Del Mar Derby attracts a well-matched field; Potesta heads Torrey Pines

Del Mar Derby attracts a well-matched field;
Potesta heads Torrey Pines

Howe Great exits a confidence-building victory in the Jersey Derby (David Owens/Equi-Photo) Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Del Mar Derby at nine furlongs on turf came up very contentious, with the winners of the Grade 2 La Jolla (Old Time Hockey) and both divisions of the local Oceanside Stakes (Midnight Crooner and My Best Brother) present as well as dangerous East Coast shipper Howe Great, and Sunday’s dynamite 11-race program at Del Mar also features the well-regarded three-year-old filly Potesta, who will return from a 71-day layoff in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes. Eleven three-year-olds passed through the entry box, but only 10 will be allowed to start in the Del Mar Derby and Howe Great drew the far outside in the main body of the field. The Graham Motion-trained son of Hat Trick captured his first three turf starts last winter, including a comfortable one-length win over Dullahan in the Grade 3 Palm Beach at Gulfstream Park, before an unplaced finish in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on Polytrack. Howe Great has raced exclusively on the green since then, recording a troubled third behind the Silver Max in the Grade 2 American Turf and a close second to Summer Front in the Grade 3 Hill Prince two back.

The dark bay colt tuned up for the Del Mar Derby with an easy 1 1/4-length
victory in the July 21 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park, and Howe Great will pick
up the services of Mike Smith.

Old Time Hockey came up a little short in third in the second division of the
Oceanside, but the Tom Proctor pupil put it all together last time in the La
Jolla, rallying to win in the final strides while stretching out from a mile to
8 1/2 furlongs. The Smarty Jones gelding may continue to appreciate the added
ground Sunday and Joe Talamo retains the mount. Midnight Crooner, a full brother
to Grade 1 winner Midnight Interlude, could challenge for Bob Baffert. The bay
son of War Chant has been freshened off his win in the first division of the
Oceanside and will keep Rafael Bejarano in the saddle.

My Best Brother led wire to wire in the second division of the Oceanside and
just missed on the front end of the La Jolla, finishing second by a nose. Martin
Garcia will guide the Julio Canani-trained front runner. Tones, a rallying
runner-up to My Best Brother in the Oceanside, can’t be dismissed from top three
consideration for Leandro Mora, who is subbing for Doug O’Neill, and All Squared
Away and Smart Ellis will enter the Del Mar Derby off good-looking
allowance/optional claiming scores over the Del Mar turf.

Potesta (outside) turned in a huge performance in the Hollywood Oaks, overcoming a Grade 1-winning rival to prove best in her first start against winners (Benoit Photo) Potesta figures to be an overwhelming favorite in the one-mile Torrey Pines for sophomore fillies. The Macho Uno filly broke her maiden by 11 1/2 lengths in her second career start May 3 and then jumped straight to stakes company for Mike Mitchell, winning the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks by a nose over the Grade 1-winning Eden’s Moon. That victory put Potesta in the discussion for champion three-year-old filly and the November 2 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic is the ultimate goal for the promising dark bay. She will face six opponents from the rail post with Talamo. Killer Graces, a Grade 1-winning juvenile filly, and multiple California-bred stakes winner Starlight Magic are her main rivals.

The $85,000
Adoration
will also be offered, and the one-mile event for fillies and mares drew a
solid field of eight, including Grade 1 winner Home Sweet Aspen; multiple Grade
2 queen Briecat, who captured the 2009 edition of this race; Grade 2 winner
Great Hot, winner of last year’s Torrey Pines over track/distance; Graser, a
neck second in the recent Sandy Blue Handicap on turf; and Miss Mittagong, who
will return off a 5 1/2-month layoff after placing in four consecutive graded
races this winter.

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