Del Mar’s summer meeting is entering its final stretch with a packed closing week ahead, while Saturday’s graded stakes card produced two memorable finishes and a setback for one of the meeting’s most accomplished stars.
Iron Man Cal secured a place in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with a determined front-running performance in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien, while Test Score spoiled Gold Phoenix’s bid for an unprecedented fifth consecutive Del Mar Handicap in the Grade 2 feature on turf.
Del Mar racing remains at the centre of the weekend’s storylines.
Iron Man Cal took the Pat O’Brien from the front, controlling the seven-furlong contest before resisting the late challenge of Moonlight and Big City Lights. The victory completed a notable progression for the son of Collected, who was previously a runner-up in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
His recent switch to dirt has brought a different dimension to his racing. After finishing third behind Journalism in the Grade 2 San Diego, the decision was made to shorten him to seven furlongs, and the move paid dividends.
The victory did not come without an early interruption. Iron Man Cal lost a shoe in the paddock, delaying the start by roughly 10 minutes while the problem was repaired. Once the race began, however, there were few signs of the disruption affecting his performance.
Trainer Phil D’Amato is now expected to give the horse time between races, with the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on October 31 a likely next target.
The second graded stakes brought a very different story.
Gold Phoenix was attempting to make history in the Del Mar Handicap, seeking a fifth straight victory in the 1 3/8-mile contest. Instead, the eight-year-old had to settle for fourth after finding himself well back in the early stages.
The Irish-bred saved ground throughout and made his move around the turn, but the slow early pace left little room for error when the field accelerated for home. Gold Phoenix closed into contention but could not quite reach the leaders.
Test Score, shipped west from the East Coast, produced the decisive finish. Settled around midfield for much of the journey, the son of Lookin At Lucky charged late and prevailed by a neck over Atitlan in a tightly packed finish that saw five horses arrive at the line together.
The result ended Gold Phoenix’s remarkable run in the race, although his next assignment remains undecided. A possible Breeders’ Cup appearance is still under consideration, with a return for Del Mar’s fall meeting another option.
Test Score, meanwhile, emerged from the race in good condition and is scheduled to leave Del Mar on Tuesday for trainer Graham Motion’s base at Fair Hill, Maryland.
The victory also continued an outstanding summer for Motion. All three of his starters in stakes races at Del Mar this season have won, following Warming’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon success and Vronti’s victory in the CTT & TOC Stakes.
Motion has now sent 15 stakes winners to Del Mar over the years, with the latest victory further underlining his success with horses shipped across the country.
The final week of the 87th summer meeting will feature five days of racing and nine stakes races, with the schedule stretching through the Labor Day holiday on Monday.
Friday’s programme begins with the $100,000 Generous Portion, a six-furlong race for California-bred two-year-old fillies. Ten have been nominated, including several runners who finished behind the winner of the CTBA Stakes on August 2.
Saturday will bring three stakes, led by the 76th running of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante over seven furlongs. The race for two-year-old fillies has attracted the attention of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has entered Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes winner Holmby and Miss Monica.
The Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf is also scheduled for Saturday, with the one-mile turf contest serving as an important step toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
The $100,000 Tranquility Lake completes Saturday’s stakes programme, with 14 fillies and mares nominated for the one-mile main-track race.
Sunday’s card will feature the 79th running of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, a key preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Baffert is again strongly represented, with Hughes and Domus among those being considered.
Doug O’Neill could bring back Phone Booth, who finished second to Hughes in the Best Pal Stakes, while John Sadler has nominated Inshallah, a debut winner earlier this month.
The Sunday programme will also include the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and the $125,000 Shared Belief for three-year-olds over a mile on dirt.
Monday’s Labor Day card will be headed by the Grade 2 John C. Mabee, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares. The nominations include Warming, Baltic Fire and Fibonaccis Ride, all stakes winners at Del Mar during the current meeting.
Thought Process, winner of the Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anita, could add further depth to the field.
The $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes will round out Monday’s stakes programme with a six-furlong sprint for California-bred two-year-olds. Net Par, already a two-time winner at the meeting, is among the nominees.
Entries for Saturday’s races are due to be drawn later Monday, followed by Wednesday’s draw for Sunday and Thursday’s draw for the Labor Day programme.
Away from the racing itself, Del Mar is continuing a programme designed to support the people working behind the scenes throughout the meeting.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Del Mar Backstretch Complimentary Meal Program is providing free meals to workers with California Horse Racing Board credentials on race days.
The programme operates from Wednesday through Sunday and serves everything from sandwiches and burgers to full chicken and fish dinners.
Around 375 meals are served on an average day, with the number reaching more than 500 on particularly busy evenings. The programme serves close to 2,000 meals each week.
The initiative was developed after Del Mar officials saw a similar Sunday meal programme at Santa Anita and decided to expand the idea into a service available throughout the racing week.
The meals also provide a place for workers to sit together, eat and take a break from the long hours involved in caring for horses.
The menu changes regularly, with new dishes introduced this season alongside familiar favourites. The aim is simple: make sure the people who spend their days looking after the horses have the opportunity to sit down to a proper meal themselves.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz .