DEL MAR, Calif.—The first of two stakes races on the special Labor Day card at Del Mar is the $100,000 Tranquility Lake, a one mile test for fillies and mares. One contender is a mare dropping out of graded stakes company, another is a filly who has won three allowance races in a row and is stepping up to stakes company for the first time.
Samurai Charm is not a stranger to the winners circle. She won four races in a row last year, the middle two victories here at Del Mar. Boosted with confidence, trainer Peter Miller stepped her up into graded stakes company, running in the G2 Zenyatta at Santa Anita. She lost by 22-lengths.
Miller gave the daughter of First Samarai eight months off before bringing her back in the G3 Desert Stormer at Santa Anita in June. She finished third and followed that effort with a runner-up finish to Becca Taylor in the G2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos.
“She’s a nice filly,” Miller says. “She can go short, she can go long. Very consistent, solid filly and we expect a big effort from her.”
As for the drop in class, Miller says there’s nothing to read into it, it’s just the way it came up.
Waiting for Samurai Charm will be Teddy’s Barino, who won a Cal-bred entry level allowance sprint by five lengths at Santa Anita in May. She’s two-for-three at Del Mar, winning the Fleet Treat Stakes in 2021 and an open company non-winner of one allowance test going a mile last month when she won by two lengths.
La Castiglione comes into the Tranquility Lake riding a five-race win streak, albeit at Turf Paradise and Arizona Downs. The daughter of the Uncle Mo sire, Uncle Lino, is trained by Jeff Matz.
Bye Bye Bertie is not without a look. She won four straight starter allowance races at Santa Anita this past winter. Then trainer Leonard Powell stepped her up into stakes company and the closest she’s come in four races is a second to Leggs Galore in the $75,000 Mizdirection down the hill at Santa Anita in May. She finished a well beaten 10th in the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar on opening weekend.
Tranquility Lake was a hard knocking mare who raced from 1998 until 2001. She won the 2000 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita and the 2001 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on her way to compiling over $1.6 million in earnings.
Here’s the field for the Tranquility Lake from the rail with the jockeys:
| 1 | Ever Smart | Ryan Curatolo | Neil Drysdale | 12-1 |
| 2 | Lisette | Victor Espinoza | Patrick Gallagher | 8-1 |
| 3 | Teddy’s Barino | Mike Smith | Mark Glatt | 5/2 |
| 4 | Velvet Slippers | Juan Hernandez | Bob Baffert | 5/2 |
| 5 | La Castiglione | Hannah Leahey | Jeff Metz | 12-1 |
| 6 | Samurai Charm | Ramon Vazquez | Peter Miller | 6-1 |
| 7 | Bye Bye Bertie | Drayden Van Dyke | Leonard Powell | 6-1 |
COOLING OUT: A thunderstorm blew through Del Mar early Sunday morning, bringing thunder and lightning and leaving puddles of standing water and debris around the facility. Trainer Rafael DeLeon, who was staying at the trailer park on the south side of the property, rushed over to the back side out of concern for his horses and said debris was blowing everywhere. No serious incidents were reported…Jockeys Flavien Prat and John Velazquez have left Del Mar after enjoying a successful day in the saddle Saturday. Prat won four races, three of them stakes, including the TVG Pacific Classic on Flightline. Velazquez had two wins, three seconds and a third…Notable works for Sunday: Dirt – Justique (4f, :50.20); Cave Rock (5f, 1:00.20); Havnameltdown (5f, 1:00.20), and Hejazi (6f, 1:12.20).
DMTC Stable Notes
Main Photo: Samurai Charm winning the Dark Mirage Stakes at Los Alamitos. Photo by Benoit
