Bob Baffert © Benoit Photo
BAFFERT POCKETS TWO STAKES INCLUDING 20TH FUTURITY SUNDAY
“It’s crazy. It’s a long way from Prescott Downs.”
That was trainer Bob Baffert’s reaction when reminded that Saturday’s win by Hughes was his 20th victory in the G1 Del Mar Futurity.
“It all started with Silver Charm,” the Hall of Fame trainer recalled.
That was in 1996 and the first of seven straight Del Mar Futurity winners. That group would include Souvenir Copy, Worldly Manner and Officer. Baffert has racked up 13 more Futurities since the streak ended in 2002. None came easier than Saturday’s win by Hughes.
“I just love the way he ran,” Baffert noted, “He got a little warm but it’s a hot, muggy day. It’s nice to be in this position. I think with this horse the farther he goes the better he’ll be. He reminds me of Authentic (2020 Horse of the Year) a little bit, he’s that kind of horse.”
The son of Into Mischief laid off the pace early, made his move in the turn and dusted the rest of the field at the top of the lane. He eventually won by 4 ¾ lengths under a hand ride down the lane.
Hughes came back “great” according to Baffert Monday morning. He wasn’t sure if he would train Hughes up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile or get another race into him.
“He didn’t really run very hard," Baffert states. “Just got to keep him happy and sound and keep rolling on.”
Baffert has won the Futurity now six straight years.
“It’s fun and it’s still exciting,” he contends. “This is what we work so hard for. We got Donato Lanni one of the best horse pickers and Tom Ryan in our group. We have a lot of fun. Our whole group has a lot of fun.”
Baffert was equally as excited to take down the $125,000 Shared Belief two races later. Desert Gate returned to the comfy confines of Del Mar and rolled to a 5 ½ length victory Sunday.
“It’s fun to see him come back,” Baffert said afterward. “He’s a fun horse to have. We can pick our spots with him.”
Baffert was regretting the last two races he chose for Desert Gate: The mile and an eighth G3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in June and the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows a month later. He finished fourth in both races.
“I just had him in some bad spots,” Baffert admits. “After he won at Lone Star (the Texas Derby) I took him to a deeper racetrack and it was too far for him. (Jockey Flavien) Prat said ‘Don’t run him too far.’ I brought him back so he could have some action here with the local team.”
Baffert says Desert Gate also returned in good order and while the Breeders’ Cup may or may not be in the son of Omaha Beach’s future, Baffert believes he’s found the colt’s best distance at one mile.
The two stakes wins on Sunday increases Baffert’s all-time leading total at Del Mar to 196.
“It’s been a fun day,” Baffert claimed. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out but it worked out today. There’s nothing like winning a race at Del Mar.”
The final stakes race of the day was on the grass. The one-mile $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and it turned into a one filly show. The race favorite Vanta sat toward the back of the pack early, made a move into contention in the turn and burst into the lead with an impressive turn of foot down the lane.
“He (jockey Umberto Rispoli) was riding her with a lot of confidence,” trainer Jeff Mullins said afterward. “I wasn’t worried about it. When he called on her up there (at the top of the lane) he needed a seat belt.”
Vanta is now undefeated after two races. She broke her maiden at Del Mar in July. Mullins was asked afterward about a possible Breeders’ Cup try but there’s at least one obstacle standing in the way.
“I don’t think she’s nominated,” Mullins stated. “So we’ll have to talk that over with the clients.”
When FanDuel’s Scott Hazelton asked if he would push for it, Mullins said with a smile, “Why not?”
CONSISTENCY, GOOD WEATHER MAKE FOR A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER MEET
The 87th summer season at Del Mar comes to an end today once again providing race fans with quality racing in a picture-postcard setting. Thousands traveled to Del Mar solely for the enjoyment of watching top notch Thoroughbreds.
“Obviously we’re under a microscope,” racing secretary David Jerkens says. “It’s a premiere meet and I thought it flowed and went well. It provided a lot of exciting finishes. We saw a lot of good horses who raced here who should go on to the Breeders’ Cup. It was a good meet overall.”
The weather was excellent, albeit a bit humid for much of the summer. But there were no rain outs or interruptions. That’s always a key factor to a good meet for Jerkens as well as consistency.
“We stuck to a schedule that owners and trainers could count on,” Jerkens notes. “Eighty percent of the condition book races filled. We offered a lot of variety and balance in our program. Now that we’re a consolidated circuit we have to recognize that. There are some levels that we offer at Del Mar that weren’t on the menu a couple of years ago. Some of your Cal-bred categories have been expanded.
“I’m really proud of how the staff worked hard,” Jerkens continues. “I’m really proud of how both our track superintendents performed under difficult conditions. It was one of the more humid summers that I can remember. It was challenging for Dennis Moore on the main track and John Beggin with the turf course.”
While the numbers are not in yet, it appeared there were more shippers coming into Del Mar this summer.
“We’ll do a review at the end of the meet,” Jerkens points out. "Our ‘Ship & Win’ numbers are going to be flat but as far as shippers for stakes races I would guess it was higher. It seemed like with every graded stakes race we ran every week the van companies were calling me to say they had ‘x’ trainer on the van. If you look at the Bing Crosby, I think every horse in the field had started from somewhere else.”
Average field size is another indicator of a strong overall meet and Del Mar will see little or no change to the AFS. The numbers are lining up with last year’s figures.
“When we went into the meet we analyzed other tracks,” Jerkens recalls. “We were seeing a trend where many tracks were down in average field size from the prior year. Our overall population is off a bit but anytime you’re averaging 8 ½ runners a race that’s among the highest tracks in the country. If you’re in that ballpark that’s a solid number.”
The Pacific Classic was a roller coaster ride for Jerkens, who says he never gets too high or too low in the weeks leading up to the race.
“I get asked about the Pacific Classic in June,” Jerkens admits, “and I don’t get into the hype because so many things can change. This year was a total example. It shifted from week one when we were looking at a small field with two marquee names (Nysos and Journalism) to us ending up with horses coming from all over.”
Eleven horses entered the Pacific Classic, the most since 12 were entered in 2013.
“It provided a compelling betting race,” Jerkens adds, “but it also put Knightsbridge on the map as a serious contender in the fall. Pacific Classic Day was more internationally represented than we’ve had for as long as I can remember. Hopefully, that will continue in the fall.”
Which is where Jerken’s attention is already. There’s no rest for the racing office. As the current meet comes to an end, Jerkens is already getting his staff ready for the upcoming fall meet.
“We like to get our stakes schedule out when everybody’s here,” Jerkens insists. “Del Mar is still on people’s minds. I can go to somebody and say ‘Here’s our stakes schedule, it’s all done.’ They don’t have to wait and it just keeps that momentum from the summer.”
The Bing Crosby season begins a week later than last year, on November 6.
“This year’s fall meet is only four weeks,” Jerkens states. “No Breeders’ Cup. We’re racing on Thanksgiving so there’s a little bit of a tweak in the schedule. It’s 13 days. There’s a slight purse increase and we’ll have our Turf Festival again so the fall meet has a lot to offer.”
CLOSING TIME AT DEL MAR: 2026 SUMMER OF RACING IN THE BOOKS
It’s finally here. The pronouncement no race fan ever wants to hear. Last call for the Del Mar.
Oh, sure there are some folks who are looking forward to getting away for a while, but you watch. Two or three days into the break they’ll start missing this place. They’ll miss the horses, the friendly people and the picturesque setting like no other in the world of horse racing.
But all good things must come to an end and the summer meet closes its books today. The chore of packing up the horses and the tack and moving them up to Santa Anita has already begun. For some trainers, plans were in the works soon after Pacific Classic Day.
“We pack three or four days before we go,” trainer John Sadler says. “We have a front team that goes and they left Saturday and we leave after the races Monday.”
Sadler has one of the larger strings of horses on the grounds. It’s a task that involves an enormous amount of planning, time and execution.
“It’s a lot,” Sadler agrees, “but we’ve been doing this for so long that these guys know what to expect.”
Trainer Dan Blacker says it’s a great example of teamwork.
“We tell the van company a few weeks in advance what day we want to ship,” Blacker notes. “My assistant Juan (Landeros) has everybody organized. Everyone knows their role and with a good group of guys it’s pretty straightforward.”
Blacker said it’s like a traveling circus.
“We ship back on Monday,” he explains. “We have a tack truck that comes Sunday night and then the vans show up at 10 o’clock Monday. We’ll be unpacked (at Santa Anita) and ready to feed all the horses by four o’clock Monday afternoon.
“It’s not as complicated as you think,” Blacker adds. “It’s not an easy day and not a day everyone looks forward to, but most people are looking forward to getting home.”
Golf carts and vet wagons, staples of the backside for weeks, have been replaced by moving vans and horse trailers.
The reality sets in when you journey up to the eastern corner of the backstretch to Michael McCarthy’s barn. Once there was a bustling horse stable, with dozens of horses and their handlers going through daily routines. Overnight it’s all disappeared. Beginning Sunday morning after training they began packing up the horses and by the end of the race day, all were gone and en route to Santa Anita. Now barn AA and BB resemble a ghost town.
By the end of next week only remnants of the 2026 Summer Season at Del Mar will remain on the backside. Discarded wraps, piles of used straw and the empty stalls. That’s the hardest sight to get used to.
But it won’t be for long. Before you know it, many will return to the seaside oval. In eight weeks, we’ll be cueing up “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” and the 13th Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar.
THE BEST OF 2026: HIGHLIGHTS FROM DEL MAR’S 87TH SUMMER SEASON
With another summer meet about in the books, now’s as a good a time as any to look back on the 87th summer season and some of the highlights of the meet. They conjure up memories of a dominant winner of Del Mar’s marquee race; a courageous ending to the career of a fan favorite; a failed attempt at an unprecedented feat; a trainer who couldn’t lose and a jockey’s race to get home. Here are those highlights of Del Mar 2026.
Knightsbridge came to Del Mar amid a lot of hype. He had just posted the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year at Monmouth Park when he went two turns for the first time and won by 10 ¼ lengths. Based on that performance he was the morning line favorite for the G1, $1 million Pacific Classic.
But in the days leading up to the race, doubts of Knightsbridge’s chances began to surface. Sure, he posted a 122-speed figure, but who was he facing on the Jersey Shore? We knew he could get the two turns but what happens if he gets in a speed duel.
It was all a waste of breath because Knightbridge crushed the naysayers with a stunning performance. Taking on Full Serrano in a front-end pace duel, the son of Nyquist put away his rival at the top of the lane and busted out to a 6 ¼ length victory.
Journalism became a fan favorite during his 3-year-old season. When he wasn’t playing second fiddle to Sovereignty, he was winning the Preakness and the G1 Haskell Invitational. He was back on the road for the first half of 2026 but trainer Michael McCarthy brought him home to Southern California for the summer with designs of preparing for the Breeders’ Cup. First up was the G2 San Diego opening weekend.
The son of Curlin got antsy in the gate, slammed into the door and then came out awkwardly, a start that left him last as the field pulled away. Jockey Umberto Rispoli stayed calm and let Journalism get into the race, gradually moving from the back of the pack. They hooked up with the bunched field at the eighth pole and hit the front by mid-stretch on the way to a courageous and impressive victory.
But two days later, with the glow of victory still filling the McCarthy barn, came devastating news. Journalism had suffered an injury in the starting gate mishap, would miss time recovering and in the best interests of the horse was retired from racing.
Gold Phoenix came into 2026 with two distinct achievements at Del Mar. He had won five stakes races at the seaside oval, tied with five other horses for the most ever. He had also won the G2 Del Mar Handicap four consecutive years, a feat never before done at Del Mar.
So when he went out and won the G2 Eddie Read, a race that was supposed to be a prep for the 8-year-old gelding, he placed himself alone as the winningest stakes horse in Del Mar history. His victory also fanned the flames of anticipation for a fifth try at the Del Mar ‘Cap.
That came one month later on August 29. The anxiety over seeing something special was palpable in the stands that day as fans watched the big chestnut load in the gate. But as the race unfolded he found himself toward the back of a strung-out field and if it were anyone other than Gold Phoenix the race would have looked hopelessly lost. But on the final turn of the mile and three eighths grass marathon, Gold Phoenix rallied on the rail, made a nifty move to get out of trouble at the top of the lane and looked poised to make a winning move, much like the one he pulled off in the Eddie Read.
But on this day, it wasn’t going to happen. Test Score was much too good to catch and Gold Phoenix had to settle for fourth place.
Graham Motion is no stranger to Del Mar. The highly respected trainer from back east has been sending horses out to Del Mar over the years and has enjoyed quite a bit of success. But 2026 was exceptional. Motion sent three horses to Del Mar and all three won.
It started with Warming in the G2 Yellow Ribbon and continued a week later when Motion sent out Vronti in the $100,000 CTT & TOC Stakes, a mile and three-eighths grass marathon for fillies and mares. She split horses midstretch and won going away. Motion would complete the trifecta with an unpopular victory in the G2 Del Mar Handicap when his brilliant colt Test Score finished strong to deprive Gold Phoenix of his record setting fifth consecutive Del Mar Handicap victory.
A sidebar to all the horse racing was jockey Juan Hernandez’s own race against time. Del Mar’s defending champion rider was offered a mount by trainer Wesley Ward on a horse in England. He accepted the offer but the race, the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 21, was the day before Del Mar’s marquee race, the G1, $1 million Pacific Classic and its stakes filled undercard.
No worries. Hernandez made the trip to London, won the race and then started his wild journey back home, starting with a helicopter ride.
Video on social media showed Hernandez running to a waiting helicopter immediately after the race, still dressed in his silks and boots. He took the helicopter to Heathrow Airport where he caught his plane and flew the red eye home to California, landing at LAX the morning of the Pacific Classic. He would easily make his first mount of the day at Del Mar.
COOLING OUT: Ah Jeez, a 6-year-old gelded son of Mendelssohn, became the first horse to win three races at Del Mar this summer. Emisael Jaramillo rode the Doug O’Neill trainee to victory in Race 3 Sunday, a $25,000 claimer. He won at a similar condition on July 19 and then scored in a $32,000 claimer on August 14. Net Par, a 2-year-old son of Pavel, also has a shot at winning three races at Del Mar this season when he runs in the I’m Smokin Stakes Monday…Juan Hernandez, with 13 stakes wins already on his ledger, has a shot at tying the all-time mark for stakes wins by a jockey in a single season at Del Mar of 15 set by Flavien Prat in 2020. Hernandez rides Net Par in the I’m Smokin and Medoro in the G2 John C. Mabee Monday…High winds buffeted Del Mar Sunday as remnants of Hurricane Marie blew through San Diego County. Several gusts were clocked at over 20 miles per hour. Many veterans of the racetrack claimed to have never experienced such conditions at the seaside oval before. Some jockeys reported strong headwinds along the backstretch and as they entered the top of the turn…Notable works for Monday: Dirt – King of Gosford (3f, :37.40); Motorious (3f, :37.00); British Isles (4f, :48.40), and Imagination (5f, :59.60).