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FALL STAKES SCHEDULE SETS DEL MAR APART FROM THE OTHERS
You get a pretty good idea of the quality of a Thoroughbred meet by its stakes schedule. That’s one of the reasons why Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season has become one of the premier meets of the fall, highlighted by the Turf Festival at the end of the month, this year sponsored by the folks at FanDuel Racing. It not only provides quality grass racing, which is hard to find this time of year, but those graded stakes races also provide connections of contending champions with one more opportunity to pad the resume before voting takes place at the end of the year.
The 13th Bing Crosby Season kicks off Friday with eight races highlighted by the first of the 15 stakes races on tap at Del Mar over the next four weeks. The $100,000 Let It Ride Stakes is for 3-year-olds going one mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Named after the popular Richard Dreyfuss movie, the Let It Ride was won last year by Tempus Volat, a son of Not This Time who went on to run second in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile on opening day at Santa Anita.
The stakes schedule, which offers $2.1 million in purses over the 13-day meet, continues Saturday with the $100,000 The Chosen Vron Stakes for Cal-breds 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the main track. It was the third victory in a five-race win streak for Man O Rose last year. He has become one of the top Cal-breds of 2026.
Sunday’s racing at Del Mar is highlighted by the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, another seven-furlong test on the main track, this time for the lady Cal-breds. Racing’s newest millionaire, Grand Slam Smile is expected to return to Del Mar to defend her title in the race she won last year.
Two more stakes races are slated for the following weekend. Saturday, November 14, the girls are in the spotlight in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes. It’s seven furlongs on the main track for 2-year-old fillies. Revera won the race last year and went on to take a brief swing on the Kentucky Oaks trail.
Sunday the 15th, Del Mar serves up its first of nine graded stakes this fall. It’s the G3 Bob Hope for 2-year-olds, also seven furlongs on the main track. Nysos won the race in 2023 and went on to an impressive career: 10 starts, eight wins including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the G2 San Diego Handicap both at Del Mar in 2025.
The G3 Native Diver Stakes highlights week three of the Bing Crosby Season. It’s a 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up. Nevada Beach won the race last year, trainer Bob Baffert’s fourth win in the Native Diver in the last five years. It’s also been won by the likes of Defunded and Dortmund over the years. Mr. A.P., winner last out of the Tokyo Cup at Santa Anita and runner-up to Ted Noffey in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, may make his next start in the Native Diver.
Thanksgiving racing returns to Del Mar this fall after a one-year hiatus. It marks the start of this year’s FanDuel Racing Turf Festival, nine stakes races of which seven are graded. The $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes is first up on Turkey Day, November 26. Run at the marathon distance of 1 3/8’s miles on the turf, the race for fillies and mares has been won the past two years by Mrs. Astor, a daughter of Lookin At Lucky, for trainer Jonathan Thomas. She’s retired from racing but Thomas is back with an arsenal of new prospects.
Racing on Black Friday, November 27, is highlighted by the 45th running of the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup, 3-year-olds and up going a mile and a half on the grass. This race also has been won the past two years by Thomas who did it back-to-back with Truly Quality, a son of Quality Road, who recently took down the $75,000 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma.
Things heat up on Saturday the 28th when three stakes races are run: the G3 Jimmy Durante for 2-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf; the G2 Seabiscuit for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass and the G1 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the lawn.
And as if that’s not enough, the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival continues on closing day of the Bing Crosby meet, November 29, with four stakes races: the $100,000 Stormy Liberal for turf sprinters; the G3 Cecil B. DeMille for 2-year-olds going one mile; the G1 Matriarch for fillies and mares going a mile, and finally the lone dirt stakes on closing weekend the one mile G3 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares.
Racing will be conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sundays during the Bing Crosby Season with first post at 12:30 p.m except Thankgiving Day when racing starts at 11 a.m.
DEL MAR WELL REPRESENTED IN THIS YEAR’S BREEDERS’ CUP
There was no shortage of horses with Del Mar connections running in this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Here’s a rundown on how they fared.
Six horses represented Del Mar on Future Stars Friday. Bob Baffert’s Hughes had the best finish, winning the Juvenile. The Del Mar Futurity winner stamped himself an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
Another Baffert horse, the G1 Del Mar Debutante winner Miss Monica, came with a late threatening charge but fell short to Emphatic in the Juvenile Fillies. Domain Expansion was fifth the race. Ruiva, runner-up in the G3 Sorrento this summer, drew into the Juvenile Turf Sprint and finished ninth. Vanta was 13th in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and He Is No Lie stumbled badly at the start and finished last in the Juvenile.
Then on Saturday, 20 horses with Del Mar connections ran in the Breeders’ Cup.
Filly and Mare Sprint
Explora – The daughter of Blame broke her maiden at Del Mar in 2025 and followed with a runner-up finish in the G1 Del Mar Debutante. She ran third for Baffert on Saturday.
Majestic Oops – Ran a close fourth in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch this summer for trainer Philip D’Amato. She ran sixth Saturday.
Simply Joking – The daughter of Practical Joke was in the mix in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch finishing third in the race, just a length and a half back. Saturday, she ran seventh for trainer Michael McCarthy.
Sweet Azteca – The three-time winner of the G3 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar ran eleventh and last on Saturday for trainer Richard Baltas and jockey Juan Hernandez.
Turf Sprint
Bacio – Won an entry allowance race at Del Mar during the fall meet last year before going on to big conquests across the pond this year. Hernandez stuck with him and was rewarded with his first Breeders’ Cup victory in the five and a half furlong test.
Yellow Card – Spent the summer of 2025 at Del Mar and won a second level allowance race. He returned in the fall and ran a close fifth in the $125,000 Stormy Liberal at the seaside oval. He only managed a sixth-place finish Saturday for McCarthy and Flavien Prat.
Sorrento Sky - The winner of the G2 Green Flash this summer at Del Mar finished seventh for D’Amato and jockey Umberto Rispoli.
Dirt Mile
Full Serrano – The Argentine-bred made his U.S. debut at Del Mar in the summer of 2024, winning an entry level allowance race. He would parlay that into a runner-up finish in the Pacific Classic and then a win in the Dirt Mile a couple of months later. Saturday, he ran third for jockey Joel Rosario and trainer John Sadler.
Moonlight – Finished a fast-closing third in the G1 Bing Crosby this summer, then ran second in the G2 Pat O’Brien. He was fourth Saturday for trainer Peter Miller.
Iron Man Cal – The winner of this year’s G2 Pat O’Brien finished last of 10 horses Saturday for D’Amato.
Filly and Mare Turf
Gimme A Nother – The winner of the 2025 G2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar was runner-up to Kathynmarissa on Saturday.
Sprint
Liam Smith – The longshot was claimed by Miller at Del Mar for $50,000 two races back when he won by 12 lengths. He ran a respectable third on Saturday.
Listenupshance – Won the ‘Win and You’re In’ G1 Bing Crosby this summer. The O’Neill trainee finished eighth on Saturday.
Roll on Big Joe – The big gray has only run once at Del Mar, finishing fifth in the 2025 Bing Crosby. But he’s trained by Del Mar regular Bob Hess, Jr. They came in 10th.
Mad House – Ran fourth in this summer’s G1 Bing Crosby. He finished 11th.
Mile
Formidable Man – Del Mar’s top grass horse in 2025 finished a close 3rd in this year’s Eddie Read. He ran 10th on Saturday for McCarthy.
Cabo Spirit – The son of Pioneerof the Nile has finished second in the last two runnings of the G2 Eddie Read. Saturday, he drifted badly on the backstretch and came in 12th for trainer George Papaprodromou and regular rider Mike Smith.
Distaff
Super Corredora – Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner started her career at Del Mar in the summer of 2025. She managed a fourth-place finish on Saturday for Sadler and Rosario.
Eunomia – She shipped into Del Mar and won the G1 Clement L. Hirsch this year. She didn’t fare nearly as well on Saturday, finishing sixth.
Classic
Knightsbridge – The G1 Pacific Classic winner represented Del Mar in this year’s Classic and finished third.
It should be noted that horses who shipped in and ran their only races at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup races in 2024 and 2025 were not included on this list.
COOLING OUT: As of Tuesday morning, over 50 horses have moved into Del Mar’s backside barn area with more on the way. Up to 300 will eventually set up residence for the month. The majority of the fall runners ship down from Los Angeles either the night before, or the day of, their race…Doug O’Neill and Richard Baltas are the latest trainers to set up shop on the backside. O’Neill has a string of 25 horses he’ll rotate in and out with horses from the remainder of his string up at Santa Anita…Trainer Jonathan Thomas was one of the first stables to arrive with a string of horses. The conditioner has brought his entire stock of 25 horses to Del Mar this fall…Entries for the The Chosen Vron Stakes along with this Saturday’s card will be drawn Wednesday. Sunday’s card including the Betty Grable Stakes will be drawn Thursday…The main track opened for training on Monday.