Mystik Dan © Zoe Metz

MYSTIK DAN ADDS TO LIST OF KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS AT DEL MAR

The scratch of Sovereignty from this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic has deprived fans of witnessing a piece of Del Mar history this weekend. Never in the 88-year existence of the track have two Derby winners run on the same day and we came to within four days of that happening. 

While the shutout remains intact fans will still get to see one Kentucky Derby winner on Saturday, day two of the World Championships. The 2024 Derby winner Mystik Dan is slated to run in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. 

Kentucky Derby winner sightings at Del Mar have been somewhat rare over the years. In the past 50 years, only eight winners of the Run For the Roses have made an appearance at the seaside oval, some in the same year they won the coveted Derby, others later in their careers.

Here’s the list:

Gato Del Sol won the 1982 Kentucky Derby and returned to Del Mar in 1983. He won the Cabrillo Handicap and ran second in the G2 Del Mar Handicap. The big gray son of Cougar II broke his maiden at Del Mar in 1981 and also won the G1 Del Mar Futurity that year.

Ferdinand won the 1986 Kentucky Derby. In 1987 he captured the Cabrillo Handicap at Del Mar, the year he won Horse of the Year.

Unbridled won the 1990 Kentucky Derby. Though based back east at trainer Carl Nafzger’s barn, the colt came out to Del Mar for the inaugural running of the Pacific Classic where he ran third behind the winner Best Pal and runner up Twilight Agenda. 

Silver Charm broke his maiden at Del Mar in 1996 before winning the G2 Del Mar Futurity in his next race. He would go on to win the 1997 Kentucky Derby. He returned here in 1998 and ran fifth in the G3 San Diego Handicap.

War Emblem was unbeatable at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May 2002, winning the Kentucky Derby by four lengths. Baffert brought his prized colt to Del Mar later that year for the G1 Pacific Classic and ran sixth.

Giacomo shocked the racing world when he upset the 2005 Kentucky Derby at 50-1. The John Shirreffs trainee came to Del Mar the following year and won the G2 San Diego Handicap before running fifth in the G1 Pacific Classic.

California Chrome loved racing at Del Mar. He raced here five times before and after his 2014 Kentucky Derby victory, winning four times. He returned to Del Mar in the fall of his Derby conquest and won the G1 Hollywood Derby, the first time it was ever run at Del Mar and the first and only time ‘Chrome’ had ever raced on the grass. Then in 2016, on his way to his second Horse of the Year honor, the big chestnut son of Lucky Pulpit won the G2 San Diego and the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Mandaloun found out he won the Kentucky Derby about a year after they ran the race in 2021 when the first-place finisher, Medina Spirit, was disqualified. The newly crowned winner showed up at Del Mar in the summer of 2022 and ran fourth in the G2 San Diego Handicap.

Of all the runners, none were Triple Crown winners. The closest Del Mar got to hosting a Triple Crown winner was in 2015 when American Pharoah made his career debut here, running fifth that day. It would be over a year and nine races later before he lost another race. In that span he won the G1 Del Mar Futurity, the Kentucky Derby and the first Triple Crown in 37 years. While he would spend the summer following his Derby win in trainer Bob Baffert’s Del Mar stable, and even take a few spins around the seaside oval, American Pharoah would never race at Del Mar following his Triple Crown campaign.

Other Kentucky Derby winners that ran at Del Mar before their Derby victory were Real Quiet, Charismatic, I’ll Have Another, Nyquist, and Authentic. They would go on to Derby fame but never return Del Mar.

DEL MAR SERVES UP QUALITY STAKES UNDERCARD FRIDAY

Breeders’ Cup will be serving the main course for this weekend’s feast of world championship racing but Del Mar has put together a nice collection of appetizers leading up to the main event.

On Friday, four quality stakes races will fill the undercard.

$200,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

It’s a one-mile turf event for 2-year-olds. Trainer Bob Baffert’s Plutarch is the morning line favorite even though he has yet to break his maiden. The son of Into Mischief ran second in his racing debut at Del Mar in August then two weeks later came back and ran second in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf. 

Baffert took his colt off the grass and ran him in the G1 American Pharoah where he gave a good account of himself, running a close third behind Intrepido and stablemate Desert Gate. 

“He ran well in the maiden race and the stake here,” Baffert notes of Plutarch’s first two races. “He had a chance to win in the American Pharoah. I think he’s a dirt horse but I’m going to put him back on the turf.”

Dr. Agne ships in for trainer Cherie DeVaux. He’s another son of Into Mischief who’s been keeping some impressive company in New York and Kentucky. He finished fourth in both the G3 With Anticipation at the Spa and then in the G2 Bourbon at Keeneland.

“It was an improved race,” DeVaux says of Dr. Agne’s effort in the Bourbon. “It’s always tough from an outside post but I think he made the best of it. It’s a tough race and he’ll have to take another step forward but I think it’s in his wheelhouse.”

$175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies

This is a seven-furlong test for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies on the main track. It pits the top three finishers in this past summer’s Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar.

Too Sassy wore down Liberation in that race and won by 3 ¼ lengths in the 5 ½ furlong sprint. Mohaven’s closing run was not enough to catch the winner but it did earn her second place when she ran down her stablemate Liberation.

“The jock says she got a little intimidated on the inside when she couldn’t make the lead,” Juan Leyva, assistant trainer to John Sadler says of Mohaven. “That’s not to say she can’t lay off so if she can’t make the lead (Friday) I don’t see why she couldn’t lay off half a length, be comfortable on the outside and make a big run at the end.”

Liberation came back and dominated an entry-level allowance race at Santa Anita earlier this month. 

“When she ran here in the stakes I think she went too fast too early and that’s not her style,” Leyva contends. “She likes to sit and relax and make a big move at the end and that’s what she did at Santa Anita in that allowance race.”

Six of the 12 entries in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies are coming into the race off of their maiden victories including Miss Kona who won at Del Mar in August. 

“She seems to relish running on the inside where I think she’ll be,“ trainer Peter Eurton noted. “She’s not real quick but she’s got a pretty good turn of foot. We’ll see if that same filly shows up.”

$200,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes 

This is the only stakes race on the undercard for older horses. It’s a five furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares. 

Trainer Jeff Mullins is bringing back Queen Maxima. She hasn’t raced since running in the G3 Green Flash on Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar. After reeling off five wins in a row, culminating in a victory in the G3 Unbridled Sydney at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day, the daughter of Bucchero finished sixth in the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar in July and then sixth in the Green Flash.

Shoot It True has shipped in from New York for trainer Wesley Ward. 

“It’s five-eighths on the grass and where else are you going to run on the grass now?” Blake Heath, assistant trainer to Wesley Ward says of bringing the daughter of Munnings out west. “It’s a good race for her and we’ll try to win one out here. Just gotta get lucky now.”

Shoot It True has won her last two races, both at the distance and surface as the Ken Maddy, albeit allowance races. 

Jungle Peace is back in town for trainer Philip D’Amato after making a trip to Kentucky Downs where she ran fifth in the G2 Music City. 

“She got into a world of trouble in there,“ trainer Philip D’Amato says. “She broke well, then got squeezed and went from a great tactical spot to coming from behind. Normally a horse like that on that course will give up but she kept fighting.”

Prior to the Music City the Irish-bred had won the G3 Senorita at Santa Anita in the spring and then ran fifth in the G2 San Clemente at Del Mar in the summer. 

“We’ve determined she’s better around one turn,” D’Amato continues. “She’s running against older but she’s training extremely well.”

$175,000 Golden State Juvenile 

It’s the last of the undercard races for Cal-bred 2-year-olds. Ocean Bear is the morning line favorite following back-to-back wins. He broke his maiden at Del Mar on closing weekend and then won an entry-level allowance race at Santa Anita.

“He ran a good race,” trainer George Papaprodromou says. “He saved ground and then made a good move on the turn and just went by them. Hopefully he gets a good position, doesn’t get in trouble and find his way out.”

Trainer Doug O’Neill brings two to the dance. Pavlovian ran second to Desert Gate in the G3 Best Pal at Del Mar this summer then ran second to Ocean Bear last out. O’Neill’s other entry is Thirsty Rebel. They tried him on the turf last out with less than desirable results.

“We had to try it because he’s by Stay Thirsty,” explains Leandro Mora, assistant trainer to O’Neill. “He wanted nothing to do with the green so it’s back to dirt.”

Before the turf experiment, Thirsty Rebel missed by a nose to Max Ciao in the I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar in September. 

Sadler also brings two colts to the Golden State Juvenile. Can’t Help Myself ran third in the entry-level allowance race with Ocean Bear and Pavlovian. He also saddles Sammy Davis, winner of the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar last summer. The son of Sir Prancealot finished fifth in the I’m Smokin’ a month later.

“The post hurt us,” Leyva notes. “He was down on the inside. He didn’t have any other choice but to go. He needs to rate and come from off the pace. He doesn’t need to be too far back but he can just sit off and stalk.”

The first post Friday is 11:35 a.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUCTION BRINGS KEENELAND SALES TO DEL MAR

High bids marked the second annual Keeneland Championship Auction held in the paddock at Del Mar Wednesday night as Breeders’ Cup festivities continue at the seaside oval.

The top bid of the night was $3 million for a share of leading sire Not This Time, purchased by Hill ‘n Dale at Xalapa. It was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency and was unique in that it offered the buyer all income from Not This Time’s 2025 breeding season. The 11-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Hill ‘n Dale at Xalapa also purchased the 20% fractional ownership in Thorpedo Anna for $1 million. The farm already had a share in the 2024 Horse of the Year who has been retired and will begin her broodmare career at Hill ‘n Dale next year. 

Two other million dollar bids were made at the Championship Auction. Emerald Edge purchased a share in the Winstar Farm Stallion, Life Is Good, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar in 2021. 

Michael and Jules Iavarone secured a 25% fractional share of Bentornato for $1 million. He’s the morning line favorite in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint. 

Other notable purchases included $700,000 for a 25% fractional share of Mullikin, another contestant in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint. That was made by RB Bloodstock, agent for Storyteller Racing. 

Morplay Racing purchased a share in Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Mindframe for $550,000. 

COOLING OUT: Scottish Lassie is the latest horse to be scratched from this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. The 3-year-old daughter of McKinzie suffered a minor issue with her right foreleg, according to trainer Jorge Abreu. She was set to start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Saturday…Just one Breeders’ Cup work on Thursday as trainer Andrew Balding gave his Breeders’ Cup Mile runner, Jonquil, a two furlong blowout on the turf (:26.20). Another workout of note: Mrs. Astor, last year’s winner of the G3 Red Carpet Stakes at Del Mar, went five furlongs in 1:02.20 on the main track for trainer Jonathan Thomas.