Del Mar

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) looks to register his fourth straight win Saturday in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The bay kicked off his hot streak with a win in Saratoga's GII Hall of Fame S. Aug. 6 and took the GIII Saranac S. there next out Sept. 4. He enters this off a win in the nine-panel GII Hill Prince S. at Belmont Oct. 23. His conditioner, Chad Brown, also saddles Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was seventh in the Hill Prince, but captured...

Trainer Phil D'Amato saddles a pair of live contenders in Saturday's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar. Making one start in Europe before joining D'Amato's barn, Helens Well (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) broke her maiden at Del Mar Aug. 15 and finished second in both the Sept. 5 Juvenile Fillies Turf S. in SoCal and the Oct. 3 Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita. She enters off an eighth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Nov. 5. D'Amato also saddles Virulente (Fr) (Al Wukair {Ire}),...

LNJ Foxwoods homebred Luck (Kitten's Joy) looks well positions to make the grade in Del Mar's GIII Red Carpet H. on Thanksgiving. A two-time winner on all-weather in France for Alain de Royer-Dupré, the chestnut bested re-opposing England's Rose (English Channel) in a shorter Aug. 7 optional claimer here before missing by just a head when second in Santa Anita's 10-panel GI Rodeo Drive S. Oct. 2. England's Rose, meanwhile, took her next two, clearing the first-level allowance condition over course and distance Sept. 3 before adding the restricted Swingtime...

6th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 11-20, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.45, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. EMPIRE GAL (f, 2, Empire Maker--Double Tapped, by Tapit) opened her account at first asking Saturday at Del Mar with a good-looking victory over 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday. Prominent in the early stages, the bay filly drifted back to a midfield position while racing well out into the track approaching the turn. Given her cue with a little less than three-eighths of a mile to travel, the 34-5 chance advanced four or five wide into the...

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 11:50 a.m. ET Stone Farm homebred WAR FIGHTER (War Front), a full-brother to European champion 2-year-old and young Coolmore sire Air Force Blue, kicks off his career over the Aqueduct lawn for Graham Motion. The dark bay posted a pair of bullets at Fair Hill for this, including a four-furlong spin in :48 (1/6) over the all-weather Nov. 15. Chatham (Maria's Mon)'s 2020 War Front colt brought $1 million from Lynnhaven Racing at this year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPs 5th-AQU, $80k, Msw,...

When Nov. 29 rolls around, trainer Peter Miller, one of the most numerically powerful stables on the Southern California circuit, will embark upon a temporary hiatus from training to spend "more time with his family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests," according to press release issued Thursday evening. While Miller's assistant, Ruben Alvarado, is expected to take over the everyday running of the barn, Miller will take on an advisory position and maintain his role as an owner, the release states. "I have been working virtually...

It had looked as though she had missed her cue. If the notoriously random behaviors of the Thoroughbred were really governed by some benign destiny, Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) would surely have recognized her prompt last year in the Grade I race named for the father of her owner-breeder Bo Hirsch. As it was, she was jostled leaving the gate in the Clement L. Hirsch S., took a wide trip and had to make do with third. So there you had it. We couldn't deceive ourselves that anybody up there...

Heavily-favored Messier sat off of a supersonic pace in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar and rallied to score going away in the end, giving Bob Baffert--who had three of the four starters--his 11th victory in the seven-furlong test for 2-year-old males. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism on debut June 27 at Los Alamitos, the $470,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy cruised to an easy 6 1/2-length graduation off a brief layoff Oct. 22 at Santa Anita to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Taking the bulk of the play...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-DMR, $70k, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, post tme: 4:30 p.m. ET Spendthrift Farm's Gormley (Malibu Moon) has gotten off to a flyer at stud, with 18 first-crop winners to his credit, and B DAWK will look to add to that total Sunday 'where the turf meeets the surf. A half-brother to SP Nicky Scissors, the May 21 foal was a $77,000 short yearling at Keeneland January last year before improving into a $140,000 KEESEP purchase. Joseph Besecker signed the ticket on the chestnut at $425,000 at...

The always well-stocked Bob Baffert barn, fresh off its victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last week with Corniche (Quality Road), has three more pricey and full-of-potential juvenile colts entered against just two other rivals in Sunday's seven-furlong GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. Baffert already owns a record 10 Bob Hope trophies and has won four of the last six renewals. Breaking from the rail is 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker), a 6 1/2-length second-out winner at Santa Anita Oct. 22. He now sheds blinkers off...

5th-Del Mar, $71,500, Msw, 11-12, 2yo, f, 5fT, :56.67, fm, 2 3/4 lengths. SHOPPINGFORPHAROAH (f, 2, American Pharoah--Smart Shopping {SP}, by Smart Strike) cut out a sharp pace in her six-furlong debut at Santa Anita Oct. 23 and yielded grudgingly to finish second by a length at 16-1. Sent off the 33-10 third favorite--with $22 less on her nose than second choice Granola Girl (Jack Milton)--the $300,000 Keeneland September yearling was once again ridden positively by Ricky Gonzalez at this slightly shorter journey, beating favored Comedic (Practical Joke) to the...

1st-Del Mar, $71,500, Msw, 11-12, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.37, fm, nose. UNBRIDLED MARY (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Bauble, by Tale of the Cat) amassed a very imposing worktab, capped by a strong half-mile gate move in :47 4/5 (3/37) at Santa Anita Nov. 7, and was off right at her morning-line odds of 4-1. Hustled along early by Joe Bravo, the bay traveled sweetly inside on the turn and was angled out sharply into the three path on the swing for home. Whether by design or not, Unbridled Mary dropped back...