Large Field Assembled for Del Mar Futurity
If all twelve horses entered on Saturday start, Wednesday’s 65th running of the $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Futurity will be the second-largest field for the event in the past 22 years. Thirteen went postward with Georgie Boy winning in 2007 and there were 11-horse fields in 2010, 2008 and 2005. Before that, the number of Futurity starters hadn’t hit double figures since 1990 and 1991 when Best Pal defeated 10 rivals and Bertrando nine respectively.
The 2012 Futurity class, from the rail out:
Gabriel Charles (Joe Talamo rides, Jeff Mullins trains), Capo Bastone (John Velazquez, John Sadler), Switch to the Lead (Julien Leparoux, Patrick Biancone), Yankee Rebel (Victor Espinoza, R.B. Hess, Jr.,), Know More (Garrett Gomez, Leandro Mora), Heir of Storm (Martin Garcia, Alexis Barba), The Whole Deal (Alonso Quinonez , Steve Knapp), Pure Loyalty (David Flores, Mark Glatt), Caballo Del Cielo (Mike Smith, Jeff Bonde), Rolling Fog (Rafael Bejarano, Bob Baffert), Scherer Magic (Corey Nakatani, John Sadler), Ive Struck a Nerve (Jose Valdivia, Jr., J. Keith Desormeaux).
John Velazquez, a New York-based standout for 20 years and 2012 inductee into Racing’s Hall of Fame, has ridden only once previously at Del Mar. He was aboard Fourty Niners Son for Neil Drysdale in the Eddie Read Handicap on July 23, 2006. Fourty Niners Son was disqualified from fourth to fifth place for interference in the stretch.
Julien Leparoux, also New York-based, returns to Del Mar after riding three mounts on the opening-day card, recording a fourth and third-place finishes in both divisions of the Oceanside Stakes.