of racing, the Kentucky Derby or a Breeders’ Cup race.
“Since I moved here to the U-S-A I’ve been watching all the big races and one of the goals is to one day win one of those races,” he says. “I’ve finished a lot of seconds in the Breeders’ Cup and now I’m getting more opportunities and more good horses so hopefully this year, or pretty soon, I can win one of those big races.”
Another big race he’d like to add to his resume is Del Mar’s Pacific Classic.
“I’ve been close and I’ll keep working hard and try to win it this year.”
COOLING OUT: Om N Joy, winner of Friday’s Fleet Treat Stakes, came out her race in good order. Trainer Aggie Ordonez says her filly finished her dinner last night and came out of it great. She’ll point to the G3 Torrey Pines on the Pacific Classic undercard…Jockey Kazushi Kimura and trainer Mark Glatt took the early daily double Friday with Clampett in Race 1 and Smart Code in Race 2…Two top jocks enter and one leaves, at least for one day. Jockey Flavien Prat is in town Saturday for one of his cameo appearances of the summer meet. Prat has six mounts including Brant in Race 4, Nysos in the San Diego and World Record in the Bing Crosby. Julien Leparoux makes a rare summer appearance at Del Mar to ride Roll On Big Joe in the Crosby. Meanwhile, regular Del Mar rider Hector I. Berrios is back east to ride Baeza in the G2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga. They’re accompanied by trainer John Shirreffs…The leading jockey, trainer and owner from 2024 summer meet will be honored in the winner’s circle after Race 3 Saturday. Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert and Kosta and Stephanie Hronis will be presented with beautiful Longines watches…Johannes put in his final work at Del Mar before he ships out Tuesday to Saratoga. He went 5-furlongs in 1:00.40. Trainer Tim Yakteen decided to bypass the G2 Eddie Read and run his Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up in the G1 Fourstardave on August 2…Another busy morning for clockers at Del Mar. 219 horses put in official works. Notable works for Saturday: Dirt – Nothing Like You (4f, :48.80); Barnes (5f, :59.00); Speedy Wilson (5f, 1:00.40); Sugar Fish (5f, 1:02.20), and Hope Road (6f, 1:12.00).