Del Mar: Mrs. Astor looks to defend her Red Carpet title

Mrs. Astor, winner of the 2024 edition of the Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes, looks to defend that title Sunday at Del Mar.

Never worse than third since that victory, Mrs. Astor returned a month later in December to win the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3) by a nose at Santa Anita.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the 5-year-old mare by Lookin At Lucky resurfaced after a two-month break in the Santa Ana Stakes (G3) going a mile and a quarter at Santa Anita. She got shuffled back to sit second to last and put in a four-wide bid at the turn for home to finish second by 2 1/2 lengths.

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She followed that performance by taking the Santa Barbara Stakes and the Possibly Perfect Stakes, both at Santa Anita, with Umberto Rispoli back in the irons. A homebred for George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stables, she is 20: 6-5-4 overall and is looking to add her third graded stakes and fifth victory overall to her resume.

Public Assembly, a Phil D'Amato trainee who won the Royal Heroine Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in April, will be joined in the field by stablemates Sun Of Hill and Musical Rhapsody. Public Assembly will have her regular rider Antonio Fresu as they try to improve on her record of 10: 3-2-0.

Paradise Lake joins stakes company for the first time after winning her last outing going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita. Trained by Peter Eurton, Paradise Lake is a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo and has a record of 9: 3-1-3 with $156,000 in earnings. She will have Juan Hernandez aboard.