Del Mar

Continuing the powerful run during Del Mar's closing weekend of racing, trainer Chad Brown and Juddmonte once again held the winning card in the day's feature, taking Sunday's GI Matriarch Stakes with Segesta (Ghostzapper), a half-sister to Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby winner, Salamis (Speightstown). In Our Time (Not This Time) and Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) went to the front early as 8-5 choice Segesta was allowed to settle in fourth through :23.65 and :48.06 initial splits. With the 25-1 still cruising along up front through a half in :48.06, the...

In a pair of prior starts facing statebreds, Innergy Racing Corp. and Alfred Pais's Unrivaled Time (Not This Time) had closed well in the late stages while showing marked improvement. Closing from the back of a 10-horse field going a mile at Del Mar on Aug. 29, the bay was situated a bit closer to the pace last time, while trying the same distance at Santa Anita on Oct. 19. Finishing full of run when winning as the 2-1 choice for Leonard Powell and jockey Diego Herrera that day, the...

Delta Downs decided to give horseplayers an unprecedented break last week. For their daytime cards on Tuesday and Wednesday, the track lowered the takeout in all pools to just 10%. While other tracks have experimented with lowering the takeout in some pools, never before had anyone decided to slash the take in all pools. By doing so, it looked like Delta would provide the industry with some much needed data. What effect would such a low takeout have on handle and how would the ADWs and the CAW players react?...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Heads In Beds at Del Mar. Hello Youmzain Filly Wins At Del Mar    Heads In Beds (Hello Youmzain) broke her maiden at Del Mar for Phil D'Amato on November 28 (video). Owned by Bridlewood Farm, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Michael Dubb, the three-year-old filly was bred by Mette Campbell Andenaes. Mandore International Agency bought the winner on behalf of...

The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival concludes Sunday afternoon with a trio of graded events at Del Mar, topped by an intriguing renewal of the GI Matriarch Stakes over a mile. Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) made the majority of the running in this event 12 months ago, yielding grudgingly to finish a length behind Sacred Wish (Not This Time) in third. That effort came on the back of a near-miss third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and the grey is arguably in the same sort of form, having run...

GI Belmont Derby winner Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) looks poised to add a second win at the top level Saturday in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The only Grade I winner in the field, the Amerman Racing homebred has strung together an enviable career with only two off-the-board finishes in 11 races and earnings north of $1.4m for trainer Graham Motion. He exits a solid win in last month's GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita over this same 1 1/8-mile distance, defeating Maaz (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) who...

Ain't she a beaut, Clark? A fantastic field of nine, led by 3-1 morning-line favorite and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), will line up for the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs on Black Friday. The Wathnan Racing colorbearer defeated last year's re-opposing Clark winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) by a length in the GIII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland last out Oct. 25. "We were really proud of Hit Show's effort in the Fayette," trainer Brad Cox said. "He hasn't missed a beat since...

News last week about the loss of this year's GIII Bob Hope Stakes after receiving just three entrants--all from the Bob Baffert stable--wasn't exactly a shock. But is it a canary in the coal mine concerning the health of California's horse inventory? Not on its own. It is, however, one among a flock of important indicators. Growing attention has been spent on the implications from the consolidation of top bloodstock between fewer and fewer stables, with many observing how a greater distribution of horses among more stables would help the...

While the GI Breeders' Cup Classic may have turned out to be a jump too high for him, Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach) bounced back from that effort with a workman-like victory in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar. Despite only starting his career in mid-April this year, the son of Omaha Beach has cobbled together a respectable 2025 campaign with wins in the Los Alamitos Derby in late June and the 'WAYI' GI Goodwood Stakes two back Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. The lattermost effort guaranteed him a...

While chatting with owner David Wilson earlier this summer, trainer Vladimir Cerin mentioned a potential claim on Del Mar's July 31 program. "I told him that someone asked me to claim a horse for $150,000, but I really didn't like the horse," Cerin said. "And he said, 'Well, I like a different horse in that same race. Why don't we take him?'" A fantastic longshot second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Oct. 31, Mr. A. P. (American Pharoah) is him. Mr. A. P. was claimed by...

It's no surprise that Italian-born jockeys are doing well at the current meet at Del Mar. They have been making their mark in Southern California for some time now. Antonio Fresu is second in the standings and Umberto Rispoli is third. But who is the leading rider? The answer might surprise you. The 46-year-old veteran Mirco Demuro, who left Japan earlier this year to try the Southern California circuit, went into the weekend at Del Mar on top of the jockey standings with 10 winners. He has had just 22...

With more heavy rain in the forecast for southern California, Del Mar has canceled their Friday race card according to a social media post from the track. Additionally, Del Mar has carded an extra race day to be held Monday, Nov. 24. The shift will allow the main track additional time to dry while also enabling the use of the turf course on Sunday and Monday. Friday's cancellation marks the second day in as many weeks as the track also was forced to cancel the Nov. 15 card due to...