Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Viadera Attempts to Defend Matriarch Title

Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) captured the 2020 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar and looks to defend her title in Sunday's renewal. Last year's victory was her third straight and she kicked off this term with a fourth in Saratoga's De La Rose S. Aug. 8, an event she won last year. Scoring by a nose in Saratoga's GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 28, the bay could only manage sixth last time in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. Oct. 9.

Trainer Chad Brown, who saddled three of the last four winners of this event, also sends out Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom). A seven-time stakes winner, the Peter Brant runner's resume is missing just one thing, a Grade I victory and she will likely be favored to get it in this six-horse event. Kicking off this term with a win in Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace S. Apr. 11, the chestnut was fourth in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 5 and captured the De La Rose. She enters this off a half-length second to her stablemate in the First Lady.

Mike Stidham is also represented by an accomplished runner here in Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}). Closing 2020 with a win in the GII Mrs. Revere S., the Susan and John Moore homebred opened her 2021 account with a win in the GIII Dr. James Penny Memorial S. July 6 at Parx. She followed suit with wins in the Aug. 7 GII Yellow Ribbon H. and Sept. 11 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. Princess Grace led every step of the way in Del Mar's GII Goldikova S. Nov. 6, but yielded late to be third.

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Say The Word, Desormeaux Have Final Word In Hollywood Turf Cup

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word swung clear at the top of the stretch and scampered down the lane to capture the $251,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Friday afternoon in Del Mar, Calif.

The 6-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready ran a mile and one half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 2:27.62 under Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux to score by a length and take down a first prize of $150,000 in the Grade 2 headliner.

Phil D'Amato trains the winner and he also trains the runner-up, The Elwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, et al's Acclimate, who set all the pace in the marathon, but couldn't hold off his stablemate at the end. Finishing third a neck back was Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s Friar's Road.

Say the Word, who is a Canadian horse bred by the Sam-Son Farm of Rick Balaz of Ontario, paid $13.00, $5.80 and $4.00 across the board. Acclimate returned $8.80 and $4.40, while Friar's Road paid $3.20.

“This horse has had so much trouble before this; it was great to see him win. Kent (Desormeaux) did like he said he would and kept him covered up, then go him clear in the stretch and let him stretch his legs,” said D'Amato.

Desormeaux, who was winning his 86th stakes at Del Mar, kept his horse covered up for the majority of the journey, shifted him all the way outside at the top of the lane and kept him to a drive to the wire. It was the veteran's seventh lifetime score and the winner's share increased his earnings to $882,792. All of his wins have come on the turf.

“I've got to give Phil (trainer D'Amato) the credit for this one,” said Desormeaux. “He told me it was hard to get this horse to settle, so I told him I'd do the European thing: I'd put him up some horse's rear (force him to stay in position) and wait until the end. My peers always ask me who's my star and what that means is I'll put a star by the horse that I think will carry me 70 yards from the wire. And Umby (rider Umberto Rispoli) had the star today (Rispoli was aboard Friar's Road, the horse Desormeaux drafted in behind).”

In the track's continuing Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot Wager, the bet once more couldn't be conquered by the fans and its carryover moved up to $510,986. With only two days of racing left in the season, there's a real possibility that the wager could go all the way to Sunday's closing day and cause a mandatory payout that afternoon, a situation that usually greatly enhances the pool for the players.

First post for both Saturday and Sunday's races will be 12:30 p.m.

The post Say The Word, Desormeaux Have Final Word In Hollywood Turf Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Del Mar Fall Challenge Handicapping Contest On Saturday

The Del Mar Fall Challenge, a one-day handicapping contest involving 85 big bettors from across the country participating in a $3,000 “buy-in” tournament, will be conducted Saturday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Of the $3,000 entry fee, $1,000 goes to the prize pool and $2,000 is loaded onto an account wagering card for “live money” wagers. Players may participate on-track at Del Mar or online through TVG.com. Wagering from the Challenge participants is expected to be nearly $350,000.

The Challenge is conducted on-track in the Seabiscuit Skyroom. However, players may wager on any SAM betting machine throughout the facility. Challenge players will check-in Saturday between 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the umbrella table in front of the Executive Offices.

The post Del Mar Fall Challenge Handicapping Contest On Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chad Brown Holds Strong Hand In Del Mar’s Hollywood Derby, Seabiscuit Handicap

On the final Saturday of its Bing Crosby Season, Del Mar will offer a stakes tripleheader topped by the Grade 1, $400,000 Hollywood Derby, a turf battle deluxe that has drawn an overflow field to the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

Also on tap for the big afternoon will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap for 3-year-olds and up on the grass and the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, also on the lawn.

The trio of black-type affairs are part of the seven-race Turf Festival that closes out Del Mar's 2021 run. On Sunday, there will be two more turfers – the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes and the Grade 1, $400,000 Matriarch Stakes.

Likely favorite among the 14 3-year-olds in the Hollywood Derby is Klaravich Stables' Public Sector, an eastern-based colt out of the potent Chad Brown barn who is coming off three consecutive graded stakes wins. The British-bred son of Kingman has run only on turf in his nine-race career, winning five times with three seconds and earnings just shy of $600,000. He'll get the saddle services of top rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. and they'll break from Post 6 in the full gate lineup as they head down Del Mar's unique infield chute for their mile and one-eighth journey.

The Hollywood Derby goes as the ninth race on the day's program, while the Seabiscuit Handicap is the fifth and the Jimmy Durante goes as the seventh.

The horse to beat in the seven-horse lineup for the Seabiscuit is Dubb, Madaket Stables or Wonder Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Sacred Life, who also will have Ortiz, Jr. in the boot for trainer Brown. He, too, is in from the east and coming off a grass stakes tally in a Grade 3 at Belmont Park on October 10.

Finally, the Jimmy Durante looms a wide-open affair with several runners in the 11-horse grouping eligible to draw favorite honors. One of them is a local, the Benowitz Family Trust or Nentwig's Helens Well, who'll be handled by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Phil D'Amato.

Here's the full fields for the three stakes from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Hollywood Derby: Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Dicey Mo Chara (Tyler Baze, 30-1); C R K Stable's Beyond Brilliant (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1); CYBT, Sterling Stable or Nentwig's Cathkin Peak (Flavien Prat, 6-1); Reddam Racing's Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Double L Racing or Natalie Baffert's Hudson Ridge (Mike Smith, 12-1); Public Sector (5/2); Wachtel Stable, Barber, Drion or Powell's Flashiest (Abel Cedillo, 15-1); Peter Brant's Sifting Sands (Jose Ortiz, 15-1); Red Oak Stable's It Can Be Done (Joe Bravo, 20-1); Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Zoffarelli (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Walking L Thoroughbreds' Camp Hope (Tiago Pereira, 5-1); LNJ Foxwood's Subconscious (Juan Hernandez, 4-1); Calumet Farm's In Effect (John Velazquez, 20-1), and Godolphin's Santin (Umberto Rispoli, 10-1). John M.B. O'Connor's Airman (Edwin Maldonado, 30-1) is the also-eligible in the field.

Seabiscuit Handicap: Wachtel Stable or Barber's Indian Peak (Juan Hernandez, 10-1); Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass (Umberto Rispoli, 5/2); Peter Brant's Flop Shot (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 4-1); Nguyen or Tran's Bob and Jackie (John Velazquez, 6-1); Rave Green Racing's Majestic Eagle (Flavien Prat, 8-1); Jerome Moss' Lambeau (Edwin Maldonado, 12-1), and Sacred Life (8/5).

Jimmy Durante: Reddam Racing's Awake at Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 10-1); C T R stables of Aldabbagh's Miss Bellatrix (John Velazquez, 15-1); Slam Dunk Racing or Newman's Toeris (Abel Cedillo, 15-1); Gary Barber's Travel Smart (Flavien Prat, 6-1); Gary Barber's Liam's Dove (Juan Hernandez, 12-1); David Meah's Reem Zabeel (Kyle Frey, 15-1); ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables and Kenney's Virulente (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1); Beerman Family Trust, Sayjay Racing, Knapp and Rexius' Half Past Twelve (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Catherine Parke or Augustin Stable's Sparkle Blue (Jose Ortiz, 4-1), and Nentwig, Pagano, CYBT, Benowitz Family Trust or Madaket Stables' Helens Well (Umberto Rispoli, 7/2).

First post Saturday is at 12:30 p.m.

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