The crowd at Del Mar stirred with anticipation as Hypergamy, fresh off a commanding maiden victory, stepped onto the turf with her familiar jockey Antonio Fresu. The Doug O’Neill-trained filly, a Glenn Sorgenstein W C Racing homebred, drew attention not just for her previous performances but for the fierce determination she displayed in her last outing. Fresu’s celebratory pat on her neck captured the excitement of fans eager to see her tackle stakes company once more.
Hypergamy, breaking her maiden in gate-to-wire fashion, brings a record of 4-1-1-1 and earnings of $64,500 into the Grade III $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes, contested over a mile. In her previous stakes attempt, the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on September 6, she pressed hard from the outside, ultimately finishing third by just over a length and a half—a performance that promised more to come.
Joining Hypergamy in the field of 11 is French-bred Special Wood, making her stateside debut for trainer Thomas Proctor. Owned by C Bernick, the filly carries a winning record of 3-2-0-0 from France, where she captured victories a month apart in July and August. John Velazquez will take the reins as she seeks a strong American debut.
Richard Baltas’ Bourbon and Ginger adds intrigue with a switch back to turf and a step up to two turns. After finishing sixth in the Desi Arnaz Stakes, the Spendthrift Farm homebred aims to rebound with Tiago Pereira aboard, hoping her sprint experience on turf at Santa Anita in early October translates into success at Del Mar.
Other contenders include Latte Luv with Mirco Demuro, Just Aloof ridden by Hector Berrios, La Ville Lumiere with Kazushi Kimura, Sweet Little Lila under Serafin Carmona, Umbralle with Armando Ayuso, Yours Sincerely piloted by Umberto Rispoli, Wild Like the West with Juan Hernandez, and Cee Drew with Ricardo Gonzalez.
The Jimmy Durante Stakes is slated as the seventh race on an 11-race card, with an approximate post time of 2:30 PM. Gates open at 10:30 AM, giving spectators the perfect opportunity to soak in Del Mar’s closing weekend festivities and enjoy the thrilling turf action.
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Race Card Field (Post Positions):
1 (Latte Luv) – Mirco Demuro 120
2 (Special Wood) – John Velazquez 120
3 (Bourbon and Ginger) – Tiago Pereira 120
4 (Just Aloof) – Hector Berrios 120
5 (La Ville Lumiere) – Kazushi Kimura 120
6 (Sweet Little Lila) – Serafin Carmona 120
7 (Umbralle) – Armando Ayuso 120
8 (Yours Sincerely) – Umberto Rispoli 120
9 (Hypergamy) – Antonio Fresu 120
10 (Wild Like the West) – Juan Hernandez 120
11 (Cee Drew) – Ricardo Gonzalez 120
