The 67th edition of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks has drawn a field of 10 for its nine-furlong run out of Del Mar's unique infield chute on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. It will go as Race 8 on Saturday's 10-race program.
The likely favorite in Del Mar's 3-year-old filly championship is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Anisette, a stretch-running daughter of the Irish stallion Awtaad who has gone two-for-two in a pair of stateside starts this year since coming over from a brief 2-year-old campaign in England.
French expat Leonard Powell does the training for Anisette. He put Umberto Rispoli up on her at Del Mar on July 22 in the G2 San Clemente Stakes and that resulted in a 2 1/2-length tally. So naturally enough, Rispoli will be back up Saturday.
The two chief threats to the top one appear to be the New York shipper Be Your Best and the Irish-bred Impact Warrior, who made her American debut at Del Mar July 23 and ran an impressive second in a two-turn grass allowance test.
Be Your Best, by the British sire Muhaarar, is owned by Michael Ryan and trained by Horacio De Paz. They've gotten Del Mar's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, to sign on for the Oaks run. Impact Warrior wears the silks of Martin Schwartz and races out of the barn of Phil D'Amato. Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux was up for the daughter of Saxon Warrior's recent Del Mar run and he'll be up once more Saturday.
Here's the full field for the Oaks from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:
- And Tell Me Nolies (Antonio Fresu, 12-1);
- Window Shopping (Hector Berrios, 6-1);
- Infinite Diamond (Mike Smith, 12-1);
- Ruby Nell (Edwin Maldonado, 6-1);
- Anisette (5/2);
- Impact Warrior (4-1);
- Big Pond (Ramon Vazquez, 8-1);
- Absolutely Zero (Mario Gutierrez, 50-1);
- Be Your Best (4-1), and
- Paris Secret (Joe Bravo, 15-1).
Besides the Oaks, racing fans will get to see a pair of special presentations over the course of Saturday afternoon. Prior to Race 6, Hall of Fame rider Laffit Pincay, Jr. will present his coveted Pincay Award to Del Mar race caller Trevor Denman in a special winner's circle ceremony that will include video/audio footage of some of his most noteworthy race calls. Then, prior to Race 8, Fernando Toro, the 82-year-old riding star who was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame this year, will have that feat honored with a special ceremony in the winner's circle that is expected to attract many of the Hall of Fame horsemen and women who call Del Mar their summer home.
First post for the Saturday program goes at 2 p.m.
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