Majestic Heat © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club For the second straight year, Majestic Heat and jockey Flavien Prat won the $100,000 Solana Beach Stakes, and for the second straight year they won the grass race...

A small but select field of older fillies and mares will match speed Sunday in the 46th running of the Grade III $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at six and one-half furlongs on Del Mar’s main...

RUN AWAY CAN’T HIDE FROM HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN BEST PAL Kaleem Shah’s Klimt used a victory in the Best Pal Stakes as a springboard to another in the Del Mar Futurity and honors as 2-year-old...

Touching Rainbows © Benoit Photo Km Racing Enterprises’ Touching Rainbows sped to the lead from the gate under jockey Flavien Prat and never was seriously threatened in winning Del Mar’s featured event Thursday, a six-furlong...

Run Away © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Kaleem Shah’s flashy Run Away, unbeaten in two starts, including the Santa Anita Juvenile, is the likely favorite versus seven rivals in Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 Best Pal...

Mike Smith © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club SMITH PLANS A QUIET BIRTHDAY, PARTLY COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS If, as the saying goes, you’re as young as you feel, how old is Mike Smith today? “I’m feeling...

Mistressofthenight © Benoit Photo Mistressofthenight, providing jockey Rafael Bejarano with his third victory of the afternoon, overcame traffic trouble on the first turn to wear down Reiki Baby in deep stretch and win Del Mar’s...

Eight older California-bred fillies and mares, including the 2016 winner, Majestic Heat, will compete Friday in the featured $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes at a mile and one-sixteenth over Del Mar’s infield Jimmy Durante grass course.

Armour Plate © Benoit Photo EIGHT SLATED FOR SATURDAY’S BEST PAL STAKES A field of eight was entered Wednesday in Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 Best Pal Stakes. The 6 ½-furlong main track test for 2-year-olds...

Sharp Samurai © Benoit Photo Under a well-calculated ride by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, favored Sharp Samurai surged into command while five-wide entering the stretch and then withstood the last-ditch challenge of Fashion Business...

Continental Divide © Benoit Photo VICTOR ESPINOZA (Continental Divide, winner) – “That was a nice move; a really nice move (the winner put in around the turn). He can do that; he’s talented. When he...

D'Amato © Benoit Photo D’AMATO ON PACE TO THREATEN SEASON STAKES WIN RECORD In 2000, the 60th summer season at Del Mar and the first of a new century, Bob Baffert was in the winner’s...

Spectator © Benoit Photo JAMIE THERIOT (Spectator, winner) – “She was a runner all the way. She broke sharp and she went on with it. Phil (trainer D’Amato) said ‘Ride it as it comes up.’...

Richard Baltas © Benot Photo BALTAS HOPEFUL OF BACK-TO-BACK LA JOLLA SCORES Trainer Richard Baltas will be aiming to annex the Grade III $150,000 La Jolla Handicap for the second year in a row when...

Long Hot Summer © Benoit Photo Fanticola and Scardino’s Long Hot Summer rallied to the lead along the rail in the upper stretch under jockey Joe Talamo and went on to record a one-length triumph...

Sharp Samurai © Benoit Photo Pioneer Lad and Caribou Club, who outran their long odds to be second and third, respectively, behind Bowies Hero in the opening-day Oceanside Stakes, will try to improve on that...

Pretty Girl LOBO TAKES A DOUBLE SHOT AT A FIRST DEL MAR STAKES VICTORY Trainer Paulo Lobo will be represented by a quarter of the field when he saddles two South American imports in Saturday’s...

Ike Walker © Benoit Photo Ike Walker, a strong second choice in the betting at 2-1 under jockey Flavien Prat, surged to the lead entering the stretch and cruised to a three and three-quarter length...

Avenge © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will present an attractive stakes doubleheader Saturday, co-featuring the Grade II $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for older fillies and mares and the Grade II $200,000...

Caribou Club © Del Mar Thoroughbred Club NINE SET FOR SUNDAY’S LA JOLLA HANDICAP Nine three-year-old males were entered Thursday for Sunday’s Grade III $150,000 La Jolla Handicap, the second leg of the summer meeting’s...