Del Mar news: Brill narrowly favored in stacked Debutante
Brill drew the No. 2 post position in a field of five and was established as the 8-5 favorite over 9-5 Bellafina on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line for Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante.
A $1 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton July sale in 2017 by the OXO Equine LLC stable of Lawrence Best, the 2-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro made her racing debut at Del Mar on opening day of the summer meeting, July 18, and overcame a bobble at the start to win by 1 ¼ lengths. A series of works here since for the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee culminated with a bullet five furlongs in :59.80 last Saturday that was the best of 50 at the distance.
Bellafina, trained by Simon Callaghan for Kaleem Shah, was a convincing 4 ¼-length victress in the Sorrento Stakes, the major Debutante prep, on August 5.
Of the Debutante quintet, only Val Brinkerhoff-trained Watch Me Burn, who broke her maiden here on July 19 and advanced her local record to 2-for-2 on August 10, was at double-figure odds on the morning line. Watch Me Burn was a $10,000 supplemental entry to the event.
“We’re just taking a shot, maybe we can get a Grade I stakes placing on her,” Brinkerhoff said. “We had her nominated for the (Juvenile Fillies Turf) but it didn’t look like we’d be able to get in the race, so we decided to put her in (the Debutante) and try it.
“She’s a long shot, but it has happened before. She’s getting better and better. She’ll have to be a lot better to win the race, but she might. You never know.”
The field from the rail: Boujie Girl (Geovanni Franco, 8-1), Brill (Drayden Van Dyke, 8-5), Watch Me Burn (Alonso Quinonez, 15-1), Mother Mother (Joe Talamo, 2-1) and Bellafina (Flavien Prat 9-5).
The Debutante, which determines the meeting champion in the juvenile filly division, goes as the fourth race on an 11-race program that starts at 2 p.m. PT.
CAMBODIA 5-2 FAVORITE IN FULL FIELD FOR SATURDAY’S MABEE
Cambodia, seeking to complete a Yellow Ribbon/John C. Mabee Stakes double for the second year in a row, was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 12 for Saturday’s 61st running of the event that bears the name of one of the founding members of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Meet-leading rider Drayden Van Dyke will be aboard Cambodia, a 6-year-old daughter of War Front. Van Dyke entered the final week of the meeting with nine stakes victories. Tyler Baze, who booted home Creative Instinct in Wednesday's Generous Portion Stakes to kick off the final week of the meeting, has seven stakes victories.
“Seven stakes wins and 24 overall wins, that’s a pretty good meet,” Baze’s agent, Craig O’Bryan, noted Thursday morning. “People are surprised, but if you look back he’s usually in the top three or four most meetings.
“He’s just a very good rider, very solid. He works hard and he doesn’t make too many mistakes. I thought he’d have a good meet, but you still have to be lucky.”
Baze has the mount on Cordiality for the Mabee.
“She just came off a good win in the Cal-bred (Solana Beach) Stakes. I don’t know if anybody can beat Cambodia in the Mabee, but we’ll give it a try.”
The field in post position order: Meal Ticket (Joe Talamo, 20-1), Sophie P (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1), Midnight Crossing (Brice Blanc, 20-1), Storm the Hill (Rafael Bejarano, 15-1), Fahan Mura (Edwin Maldonado, 4-1), Cordiality (Tyler Baze, 12-1), Cambodia (Drayden Van Dyke, 5-2), Achira (Gary Stevens, 15-1), Vasilika (Flavien Prat, 7-2), The Tulip (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1), Madame Stripes (Geovanni Franco, 8-1) and Cheekaboo (Tyler Conner, 20-1). Also eligible: Vagabond Princess (Martin Garcia, 20-1).
The Mabee will be the 10th on an 11-race program.
RIVER BOYNE TOPS 12 ENTERED FOR SUNDAY’S DEL MAR DERBY
Irish-bred River Boyne will seek a sixth straight victory in California, the fourth at the stakes level, when he takes on eleven rivals in Sunday’s $250,000 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Trained by Jeff Mullins for Red Baron’s Barn LLC or Rancho Temescal LLC, River Boyne is fresh from a 1 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap here on August 5 and will retain the services of jockey Flavien Prat.
Two entered in the Derby will have competed in all three legs of Del Mar’s summer series for three-year-olds on turf. Restrainedvengence won the opening day Oceanside Stakes and was fifth of six in the La Jolla. Arawak was sixth of 14 in the Oceanside then ran second to River Boyne in the La Jolla.
Val Brinkerhoff trains Restrainedvengence.
“We found out a little something that was wrong in the last race (La Jolla) and we’ve fixed it. I know he’ll run better this time,” Brinkerhoff said.
Post positions were to be drawn later Thursday. The entries, in alphabetical order: Andesh (Geovanni Franco), Animosity (Tyler Conner), Arawak (Rafael Bejarano), Desert Stone (Tyler Gaffalione), Epical (Tyler Baze), Kazan (Martin Garcia), Majestic Eagle (Gary Stevens), Pubilius Syrus (Kent Desormeaux), Restrainedvengence (Evin Roman), Ride a Comet (Drayden Van Dyke), River Boyne (Flavien Prat) and Take the One O One (Joe Talamo).