By J.N. Campbell
Looking to stay perfect and attain his first graded win for the trophy case, Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never) ran on nicely to capture the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes on Sunday afternoon at the seaside oval.
The $300,000 Keeneland September grad made his debut a winning one going from pillar to post while sprinting over the Santa Anita turf course June 1. The Irish-bred shipped across the country to contest the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park and he passed that test with flying colors when he won by seven lengths over four others.
Set for a much bigger field and bet down to even-money here, the favorite was beaten to the punch after the bell by a longshot who stubbornly wrangled the lead away by using his position to the inside. Hey Nay Nay relaxed heading into the first turn and took up a spot just off the speed to the outside.
On hold up the backstretch, jockey Hector Berrios asked the question around the far turn and the dark bay was itching to answer. Hey Nay Nay started to apply pressure just before the top of the lane and he took control turning for home. With a healthy margin to cut into, Plutarch (Into Mischief) did his best to run late, but he could not get to the winner.
“I told him [jockey Hector Berrios] to get clear because when you're running 13 2-year-olds on the turf you don't want to get slaughtered by some 60-1 shot,” said trainer John Sadler. “I said put him in the race and he just laid second and that was good.
“We haven't seen the best of him,” he said. “He's a real chill horse. He takes everything well. The idea was to get a race here so he's ready for the Breeders' Cup.”
Pedigree Notes:
No Nay Never (by Scat Daddy) has recorded 44 graded winners, which includes among his many stars GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate (Ire).
A half-sister to the gone-too-soon MGSW Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song) and the dam of Canadian GSW Sky Captain (Sky Mesa), the winner's dam is responsible for a yearling filly by Churchill (Ire), who sold to Richard Knight/Salhia Stud for €300,000 at the recent Arqana August Yearling sale.
Travel produced a weanling filly by Pinatubo (Ire) earlier this year, but she was not reported as bred for 2026. As for Hey Nay Nay's extended female family, it includes Cal-based sire Cat Burglar (Unbridled's Song).
Sunday, Del Mar
DEL MAR JUVENILE TURF S.-GIII, $104,000, Del Mar, 9-7, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.57, fm.
1–HEY NAY NAY (IRE), 123, c, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Travel, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Away, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Be a Prospector, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC and Iapetus Racing LLC; B-Lynch Bages, Camas Park & Summerhill B/S (IRE); T-John W. Sadler; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $156,000. *1/2 to Global Storm (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), GSW-UAE, MGSP-Eng, $400,182. Werk Nick Rating: C+ Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Plutarch, 118, c, 2, Into Mischief–Stellar Wind, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Proletariat, 120, r, 2, Raging Bull (Fr)–Kodiak West (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $200,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC; B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-Jeff Mullins. $12,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 1.00, 5.60, 9.60.
Also Ran: Caro Buono (Fr), Conducted, Oracle of Paradise, Later Than Planned (Ire), Jalisco, Love the Pressure, Won for Lou, Born to Rock, Stay for the Boom, Dirty Rich. Scratched: Classico, Punto Forty. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#5 HEY NAY NAY ($4.00) is 3-for-3 and a two-time stakes winner with a victory in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3) at @DelMarRacing. @HIBerrios was in the irons for trainer @sadlerracing and owners @Hronis_Racing and Iapetus Racing. pic.twitter.com/j5sFLqukKB
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 8, 2025
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