Del Mar: Hollywood Derby is 1 of 3 graded stakes Saturday

Del Mar’s turf festival goes into high gear Saturday at the seaside oval with a trio of turf tests at different levels on tap for racing fans throughout the afternoon.

Topping off the day’s action will be the 84th running of the Hollywood Derby, a Grade 1 headliner that carries a $300,000 purse and is limited to 3-year-olds.

Six of the Baker’s Dozen in the nine-furlong turf test have out-of-town connections. Four of them have won Derbies already this year. Five of them are last-out winners. And, just for fun, let’s throw in two fillies taking on the boys. There’s also a millionaire, a ridgling, a British-bred colt and a pair of geldings. That’s a lot in the mix for the race that made California Chrome horse of the year, the first time, in 2014.

Then there’s a dozen older horses wanting to run 1 1/16 miles on the lawn in the 48th edition of the $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap, a Grade 2 testing that serves as a nifty undercard offering on the nine-race program. And finally, 2-year-old fillies will get to strut their stuff in the Jimmy Durante (G3), a one-mile grass affair that will bring out 13 hopefuls.

Here are the lineup for the stakes threesome.

Hollywood Derby

Hollywood Derby favorite Carson’s Run is a shipper from the east who has won five of nine lifetime starts and more than $1 million. He’s a son of the Tapit sire Cupid.

Seabiscuit Handicap

Redistricting, the top choice in the Seabiscuit, is also in from the east where he just missed in his comeback start for ’24 in a Grade III at Aqueduct last month. The British-bred 4-year-old failed to finish the course here last year when he competed in the Hollywood Derby.

Jimmy Durante

Supa Speed, the one to beat on the line in the Jimmy Durante, was in a world of trouble in her last start at Santa Anita in October. The Justify chestnut was a good second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Sept. 7 in her prior start.