Del Mar will stage one of its most significant fillies and mares contests on Saturday when nine accomplished runners line up for the 56th running of the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, a Grade I event named in honour of one of the founding figures of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
The $400,000 race will be contested over a mile and one-sixteenth and will form Race 10 of an 11-race programme, with the day’s first race scheduled at 2 p.m. The Hirsch is expected to take place at around 6:30 p.m., bringing together a strong group of female thoroughbreds on the main track.
Clement L. Hirsch Stakes is the featured Grade I race at Del Mar, attracting some of the leading fillies and mares from the region.
Among the leading contenders is defending champion Seismic Beauty, who returns to the scene of her biggest success last year. The Uncle Mo mare enjoyed a standout 2025 campaign, winning both the Santa Margarita Stakes and the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes before finishing her season in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, where she was eased late in the race.
Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert, Seismic Beauty will once again be partnered by Juan Hernandez as she looks to regain winning form following her third-place finish behind Om N Joy in the Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita on May 30.
Om N Joy arrives with strong credentials after defeating Seismic Beauty in that Santa Margarita contest. The daughter of Om recorded the sixth victory of her career and secured her fifth stakes success with that performance, continuing her progress against high-quality opposition.
Trained by Aggie Ordonez, Om N Joy will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has been a regular partner for the filly.
The Del Mar card will also include the 21st running of the California Dreamin’ Stakes, another mile-and-one-sixteenth contest on the main track. Restricted to California-bred runners, the $150,000 event will be Race 5 on the programme.
Saturday’s fixture will also recognise Oak Tree Racing Association Day at Del Mar, celebrating the organisation’s contribution to the sport. Oak Tree Racing Association conducted fall racing at Santa Anita for four decades from 1969 to 2009 and has since supported racing-related initiatives, research programmes and charitable causes.
As part of the day’s celebrations, Oak Tree will contribute $100,000 towards the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes purse. A special presentation will also recognise stable staff, with a $500 award for the groom responsible for the best turned-out horse across the 11-race card.
The programme will include a tribute to the late John Shirreffs, one of racing’s respected horsemen, whose career included guiding Hall of Fame mare Zenyatta through her remarkable achievements. Zenyatta won three editions of the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes during her unbeaten 19-race winning streak.
Shirreffs’ widow, Dottie Ingordo, will attend the tribute and later represent him at Saratoga on August 7 when he is posthumously inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame.
With defending champion Seismic Beauty, rising star Om N Joy and several talented rivals in the field, the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes promises to provide a compelling test of class, stamina and consistency at Del Mar.
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