Cecil DeMille Title Up for Grabs

This year's renewal of Del Mar's GIII Cecil B. Demille S. is a wide open affair with 13 talented juvenile turfers set to line up Sunday evening. Leading the charge on paper is Budget Stable's Dressed in Hermes (Hat Trick {Jpn}), who was most recently fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over a yielding course at Keeneland Oct. 30. Fourth behind recent GIII Delta Downs Jackpot winner Exaggerator (Curlin) in his dirt debut here July 25, the Janet Armstrong pupil was third next out behind subsequent Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. winner Hollywood Don (Tapit) when switched to the turf here Aug. 12. The bay returned on eight weeks rest to don cap and gown in Santa Anita's grassy Zuma Beach S. Oct. 10 prior to his effort at Keeneland last time out. Hall of Famer Mike Smith takes over the controls after regular rider Gary Stevens chose to retain the mount on Stonestreet Stables and the Coolmore partnership's Canada (Giant's Causeway) in this one. Fifth behind Hollywood Don in the Aug. 12 test, the Simon Callaghan trainee was seventh next out on the Arcadia lawn Sept. 26 and broke through with a narrow victory last time there Oct. 24.

Another runner exiting the BC Juvenile Turf is Plantinum Seven LLC, Dan Guarino and Runner Runner Investments Manhattan Dan (Big Brown), who makes the trip from New York for trainer Gary Contessa. A third-out graduate sprinting over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 19, the bay was third in the GII Summer S. next out Sept. 12 and filled that same spot when switched to the dirt for Belmont's GII Futurity S. Oct. 17. Sent off at 45-1 in the Breeders' Cup, the juvenile set the pace before being swallowed up late and checked in seventh.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Speedway Stable's Collected (City Zip) looks to remain undefeated here after graduating on debut over the Arcadia lawn Oct. 12. Beside him in the gate is Flaxman Holdings's Tusk (Tapit), who attracts top New York pilot John Velazquez to the West Coast. Third behind a “TDN Rising Star” performance from Unbridled Daddy (Scat Daddy) at the Spa Aug. 16, the Graham Motion pupil filled that spot again at Belmont a month later and was runner-up on the Keeneland sod Oct. 7. The homebred beat out the reopposing Ninety One Assault (Artie Schiller) by a nose last time over this course and distance Nov. 8 with Smith in the irons.