Queen Maxima © Benoit Photo
On Friday, five furlongs is the distance on the seaside turf for two-year old fillies and mares. With 18 nominations only 10 drew for the fourth race on the card.
5-2 on the morning line is Queen Maxima. Starting strong in 2025 with four wins in as many attempts, she came in sixth at her last outing during Del Mar’s summer meet. Jockey Juan Hernandez riding for trainer Jeff Mullins will be looking to end the year how she started.
Shoot It True picked up two first place finishes at Saratoga this summer, going five and a half furlongs in her most recent victory with Luan Machado in the saddle. Trained by Wesley Ward, she has two wins out of the three races this year. She is 3-1 on the morning line as she makes her first trip out west.
Trainer Shogo Yasuda has Puro Magic on the card, showing nice works since arriving at Del Mar. The Japanese Thoroughbred has only raced the distance once back in March on her home turf in the Grade III Ibis Summer Dash. She won the bid for the finish line and she’s 4-1 on the morning line with rider Hiroto Yoshihara.
Great Venezuela finished third in her last attempt at the distance back in May, but last year she was racking up wins comfortably. Trained by Victor Barboza Jr. and riden by Juan Machado she’ll be at 6-1 day of on the morning line.
A familiar face at the seaside turf is Nay V Belle. Trained by Mark Glatt, she ran three times at the Del Mar summer meet, picking up a place and a win in her last two outings. Umberto Rispoli rides starting at 8-1 odds.
The long shot on the morning line is Tahini at 30-1. Out of George Papaprodromou’s barn she is another filly who favors the lead, setting the pace for the rest of the field. Last work going the distance was an even minute but when it came to race day back in August, the four-year-old came sixth after losing the lead against contender Nay V Belle (place) at the three-eighths pole.
First post goes off at 12:30 PM with nine races on the card and the Senator Ken Maddys’ stakes going off at 2:30 PM Pacific Time.
Omnipontet is the only mare, 20-1 on the morning line, with a 7th place finish at last year’s attempt at the distance. Kazushi Kimura takes the mount out of the first position.