Del Mar Paddock © Zoe Metz
HORSE RACING’S BIGGEST DAY HAS ARRIVED AT DEL MAR
Let’s get this party started!
It’s time for the highly anticipated 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships, running at Del Mar for the second year in a row. The preparations for the big event have been going on for months and in the past few weeks the transformation of the Del Mar Fairgrounds has been remarkable.
Crews have been working to spruce-up the joint. Men with brushes and paint cans have been wandering the hallways touching up the walls. Full gardens have sprung up literally overnight in flower beds that were empty just the day before.
A constant flow of trucks of all sizes and shapes have made their way onto the Plaza de Mexico to drop off their party goods which in turn have made their way up to the suites and restaurants of Del Mar.
Large tents and other structures have been built to provide seating and shelter for the thousands of fans that are expected Friday and Saturday. Everything is bathed in Breeders’ Cup purple. The entire Clubhouse entry is covered in a lush purple carpet.
This is the fourth time Del Mar has hosted the Breeders’ Cup. Larry Collmus will once again be at the mic calling the races from atop the grandstand. This will be his 14th Breeders’ Cup.
Reporters from around the world have descended on the Fairgrounds. It is an international event with 13 countries represented in this year’s races. Mother Nature has served up a picture postcard weekend with sunny skies and temperatures in the low seventies. Just what you would expect when visiting Southern California.
LOCALS HORSES TO WATCH IN FRIDAY’S BREEDERS’ CUP RACES
Del Mar will be well represented in this year’s Breeders’ Cup with a total of 13 horses, who ran at the seaside oval this summer, running in today’s Breeders’ Cup races. If you’re a horse-for-course player or if you’re just looking for a local horse to follow, here’s the list of local runners competing on today’s Future Stars Program.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
Later Than Planned – He drew in with the scratch of Military Code. The Irish-bred broke his maiden at Del Mar in his U.S. debut but then ran seventh in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Trainer Philip D’Amato shortened him up and he won the $100,000 Speakeasy turf sprint at Santa Anita next out.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Bottle of Rouge – The last time we saw this filly she was upsetting a few of her stablemates and winning the G1 Del Mar Debutante. She’s one of two Bob Baffert horses in the race but the only one owned by his wife, Jill.
La Ville Lumiere – The daughter of City of Light ran fifth in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on closing weekend. Trainer Michael McCarthy ran her back in the G2 Oak Leaf and she finished third in the key Breeders’ Cup prep.
Explora – Here’s the other Baffert horse who is morning line favorite in this race. She finished second to Bottle of Rouge in the G1 Del Mar Debutante but rebounded and won the G2 Oak Leaf a month later at Santa Anita. “I like the fact that she can go two turns,” Baffert notes. “That is not going to be an issue for her, and she has speed if she wants to use it. She is not a one-dimensional horse.”
Super Corredora – Tried twice to break her maiden at Del Mar. She finished fifth in her debut behind La Wally, then ran second, beaten 6 ¾ lengths by Bottle of Rouge. She comes into this race for trainer John Sadler off an 8 ¼ length maiden score at Santa Anita
La Wally – Broke her maiden at Del Mar on opening weekend then ran third in the G1 Del Mar Debutante and second, beaten by 4 ¼ lengths to Explora in the G2 Oak Leaf. She’s trained by Mark Glatt and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Brave Deb – Broke her maiden at Del Mar on closing weekend then went up north and took the G3 Surfer Girl at Santa Anita at the same distance and surface as this race. She’s trained by Richard Mandella and jockey Mirco Demuro will be up.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Intrepido – Tried twice to break his maiden at Del Mar, succeeding in his second try. He followed up with an impressive victory in the G1 American Pharoah, a key Breeders’ Cup prep at Santa Anita. Jeff Mullins trains.
Mr. A.P. – Also tried twice to break his maiden at Del Mar. In his debut he ran for a tag and got claimed by Holly and David Wilson. In his first race for trainer Vladimir Cerin, the son of American Pharoah ran a close second. Cerin stretched him out to a mile in his next race at Santa Anita and he won.
Litmus Test – One of two Bob Baffert horses in the race. He broke his maiden at Del Mar then ran fourth in the G1 Del Mar Debutante and third in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
Brant – The other Baffert-trainee is undefeated after two races, both at Del Mar. He broke his maiden by 5 ¼ lengths in his debut and then captured the Del Mar Futurity six weeks later. The son of Gun Runner was a $3 million purchase last March by Amr Zedan.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Third Beer – Broke his maiden at Del Mar in August then ran second in the G3 Zuma Beach at Santa Anita earlier this month. The son of Mendelssohn is trained by Tim Yakteen.
Stark Contrast – Tried twice to break his maiden at Del Mar, running fourth in his debut in a dirt sprint but then hit pay dirt when trainer Michael McCarthy switched him to turf. He followed that win with a victory in the G3 Zuma Beach at the same distance and surface as this race
Hey Nay Nay – The undefeated son of No Nay Never won the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf on closing day at the same distance and surface as this race. Prior to that trainer John Sadler shipped him back east to Monmouth Park where he won a turf sprint by seven lengths.
G3 GOLDIKOVA HIGHLIGHTS SATURDAY’S BREEDERS’ CUP UNDERCARD
The undercard for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup races consists of two entry-level allowance races and the G3 Goldikova. A packed field of 13 fillies and mares will go to the gate for the one mile event on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Special Wan is the morning line favorite off of her dazzling win in the G3 Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs. The Irish-bred has run three times this year and won twice, starting the year with a win in the G3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park.
“She hasn’t done anything wrong whatsoever,” trainer Brendan Walsh comments. “She’s been doing great coming into this. She looks fantastic. Hopefully everything goes good and she gets a good trip. She should have a good shot.”
The only blemish on Special Wan’s resume this year is a third place finish in the G1 Just A Game on a yielding track at Saratoga on Belmont Stakes weekend.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux has shipped in Deep Satin from Keeneland for the Goldikova. The daughter of American Pharoah has run well this year with a win and two seconds from five starts, the win coming in the $135,000 De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga this summer.
She followed that with a runner up finish in the G2 Ballston Spa and a close fourth in the G1 First Lady at Keeneland.
“She ran excellent,” DeVaux says of Deep Satin’s run last out. “Outside post, a different rider and to come and lose the race by half a length in a grade one. She’s a filly with a lot of talent and she’s starting to prove that out on the racetrack.”
Deep Satin could earn herself a prolonged stay in Southern California.
“The plan is run her in the Goldikova,” Devaux notes, “and if she runs well we’ll leave her here to contest in the Matriarch.”
The G1 Matriarch is run on closing day of the Bing Crosby season on November 30.
Another horse shipping in for the Goldikova is Breath Away, an English-bred who has won her last two races including the G2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine last out.
“She was very impressive,” trainer Miguel Clement states. “We went back to basics with her. We rated her and as a result she had a better turn of foot. She used to have a very strong turn of foot in the early part of her career and maybe we messed it up by being a bit more forwardly placed. We took her back and she had a great turn of foot again.”
Prior to that race Breath Away won the $100,000 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Medoro leads the local contingent of horses running in the Goldikova. The daughter of Honor Code has run twice this year, both times at Del Mar. She won the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes in July then six weeks later returned to finish second to Gimme A Nother in the G2 John C. Mabee.
Medoro has run 10 times in her career, five times at Del Mar, and never finished out of the money for trainer Peter Eurton.
The G3 Goldikova is named after the three-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile. It’s Race 3 on the 12 race Breeders’ Cup card. Probable post time is 11:15 a.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Violeta M (Mike Smith, 30-1); Deep Satin (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 7/2); Special Wan (Joel Rosario, 2-1); Public Assembly (Antonio Fresu, 20-1); Medoro (Umberto Rispoli, 6-1); Nadette (Armando Ayuso, 15-1); Liguria (Jose Ortiz, 15-1); Crevalle d’Oro (John Velazquez, 20-1); Breath Away (Flavien Prat, 8-1); Lady Claypoole (Tiago Pereira, 12-1); Certitude (Hector Berrios, 20-1); Sun Of Hill (Kazushi Kimura, 30-1), and Temptable (Mickael Barzalona, 10-1).
ECONOMIC IMPACT AND OTHER BENEFITS TO HOSTING A BREEDERS’ CUP
Try to get a table at a restaurant or a hotel room in Del Mar this weekend. It won’t be easy. With thousands of horseracing fans visiting for the Breeders’ Cup getting a seat or a bed in and around Del Mar could be a monumental task.
It’s Breeders’ Cup weekend and people are in town spending their hard-earned money. The economic impact stretches throughout San Diego County, but most prominently in the coastal communities. Last year’s two-day Breeders’ Cup generated upwards of $100 million of economic impact benefit to the local community.
“It’s the summer race meet on steroids,” says Mike Ernst, Executive Vice President of Finance for the Del Mar racetrack. “We did an economic impact study of the summer meet here at Del Mar and it came out to $100 million. Breeders’ Cup did their own economic impact study of the two days they were here (last year) and it also came out to $100 million.”
By this time every year, the tourists who pack the beaches for the summer have all gone home leaving a bit of a void.
“End of October, early November is usually a slower time for the North County beach area,” Ernst states. “But when the Breeders’ Cup comes to town they take over the entire Grand Del Mar, the Hilton and L’Auberge.”
Dinner reservations at restaurants from Steak 48 to the Pamplemousse are hard to come by.
“The economic impact is generated by out-of-town visitors coming and spending money in our area,” Ernst notes. ”It’s not somebody from El Cajon who comes and has dinner in Del Mar.”
The Breeders’ Cup also has an impact on the Del Mar racing office.
“You deal with different individuals you normally wouldn’t deal with from an international perspective,“ says Racing Secretary David Jerkens. “So in addition to our local pool we’ve expanded. People are contacting me on a daily basis that normally wouldn’t. I’m dealing with more individuals than I would during a typical summer meet.”
There are also the trainers bringing their Breeders’ Cup horses to Del Mar who might add a few more to the shipment to run in the undercard races or other races during the opening weekend of the Bing Crosby season.
“Sometimes you get a trainer that’s looking at one of our undercard races,” Jerkens adds. “They look at our condition book and end-up considering a race on opening day or on Sunday. Wesley Ward for example sent some horses that he’s going to race on Sunday.”
Then there’s the exposure Del Mar gets from hosting the Breeders’ Cup. Exposure that it normally wouldn’t have.
“Saratoga runs at the same time as our summer meet so people don’t get out here and Breeders’ Cup gives us that exposure.” Jerkens adds. “It also helps our ‘Win and You’re In’ races in the summer.”
Those are the races that earn the winners an all-expenses paid trip to a certain Breeders’ Cup race. Del Mar has six ‘Win and You’re In’ races.
This is the second year of back-to-back Breeders’ Cups at Del Mar and Jerkens says there’s definitely more participation in the undercard races this year. Further evidence of the strong impact Breeders’ Cup brings to a host city.
COOLING OUT: The longshot winner in Thursday’s Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar, Tempus Volat, came out of the race in good order and trainer Leonard Powell says they will point him to the G1 Hollywood Derby November 29…Powell had a pretty good opening day of the Bing Crosby Season, racking-up two victories. In addition to the win in the Let It Ride Stakes he added another victory in the nightcap with Ribbons…Jockey Mirco Demuro had an even better day, winning three races on the day, sweeping the last three races of the card. He was aboard Tempus Volat in the Let It Ride and then followed with a win in Race 8 with Another Bulleit and then teamed back-up with Powell to win Race 9…A couple of scratches on today’s Breeders’ Cup card. Trainer Charlie Appleby has scratched Military Code from the Juvenile Turf Sprint; Blackout Time, trainer Kenny McPeek’s hope in the Juvenile, is out and Precise, one of trainer Aidan O’Brien’s charges, has been scratched from the Juvenile Fillies Turf…Very little activity on the track this morning as most horsemen prepare for today’s Breeders’ Cup action. The track was opened for training at 4:45 but was closed by 6:30. The same hours are in effect tomorrow.