Miss Monica © Benoit Photo
SATURDAY DEL MAR STAKES WINNERS EYE BREEDERS’ CUP POSSIBILITIES
As remnants of Hurricane Marie moved into San Diego County it was business as usual at the Bob Baffert barn Sunday morning. Both of his runners in the G1 Del Mar Debutante came back in good order.
From the winner’s standpoint, everything went as expected in the Debutante. Miss Monica went off the odds-on favorite and cruised to a 6 ¼ length win, the 13th victory for Baffert in Del Mar’s marquee race for 2-year-old fillies.
“I’m always happy to win this race,” Baffert said afterward. “I’m relieved. I knew she would win but crazy things happen. I’m glad everything went well. She broke well and (jockey Juan) Hernandez did a great job and our crew did a great job getting her ready. She’s sort of different. I mean she’s a big filly and I think two turns should be even better. Right now, we just got to keep her healthy and point for the Breeders’ Cup.”
Baffert added they might run her in a prep at Santa Anita but he wasn’t sure at this time. That prep would most likely be the G2 Oak Leaf Stakes on October 3, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland October 30.
As for Baffert’s other horse in the Debutante, G3 Sorrento Stakes winner Holmby, she came back fine and will get a freshening.
The other graded stakes winner on Saturday’s card was Midwest invader Observed in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. The daughter of first year sire Mandaloun rallied from the back of the pack, hitting stride by midstretch and running down the leader Off in the Corner in the final strides.
Observed went off at 6-1 and paid $15.40 to win.
As for any future plans for the filly, like a swing at the Breeders’ Cup, that’s yet to be decided
“We got to talk to everybody and see what their thoughts are,” trainer Jonathan Thomas noted. “We’d love to find a way to get into the Breeders’ Cup. Even if you’re 50-1, you’d love to go. I’m not sure which route we’re going to take. There’s nothing in California. Maybe he’ll run at Keeneland.”
The only thing that would fit at Santa Anita is the G3 Zuma Beach on October 4 but that’s not a “Win and You’re In.” The G2 Bourbon at Keeneland on October 4 and the G2 Pilgrim at Belmont Park October 3 are both “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Thomas says Observed will ship out of Del Mar on Wednesday.
It’s not often you see a horse stumble badly coming out of the gate and then go on to win the race, but for the second day in a row that’s exactly what the winner did in a stakes race at Del Mar.
Friday it was Daytona Diamond in the Generous Portion. Saturday it was Magnificat in the $100,000 Tranquility Lake. The daughter of Omaha Beach went to her knees at the start and was last heading into the first turn. But Del Mar’s leading jockey, Joel Rosario, allowed her to gather herself and by the far turn Magnificat was in third place. She grabbed second from her stablemate Amorita at the top of the lane and then steadily wore down the pacesetter So There She Was, hitting the front and pulling clear by the sixteenth pole.
Trainer Richard Mandella said Magnificat looked good last night but “was not out of bed yet” as of 8 o’clock Sunday morning. She will be pointed to the G2 Zenyatta at Santa Anita Sunday September 27, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on October 31.
THOUGHT PROCESS ONE TO BEAT IN G2 JOHN C. MABEE MONDAY
It seems like just yesterday horses were lining up for the Oceanside Stakes on opening day at Del Mar, kicking off the start of the $7.7 million stakes schedule for the summer meet. Monday, 32 race days later, the G2 John C. Mabee will put a wrap on the stakes menu for another year.
Ten fillies and mares are entered in the mile and an eighth test on the grass. Thought Process from the Philip D’Amato barn is the morning line favorite. She’s won four of her last five races dating back to June of 2025, including last year’s G2 San Clemente at Del Mar.
She has 10 lifetime races and has won seven of them, five of those graded stakes. Her last outing was on Memorial Day up at Santa Anita when she won the G1 Gamely.
“She’s been very impressive training down here,” D’Amato claims. ”Her last couple of breezes had (jockey) Hector Berrios shaking his head. I think we’re in a good place with her right now and hopefully this will put us on the right path to the Breeders’ Cup.”
One of those looking for the upset in the Mabee is Whiskey Decision, who ran sixth in the G2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar last month. It was her first race for trainer Michael McCarthy and turned out to be a real head scratcher for her new conditioner.
“I thought she was training very well for the Yellow Ribbon,” McCarthy says. “When the running started she just never really engaged. She’s come back and trained well again, worked well on the turf here.”
McCarthy is referring to a bullet work last Sunday of four furlongs in :47.80 (1/5).
Medoro is back in town. The runner-up in the 2024 Del Mar Oaks and winner of the 2025 Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar has been on the road for all of this year, winning at Fair Grounds in New Orleans then running the Kentucky circuit of Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Ellis Park. She’s back at Del Mar where she ran second in last year’s John C. Mabee.
Fibonaccis Ride is hoping to parlay her win in the $150,000 Solana Beach last month at Del Mar into a graded stakes victory. The Cal-bred daughter of Clubhouse Ride has raced 13 times in her career but only once in open company.
“It’s a tough race but I think she’s in good form to give a good effort,” trainer Antonio Garcia states. “She’s always had the talent but she’s had temperament issues. It took her a while to mellow down and control her temper.”
Garcia wouldn’t mind seeing a re-run of the Solana Beach.
“She was really impressive that day,” Garcia says. “She made a big run and overcame a couple issues like being stuck on the rail. That showed a lot of upside to her. Victor (Espinoza) has done a great job with her and we’re just looking for a good effort and then we can look for something at Santa Anita at her Cal-bred level.”
Osunitas winner Baltic Fire is also stepping up into the John C. Mabee. The daughter of Flameway ran in this race last year and finished seventh of eight horses. But she’s very much improved in 2026, having finished in the money in her last four races, winning the last two.
Trainer Jose D’Angelo brings two to the dance. Vincey Girl was last seen running fifth in the Yellow Ribbon and Bojaca Blessing notched an allowance victory at Del Mar last out.
The 69th running of the G2 John C. Mabee, named after the owner of the once popular Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona and breeder of Best Pal, goes off as Race 9 on the 11-race Monday card. Probable post is 5:30 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Whiskey Decision (Antonio Fresu, 6-1); Pura Vida Princesa (Joe Bravo, 12-1); Bojaca Blessing (Mike Smith, 8-1); Thought Process (Hector I. Berrios, 8/5); Canto Della Terra (Ricky Gonzalez, 12-1); Baltic Fire (Kyle Frey, 8-1); Medoro (Juan Hernandez, 7/2); Fibonaccis Ride (Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Firenze Fire (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1), and Vincey Girl (Kazushi Kimura, 20-1).
NET PAR SEEKS THIRD DEL MAR WIN IN I’M SMOKIN STAKES MONDAY
The final 2-year-old stakes race of the meet is set for Monday’s special holiday card at Del Mar. The $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes pits Cal-bred Juveniles in a six-furlong sprint. Six colts and a gelding are set to go in the closing day showdown.
Net Par will be out to win his third straight race, all at Del Mar this summer. He broke his maiden by 7 ¾ lengths opening weekend and followed that with a nose victory in the $100,000 Graduation Stakes.
“He was a little lost out there,” trainer Antonio Garcia says. “It took him a little bit to switch leads. When that other horse came next to him he dug back in to get the win.”
While Net Par wired the field in his maiden victory, in the Graduation he came from off the pace.
“He’s a pretty tactical horse,” Garcia notes. “I know there’s some speed in there so I’d hate to see him get into a speed duel if we don’t have to. We’ll just play the break again. Juan (Hernandez) knows him so if we need to sit off the pace again and come with a nice run we will and if nobody goes and he takes the lead on his own we’ll just let him cruise out there.”
Garcia has always been high on Net Par and sees a bright future for the son of Pavel.
“He’s still young, kind of figuring things out,” Garcia admits. “I think the distance is going to be good for him because I think the longer he goes the better he’s going to get. It’ll be nice to have a nice little Cal-bred through next year. I think as a 3-year-old he’ll be more mature and show us a little more.”
Starting alongside Net Par and seeking a little redemption in the I’m Smokin is the horse who was the favorite in the Graduation Stakes. Early Encore ended up third, 1 ¼ lengths behind Net Par.
“He didn’t seem to grab the track right,” trainer John Sadler reveals. “He was fighting with the track. He came out okay and we’ve trained him back. Since he’s spent more time over the track he’s been better so we expect a much-improved effort.”
The two favorites start side by side in the gate and Sadler likes his draw on the outside. Early Encore finished 8 ¼ lengths better than the fourth-place finisher in the Graduation Fumano’s Fire, who is back for the I’m Smokin as is the sixth-place finisher in the Graduation Prime Splash.
Fumano’s Fire is one of two entries for trainer Edwin Alvarez, who says the speedball has one purpose in the I’m Smokin’, to insure an honest pace.
“He’s got a lot of speed and that’s the reason we’re running them together,” Alvarez explains. “I want to send him to the lead to keep the speed so the other horse can catch him from behind.”
That other Alvarez horse is Cupid Cowboy, who broke his maiden last time out at Del Mar, beating Little King by a neck. Little King is also running in the I’m Smokin.
It’s the 37th running of the I’m Smokin and will go off as Race 6 on the 11-race closing day card. Probable post time is 4 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line odds: Little King (Joe Bravo, 6-1); Prime Splash, (Francisco Monroy, 20-1); Cupid Cowboy (Abel Lezcano, 8-1); Fumano’s Fire (Cristobal Herrera, 15-1); Empire of Ash (Antonio Fresu, 6-1); Net Par (Juan Hernandez, 8/5), and Early Encore (Emisael Jaramillo, 9/5).
COOLING OUT: Trainer Cesar de Alba won Race 4 on Saturday with longshot Warrior Saint. It was de Alba’s first win at Del Mar since 2022…The last time a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean impacted Del Mar was 2023 when racing had to be canceled on Sunday, August 20. Hurricane Hilary brought copious amounts of rain to Del Mar, flooding much of the backside. This hurricane, Marie, is only expected to bring cloudy skies to Del Mar Sunday and Monday with an occasional harmless sprinkle…Jockey Juan Hernandez had two more stakes victories Saturday on board Observed in the G3 Juvenile Turf and Miss Monica in the G1 Debutante. He now has 11 stakes wins on the meet, four shy of the record set by Flavien Prat in 2020. Hernandez has mounts in all five of the remaining stakes races this season…A reminder, first post for today and tomorrow is 1:30 p.m…Notable works for Sunday: Dirt – Hurricane Way (3f, :37.20); Sorrento Sky (3f, :37.60); Oscar Storm (4f, :48.60); Proletariat (4f, :50.20); Tropical Rain Day (4f, :49.20), and Maximum Bourbon (5f, :58.00). A total of 143 horses put in official workouts at Del Mar Sunday morning.