Del Mar serves up the stakes on Sunday

September 4, 2022

DEL MAR, Calif.—Two very different, but very interesting, stakes races will highlight the Sunday Labor Day Weekend card at Del Mar.

The first test brings out 3-year-old fillies, seven of them in fact, for the 45th edition of the Torrey Pines Stakes, a Grade III offering that carries a purse of $125,000 and goes at a mile on the main track.

The second is for 3-year-olds and up on the turf course at five furlongs. It’s called the Green Flash Handicap, provides a $150,000 purse and also carries Grade III status. Its 20th running has drawn 11 fast turfers. Additionally, the race is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, guaranteeing the victorious horse admission – with all fees paid – to the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at Keeneland in Kentucky in November.

Of the seven in the Torrey Pines, three of them are previous stakes winners, two of those out of the Bob Baffert barn – and it is noted that the Hall of Fame trainer has won this race six times.

Under The Stars in a work at Del Mar going five furlongs in 1:01.20 handily 50/97. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire

The Baffert pair are Magnier, Tabor or Smith’s Under the Stars and Willow Grace Farm and Petersen’s Grace Adler. The conditioner also has entered Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s promising Midnight Memories.

The horse they might all have to beat, though, is the H & E Ranch’s Desert Dawn, a good second against older fillies and mares here on August 6 in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth. Earlier this year she captured the Santa Anita Oaks, then ran third in the prestigious Kentucky Oaks and third again in the Summer Oaks at Santa Anita. Phil D’Amato trains Desert Dawn, who is an Arizona-bred daughter of the Tapit sire Cupid.

Desert Dawn worked five furlongs in company in 1:00 flat handily 13/73 at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire

The Green Flash is topped by last year’s winner of the grass dash in Nick Alexander’s homebred Lieutenant Dan. The 6-year-old gelding is by Alexander’s home stallion Grazen, a fast horse who gets fast horses. Lieutenant Dan won the Green Flash by two and a quarter length in 2021, then came back to run a good second to champion Golden Pal in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, also at Del Mar on November 6. The bay horse hasn’t been out since but has been training steadily for conditioner Steve Miyadi.

Lieutenant Dan worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 handily 39/39 at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire

His chief opponent in the sprint appears to be Grandilla’s Dubai Key, who is three for three in the U.S. since coming north from Chile. The 5-year-old horse by the Deputy Minister stallion Key Deputy has won eight of 13 career outings and is at his best in turf sprints.

Here are the full fields for the two races with riders and morning line odds:

Torrey Pines Stakes 
1        Desert Dawn                              Umberto Rispoli                  9/5 
2        Kirstenbosch                              Tyler Baze                          15-1 
3        Midnight Memories                   Ramon Vazquez                 3-1 
4        Malibu Marie                              Jose Valdivia Jr.                  15-1 
5        Under the Stars                          Juan Hernandez                 5/2 
6        Cinnamon Cat                            Abel Cedillo                        10-1
7        Grace Adler                                Mike Smith                          3-1
Green Flash Handicap 
1        Dubai Key                                  Hector Berrios                     3-1 
2        Yes He Can                                Kyle Frey                            15-1 
3        Super Ocho                               Armando Ayuso                  6-1 
4        Lane Way                                   Mike Smith                         15-1 
5        Nero Ryan                                  Ryan Curatolo                    15-1 
6        Chasin Munny                            Abel Cedillo                        20-1 
7        Barristan The Bold                     Joe Bravo                           15-1 
8        Coulthard                                   Ramon Vazques                 15-1 
9        Lieutenant                                  Dan Hernandez                  5/2 
10      Whatmakessammyrun            Umberto Rispoli                  5-1
11      Maven                                        Edwin Maldonado               8-1

While Baffert has won the Torrey Pines six times, he’s outdone by trainer John Sadler, who has visited the winner’s circle after the race on seven occasions. Sadler has Kirstenbosch in the mile and the daughter of Midnight Lute sports a straight maiden win and a stakes placing to her credit so far and, as noted, her trainer certainly knows how to win this race.

Among the champions who have won the Torrey Pines are Stellar Wind (trained by Sadler) in 2015 and Beholder (trained by Richard Mandella) in 2013.

The Torrey Pines is Race 5 on the 11-race Sunday program. The Green Flash goes as Race 9. First post Sunday is 1 p.m.

DMTC Press Release
Main Photo: Grace Adler (outside) and Midnight Memories worked in company going five furlongs in 1:01.20 handily 46/73 at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire

Nicely done Jon, played a cold exacta.

Dean Tharp @tharpd38 View testimonials

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