Del Mar

Elm Drive became the first black-type winner for her freshman sire Mohaymen with a gutsy score in the Sorrento Friday evening at Del Mar. Wiring the field by eight lengths in her debut at Los Alamitos June 26, she was the 2-1 co-second-choice along with Eda. Away alertly, Elm Drive was overtaken by 70-1 shot First Promise (First Samurai) and pressed from second through a first quarter in :22 flat. The bay took control on the backstretch run and was soon joined by an eager Eda, who made an eye-catching...

Pappacap (Gun Runner), who broke his maiden in Florida, made the trip to the left coast to try to become his freshman sire's first black-type winner in Saturday's GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. The Rustelwood Farm homebred wired the field in his five-panel debut at Gulfstream May 14 and displays a pair of speedy works at this oval in the interim. Fellow Florida-bred Bet on Mookie (Uncaptured) is a California resident in the Peter Miller barn. Second on debut on the Santa Anita main track May 23, the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency EXPENSIVE & WELL-BRED JUVENILES DEBUT ON WHITNEY UNDERCARD 5th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:52p.m. An intriguing group of juvenile colts seek their diplomas Saturday on the GI Whitney S. undercard. The most expensive of the group is OXO Equine's IMMOKALEE (Curlin). The $750,000 KEENOV acquisition is out of MGSP Banree (Macho Uno), a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Superstition (Ghostzapper) and GSW Gloryzapper (Ghostzapper). Chad Brown unveils a colt from the first crop of the late Arrogate in $590,000 KEESEP buy Big Skipper. The bay...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-DMR, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, post time: 7:00 p.m. ET Bred in Australia by the renowned Arrowfield Stud, KAZUHIKO (AUS) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was purchased for a joint third-highest price of A$1.7 million (US$1,211,760) at the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by a partnership including Spendthrift Farm, Kennewell Racing and Group 1 Bloodstock. Trained by Lloyd Kennewell, the Sept. 1 foal was the subject of major betting support ahead of his debut in the G3 National S. at Adelaide's Morphettville Racetrack in South Australa...

A wide-open field of 11 juvenile fillies have been entered for Friday evening's GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) is the 9-5 morning-line favorite off the heels of a field-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure earned in a five-length maiden score at second asking for trainer Todd Fincher at Del Mar July 17. She impressively dueled clear that day after breaking poorly. The dark bay was previously a debut second in the Lone Star mud June 5. "It was a pretty big ask for her to jump...

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) sat off a quick early pace, pounced at the five-sixteenths pole and edged clear in the lane to capture the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Sunday at Del Mar, punching her ticket to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff in the "Win and You're In" qualifier with her third Grade I victory. Bought into by Qatar Racing out of a debut victory for Norm Casse in June of 2019 and transferred to Simon Callaghan, the bay went winless in three subsequent starts as a juvenile, but still hammered...

Sent off the 12-5 second favorite while facing his elders in Saturday's GI Bing Crosby S., a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over course and distance in November, Dr. Schivel (Violence) jumped fairly from an outside gate and was outsprinted through the early stages, covering favored C Z Rocket (City Zip) from the second flight. Beginning to warm up to the task three-eighths out, Dr. Schivel was flushed four wide outside of Eight Rings (Empire Maker) into the lane, was put to a left-handed...

Tabor, Magnier and Smith's As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) looks for her third straight win--and an automatic berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff--in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Sunday. The Bob Baffert trainee, second in the Mar. 13 GI Beholder Mile, romped home by 9 1/4 lengths in the Apr. 24 GII Santa Margarita S. She was all out to hold off This Tea (Curlin) in the May 22 GII Santa Maria S., but has been freshened since then and is training strongly...

The GI TVG Pacific Classic been raised back to its original purse level of $1 million for its Aug. 21 renewal. Additionally, the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 4 had its purse increased to $250,000. The TVG Pacific Classic was scheduled to have a purse of $750,000, which was an increase from its COVID-affected 2020 running at $500,000. The Del Mar Derby ran with a $200,000 purse in 2020 and was designated to do so again this year prior to this current boost. "We had fairly aggressive projections going into...

2nd-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 5:30 p.m. ET Willow Grace Farm and Michael Petersen's GRACE ADLER (Curlin), a $700,000 FTKSEL yearling graduate, debuts for Bob Baffert. She was produced by GSW Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), a half-sister to GISW Bullsbay (Tiznow). The chestnut, a half-sister to GSP Virginia Key (Distorted Humor), fired a five-furlong bullet from the gate in :59 1/5 (1/81) at Del Mar July 24. She is drawn widest of six and will be guided by Flavien Prat. TJCIS PPs

Though divided by a continent, the Grade I sprints on either coast Saturday have an evocative bond that opens a far less navigable gulf between the golden era they preserve, and our own drab times. For each honors an icon of American glamor in the last century--and if a day at Saratoga or Del Mar retains a certain magic, in 2021, then that's partly because we can almost still sense the smiling, shimmering presence of Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Bing Crosby, respectively. The prestige and panache contributed by these gentlemen...

Handicappers will have a tough time tossing many horses from their tickets as a competitive nine-horse field lines up for Saturday's six-furlong GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Given a slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 is C Z Rocket (City Zip). Claimed for $40,000 last spring at Oaklawn by Peter Miller, the gelding has been a new horse since, winning seven of nine races while finishing second in the other two. That streak includes...