Seven promising three-year-old fillies will line up Sunday at Del Mar for the 49th running of the Torrey Pines Stakes, a Grade III contest over a mile on the main track carrying a $150,000 purse.
The Torrey Pines Stakes will provide an important test for a field featuring several young fillies with stakes experience, led by the unbeaten Rabeeba, who will make her first start against stakes company.
Rabeeba, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert and owned by Michael Lund Petersen, has won both starts of a brief career. The Curlin filly was purchased for $750,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September Sale and will take a significant step forward in class at Del Mar.
Juan Hernandez will take the mount aboard Rabeeba, with the pair set to leave from Post 3. Her combination of an unblemished record and proven connections makes her one of the central figures in Sunday’s mile.
Baffert and Petersen have enjoyed success together before, most notably with Adare Manor, who went on to become a multiple Grade I winner and earn more than $2 million.
The Torrey Pines Stakes has long served as a useful stepping stone for talented fillies. Stellar Wind captured the race in 2015, while Beholder won in 2013 and Pussycat Doll took the event in 2005. Baffert has also built an impressive record in the race, having trained seven winners.
Among the other leading contenders is She’s No Quant, a homebred for Reddam Racing who arrives after winning the Fleet Treat for California-breds on July 24.
Legacy Ranch’s Mohaven will also command attention. The three-time California-bred stakes winner has already made eight starts and brings considerable experience into Sunday’s Grade III assignment.
Last year’s Torrey Pines Stakes went to Cal-bred Om N Joy, adding another name to a race that has regularly featured fillies with bigger targets ahead.
The Torrey Pines Stakes is scheduled as Race 7 on Del Mar’s 10-race Sunday programme. First post is set for 2 p.m., with the Grade III feature expected to be run at approximately 5 p.m.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz