DEL MAR, Calif.—Six fillies and mares will face the starter Sunday at Del Mar in the 26th edition of the Betty Grable Stakes, a seven-furlong affair that carries a $100,000 purse and is part of the year-long Golden State Stakes Series worth a total of $4.325 million for California bred or sired horses.
This will be the eighth time the race has been held at Del Mar. All previous runnings took place at now closed Hollywood Park where the race was called the Cat’s Cradle Stakes.
Leading the half-dozen in this year’s Better Grable is one of the steadiest Thoroughbreds in the country, the 4-year-old chestnut filly Warren’s Showtime. Benjamin and Sally Warren’s homebred by Clubhouse Ride has gone to the post 22 times in her three-year career and has finished first, second or third in 20 of them. Her most recent outing saw her report home first in the California Distaff Handicap to improve her bankroll to $775,431.
Her regular rider of late, Juan Hernandez (he’s handled her in her last nine outings), will be on board and get a leg up from trainer Craig Lewis. The conditioner has more than a bit of history with his filly: he trained both her sire and her dam, the Affirmative mare Warren’s Veneda.
Here’s the full field with for the Betty Grable from the rail out with riders:
1. Fi Fi Pharoah (Umberto Rispoli)
2. Smoothlikebuttah (Giovanni Franco)
3. Big Sweep (Abel Cedillo)
4. Harper’s Gallop (Drayden Van Dyke)
5. Bella Vita (Flavien Prat)
6. Warren’s Showtime (Juan Hernandez)
The Betty Grable will be the eighth race on the nine-race card. First post is 12:30 p.m.
Del Mar Press Release
Photo: Warren’s Showtime (Benoit Photos)
