Del Mar: D’Amato looks to repeat in opening-day feature

Del Mar’s multimillion-dollar stakes schedule starts Friday with the 77th running of the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes, the traditional opening-day feature at the seaside oval.

A full field of 14 3-year olds will line up for the one-mile test on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course led by a pair of runners from the Phil D’Amato barn. Del Mar’s leading trainer in 2022 won last year’s Oceanside with Balnikhov.

Classical Cat broke his maiden at Del Mar last summer and went on to victories in an entry-level allowance at Santa Anita in October and two months later in the $100,000 Eddie Logan. Both races were at the Oceanside distance. The Mendelssohn colt had a freshening since that stakes victory in December and has drawn the inside post for Friday’s race.

D’Amato’s other hopeful is Conclude, a son of 2017 Pacific Classic (G1) winner Collected, who won the $100,000 Desert Code on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in May. He nosed out First Peace for his second victory in four lifetime starts. Conclude will break from the No. 9 post.

The D’Amato pair could have their hands full with Escape Artist, who missed by just a half a length to Mi Hermano Ramon and Wizard of Westwood in the $100,000 Singletary at Santa Anita in May. The Michael McCarthy trainee came back a month later and cleaned up in an entry-level allowance, winning by four lengths.

“I’ve always been very high on him,” McCarthy said of Escape Artist. “I expected him to win last time. The horse has come back and trained well. We’ll get a good idea of where we’re at on Friday. I expect a solid effort.”

Bob Baffert will take a crack at the Oceanside with Mr. Fisk, runner-up to Geaux Rocket Ride in the Affirmed (G3) at Santa Anita in June. The son of Arrogate will be trying turf for the first time. He’s coming into the race off of a pair of bullet works last month.

The Oceanside is race 8 on the 10-race card and is part of the guaranteed $1 million Pick 6 at Del Mar on opening day.