Hunt heads D'Amato triumvirate in Del Mar Handicap

A near-capacity field of 13 was entered Wednesday in Saturday’s 78th running of the $250,000 Grade II Del Mar Handicap, presented by The Japan Racing Association. The 1 3/8-mile turf event is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf here on November 4.

Trainer Phil D’Amato, who leads the meeting with five stakes victories, has three representatives entered – Big John B, Hunt and Up With the Birds.

“I’ll run all three,” D’Amato said. “I’m putting Big John B back on the grass where he’s shown consistency in the past and hope he springs to life on us. Hunt (Eddie Read winner) is doing well and we’re going to stretch him out to the furthest distance he has ever run and see if he can get the extra quarter of a mile. Up With the Birds is an old- timer, and consistently gives a good effort. He came flying late in the Eddie Read and I think the extra distance will suit him well.”

The field from the rail: Liam the Charmer (Victor Espinoza), Inordinate (Rafael Bejarano), Big John B (Corey Nakatani), Editore (Tiago Pereira), Itsinthepost (Tyler Baze), Monster Bea (Joe Talamo), Flamboyant (Brice Blanc), Ashleyluvssugar (Gary Stevens), He Will (Mike Smith), Up With the Birds (Jamie Theriot), Hunt (Flavien Prat),Mr. Roary (Santiago Gonzalez) and Prime Attraction (Stewart Elliott).

The Del Mar Handicap will go as the seventh on an 11-race program.

Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club