In the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Socio (red and black cap) was just a neck back of Sabertooth in second and just three-quarters of a length back of the winner, Artislas. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
In G3 Cecil B. Demille
Del Mar Stable Notes
DEL MAR, Calif.—Three stakes races are on tap at Del Mar Sunday, closing day at the seaside oval. Nine juveniles will go in the G3 Cecil B. DeMille, a one-mile test on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course that is the middle leg of the stakes triple.
It’s an evenly matched group, so much so that the morning line favorite is still a maiden. Scipio ran third in his debut and then trainer Richard Baltas tossed his ridgling into stakes company and the son of Caravaggio made a good account of himself, finishing third in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf just a neck back of Sabertooth in second and just three-quarters of a length back of the winner, Artislas.
“He’s had a little trouble all three times he’s run,” Baltas says. “He got behind a slow pace last time, had nowhere to go and had to check. The first time he ran he got left in the gate and had a rough trip. Hopefully he’ll have a better trip this time and get the money.”
Scipio ran on the undercard of Breeders’ Cup Friday and finished fourth in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Like his previous race, he finished with a flourish.
“The horse has continued to train well,” Baltas contends. “Definitely he’s a talented horse.”
He’ll most likely have to catch Clock Tower, who has one gear and that’s ‘Fast’. He has been on the front end of all four of his races, holding on once to break his maiden by 6 ½ lengths at Kentucky Downs in August. He got run down in the other three but his last race, the G2 Bourbon at Churchill Downs, was a mile and a sixteenth, longer than today’s Cecil B. DeMille.
“He’s doing great,” says Blake Heath, assistant trainer to Wesley Ward. “He schooled beautiful yesterday (Friday) and he’s looking good. He’s pretty fast, he’s the speed of the race. It’s a good spot for him. This turf course is a little bit faster for him and he’s a beautiful moving horse.”
This will be Clock Tower’s first race in Southern California, after running three times in Kentucky and once in New York.
On the other hand, Pali Kitten has made all of his starts in Southern California, including last out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
“That was a tough race,” trainer Doug O’Neill notes. “Things needed to go absolutely perfectly. But he came out of it in great shape. This race (the Cecil B. DeMille) is not an easy race but much softer for sure.”
Pali Kitten won his prep for the Breeders’ Cup, the Speakeasy at Santa Anita in October.
“Anything close to that, going a mile, I think he’s got a chance,” O’Neill adds. “We know he likes it down here.”
Oragami is not only making her Del Mar debut, but this will be her first start ever in the U.S. The Irish-bred joined trainer Jack Sisterson’s barn this summer.
It’s the 43rd running of the Cecil B. DeMille, formerly known as the Generous Stakes. It’s named after the legendary filmmaker. It’s Race 5 on the nine-race Sunday card. Probable post is 2:30 p.m.
