Stormy Liberal Stakes: Big City Lights returns with fresh purpose as past winners re-enter the arena

Big City Lights stood under the quiet hum of cameras and evening breeze, trainer Richard Mandella leaning in with a hand on his neck — steady, reassuring, hopeful. If the Grade III winner ever needed a moment to reset before another major assignment, it was now. On Sunday, he steps back into the spotlight for the Stormy Liberal Stakes, eager to show that his brilliance still runs fresh through his stride.

He arrives at Del Mar with form that is both battle-tested and respected. The six-year-old returned from a long break to contest the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint earlier this month, finishing eighth in a full line-up after ten months away from racing. Those numbers hardly dampened belief — his early-season performances were near-electric. He swept the Cary Grant Stakes by open lengths in November, following it with an equally dominant display in the Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint Stakes prior to the layoff. Now owned and celebrated by William Peeples, Big City Lights brings a record of 14-7-4-2 and earnings nearing $600,000, and he will have a new partner in the saddle: Mirco Demuro.

Stormy Liberal Stakes field loaded with familiar firepower
Last year’s winner Unconquerable Keen returns, eyes bright and calm as ever, ready to defend the honour he earned with grit. Twelve months ago, a troubled start forced him to switch paths and sweep wide, but he drove past Sorrento Sky in the closing stages to reclaim the race by half-a-length — a performance that drew cheers loud enough to rattle the grandstand. Trained by Phil D’Amato for CYBT, Omar Aldabbagh and Michael Nentwig, he owns seven career wins and will again be partnered by Umberto Rispoli.

Runner-up Sorrento Sky is back too, sharpening the narrative between familiar rivals. This time, he meets a field that blends pace, maturity and new threats — names like No Nay Hudson, Book Smart and Zio Joe help set a table that feels wide open, eagerly balanced between raw speed and seasoned timing.

Field of 10 — post-position order:

1. Big City Lights — Mirco Demuro — 122

2. Zio Joe — Antonio Fresu — 120

3. Virat — Hector Berrios — 122

4. Yellow Card — Kazushi Kimura — 122

5. Sorrento Sky — Flavien Prat — 120

6. No Nay Hudson — Pablo Morales — 124

7. Book Smart — Mike Smith — 122

8. Nay V Belle — John Velazquez — 119

9. Unconquerable Keen — Umberto Rispoli — 120

10. Ballyvaughan Gig — Edwin Maldonado — 122

The race headlines Sunday’s nine-race card with a scheduled post time of 2:30 PM. Speed, memory and redemption collide — and Big City Lights will stand in the center of it.

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