Del Mar

American Pharoah Colt Powers Home in DMR Juvenile Turf

DEL MAR JUVENILE TURF S., $102,000, Del Mar, 9-6, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.24, fm. 1--MACKINNON, 120, c, 2, by American Pharoah            1st Dam: Scat Means Go (GSP, $142,054), by Scat Daddy            2nd Dam: Shenandoah Valley, by Proud Citizen            3rd Dam: Ashley Anne's Wish, by You and I ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $285,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-ERJ Racing, LLC & Dave Kenney; B-International Equities Holding, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $117,860. 2--Thirty Four Coupe, 119, c, 2, Run Away...

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Grace Adler Dominates in Del Mar Debutante

Willow Grace Farm and Michael Lund Petersen's Grace Adler (Curlin) swept to the lead with a powerful five-wide move into the stretch and pulled away effortlessly down the lane to win the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante by 11 1/4 lengths at Del Mar Sunday. Favored Eda (Munnings) was pressed every step by Elm Drive (Mohaymen) through a quarter in :21.78 and a half in :44.37 as Grace Adler settled off the pace while running free and clear. She moved closer without being asked on the bend, ricocheted to the...

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Rising Star Flightline Dazzles at Del Mar

'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), away since turning in one of the best debut performances of all time, a 13 1/4-length romp at Santa Anita Apr. 24 that earned him a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, showed that effort was far from a fluke Sunday as he demolished winners at Del Mar to remain unbeaten and completely untested. Reportedly given ample time so as not to react from his freakish first outing before then coming up with a foot abscess, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad had generated more buzz with his...

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Cairo Prince Filly a 'Rising Star' at Del Mar

Ignored at 16-1 debuting around two turns on turf Sunday, Schroeder Farms LLC's Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) overcame some immaturity to dominate her Del Mar rivals and earn 'TDN Rising Star'-dom. There wasn't much on the grey's worktab to catch the eye, and she was unveiled here by the typically patient Bob Hess, Jr. outfitted with blinkers and a shadow roll. Walking out of the gate, Cairo Memories tugged her way up between horses past the stands for the first time and was in midpack and off the inside by...

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On to Breeders' Cup for Max Player

George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player (Honor Code) will train up to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar following his win in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Sunday. "Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this," Asmussen said. "There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger....

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Pappacap Looking to Step Up in Del Mar Futurity

Having ascended through his conditions with aplomb, Pappacap (Gun Runner) hopes the trend continues in Monday's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity. A first-out winner going five panels at Gulfstream May 14, the Rustlewood Farm homebred came from just off the pace to make it two straight in the Aug. 7 GII Best Pal S. Joe Bravo, who was aboard last time, reunites with the Florida bred again here. Never one to be disregarded, on either coast, trainer Steve Asmussen is represented by American Xperiment (Nyquist), who shipped to the West...

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Quality Road OBS April Topper Lives Up to Hype, Earns 'Rising Stardom'

Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening. The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a...

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Elm Drive, Eda Face Off Again in Del Mar Debutante

Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive (Mohaymen) and Baoma Corporation's Eda (Munnings), who were separated by just a head after battling the length of the stretch in the GIII Sorrento S. Aug. 6, renew their rivalry in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante Sunday. Elm Drive, trained by Phil D'Amato, romped by eight lengths in her five-furlong debut at Los Alamitos June 26 and refused to let Eda by when winning the six-furlong Sorrento. Eda has yet to finish in front in her two-race career. The Bob Baffert trainee inherited...

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Sept. 5 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency HALF TO BOBBY'S KITTEN DEBUTS IN KY 2nd-KYD, $135K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:53 p.m. Joe Sharp unveils MISTHAVEN (IRE) (Candy Ride {Arg}) in this first baby race of this boutique meet. SF Bloodstock purchased Celestial Woods (Forestry) for $350,000 with this filly in utero at the 2018 FTKNOV sale. She is also the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner and millionaire Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and MGSW Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy). TJCIS PPs PLETCHER UNVEILS PRICEY CLASSIC EMPIRE FILLY AT THE...

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Saturday's Insights: OBS April Topper Must Overcome High Draw

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 10th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 9:07 p.m. ET CORNICHE (Quality Road) topped this year's OBS April Sale on a bid of $1.5 million from Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable and has drawn gate 10 as the 9-5 favorite Saturday at Del Mar. The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become...

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Top Three From Bumpy La Jolla Reconvene in Del Mar Derby

The first three across the wire in a rough-and-tumble renewal of Del Mar's GIII La Jolla H. which resulted in a disqualification will have another go at each other in a full-gate 14-horse renewal of the GII Del Mar Derby Saturday at the seaside oval. A nose in front at the line in the La Jolla was Yuesheng Zhang's Sword Zorro (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), but his errant path was guaranteed to cost him and he ended up placed third. Prior to that, the bay captured the Singletary S. Apr. 25...

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Pricey Astern Filly Wins First Out at Del Mar

4th-Del Mar, $71,500, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.42, fm, 1/2 length. BRANDON'SMYLAWYER (f, 2, Astern {Aus}--Ivory Pearl, by Pulpit), looking to become the fourth U.S. winner for freshman Astern, was sent off the 8-5 choice following a bullet four-furlong move in :47.40 at San Luis Rey Aug. 28. Rushing into contention but a hair behind the pacesetters, the dark bay was forced back slightly but recovered well to sit in a rail-hugging third through a :22.22 quarter. Moved to the outside turning for home, the Richard Baltas trainee caught...

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