Del Mar

Del Mar's short fall meet ended this past weekend with a flourish and a blitz of top-class racing that lured quality runners from across the country, as epitomized by Chad Brown's Grade I double courtesy of Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Hollywood Derby and Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the Matriarch S. The meet rounded out what has been a challenging year for the track, to say the least, thanks to the extraordinary headwinds from a global pandemic, and the already tough economic environment for California horsemen....

Beer Can Man, making his first start for Little Red Feather Racing and Kevin Bogart's Sterling Stables and trainer Mark Glatt, reeled in pacesetting Commander Khai in the final strides to win the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. at Del Mar Sunday. Sent off at 19-1 in his first try at a mile and away from Indiana Grand, Beer Can Man settled in third along the rail as Commander Khai took the field through fractions of :22.53 and :46.84. Commander Khai attempted to shake loose in upper stretch, but Beer...

Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar was a tiebreaker of sorts. Since the closure of Hollywood Park in 2013 and with the race transferred to the seaside venue, the locals (California Chrome, Chiropractor and Mo Forza) and ship-ins (Annals of Time, Mo Town and Raging Bull {Fr}) had split the six runnings. Following a pair of scratches, seven California-based sophomores took on a formidable foursome from the East Coast, and when the dust had settled after nine very entertaining furlongs, Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) had tilted...

Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looks to become the first 3-year-old filly since Better Lucky (Ghostzapper) in 2012 to defeat older turf distaffers in what appears to be a loaded renewal of the GI Matriarch S. Sunday at Del Mar. One of three in the race for trainer Chad Brown--who won this in 2017 and 2018--the bay filly was twice a winner in seven French runs for Francois Rohaut, including a listed event at La Teste in June. She made an enormous impression when making her stateside debut in the...

Steve Landers Racing's Royal Prince (Cairo Prince) is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. at Del Mar Sunday. The Brad Cox trainee came home first at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7, but with the gates sprung before the full field was loaded, the race was determined to be a non-wagering event. The gray colt, a half-brother to last year's champion juvenile filly British Idiom (Flashback), officially broke his maiden going 1 1/16 miles over the turf at Keeneland Oct. 2. Cutting back to a mile Sunday,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols 6th-Aqueduct, $80k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 2:15 p.m. ET Bob LaPenta, Gainesway and Bridlewood Farm's ALL MO (Uncle Mo) debuts for trainer Jonathan Thomas. The $450,000 KEENOV weanling turned $900,000 KEESEP yearling is a half to stakes winner and graded placed Fusaichi Red (Fusaichi Pegasus). TJCIS PPs 4th-Churchill, $85k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16m, post time: 2:27 p.m. ET Andrew Farm and For the People Racing's BUGLE OF WAR (War Front), a $400,000 KEESEP yearling, debuts for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The colt is out of Group...

The New York-based Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) tops a full field in Saturday's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar. Graduating at second asking at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7, the bay followed suit with a win in Pimlico's Selima S. Oct. 3 over a yielding course. She missed by a nose last time in Belmont's Chelsey Flower S. Nov. 1. Godolphin homebred Javanica (Medaglia d'Oro) takes another crack at stakes company after rallying to be second in the Glorious Song S. on the Woodbine synthetic Oct. 17. The bay earned...

Five horses based with powerhouse outfits on the East Coast have shipped into Southern California for Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby and in a cruel twist, they have been allocated the 'visitors' draw' in five of the six widest gates in what will be a field of 12. Trainer Christophe Clement has never won the Derby, but he is double-fisted with a pair of high-quality turf sophomores. Gufo (Declaration of War) has won five of his seven trips to the post, having earned a maiden graded success in the GIII Kent...

News last week that more than 200 people living or working on-site at Golden Gate Fields had tested positive for COVID-19, and that the facility would have to close its doors to live racing through November, arrived against a state-wide backdrop of rising cases, hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths. As with Golden Gate, these trends have landed with subsidiary impacts. Over the weekend, L.A. County public health officials suspended outdoor restaurant dining. Before that, the county announced other restrictions, including curfews and capacity limitations at certain stores and other public places....

With likely Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) recently retired to stud, the Bob Baffert barn wasted no time unveiling its next speedy superstar by the nation's leading sire as CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) demolished his competition to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. The bay prepped for this with a head-turning 1:00 flat (1-of-51) gate breeze last Saturday (XBTV Video), and drifted up to 1-5 at the off after spending much of the betting cycle at 1-9. Zipping off to lead...

Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation will partner with Little Red Feather Racing and Equibase to sponsor the 'Gamble For Grayson Handicapping Challenge.' The contest will take place Nov. 28 and 29 and will span five graded stakes races to be held that weekend at Del Mar. Representatives of Little Red Feather and Equibase will begin with $500 bankrolls, $100 must be wagered on each race on straight win-place-show bets, exactas, trifectas or superfectas. At the end of the contest, all remaining bankroll and winnings will be donated to Grayson. The team representing...

Tina and Jerry Moss's Red Flag became the stakes winner for his freshman sire, 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Tamarkuz (Speighstown), with a romping 7 1/4-length score in the GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar Sunday. Sent off at 10-1, the chestnut colt was widest of four scrambling on the front end early, with Weston (Hit it a Bomb) down along the rail and favored Spielberg (Union Rags) and Coastal Kid (Coast Guard) all to his inside. Weston took a slim advantage after a quarter in :22.37,...