The Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, California’s first Grade I race in two months, has lured the good 4-year-old sprinters Cornucopian and Listenupshance back from Kentucky and New York to head a field that includes Stronghold and Dr. Venkman.
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Cornucopian, with Juan Hernandez riding for trainer Bob Baffert, seeks his biggest win after taking the Grade III Aristides at Churchill Downs. Listenupshance, with Emisael Jaramillo aboard for Doug O’Neill, will try to build on his game third to Book’em Danno and Bentornato in the Grade III True North at Saratoga.
Stronghold (Antonio Fresu), the 2024 Santa Anita Derby winner, is the only one of the 10 horses in the 6-furlong race who made his last start in California. As Capistrano is to swallows, a $400,000 purse and Grade I prestige are to horses.
• The Grade II Eddie Read Stakes on Sunday stars 2025 winner Formidable Man (John Velazquez) and 2023 winner Gold Phoenix (Hector Berrios). Formidable Man could be the Eddie Read’s sixth repeat winner, joining Wickerr, Fastness, Special Ring, Acclamation and United. The field of turf veterans includes last year’s 2-3 finishers Cabo Spirit (Mike Smith) and Stay Hot (Armando Ayuso).
• Journalism is back in the top 10 after overcoming a horrible start to win with jockey Umberto Rispoli in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar last Saturday. The 4-year-old jumped from No. 15 to No. 10 in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll. Four-year-old Magnitude remained No. 1.
• While trainer Michael McCarthy hasn’t committed to entering Journalism in the Aug. 22 Pacific Classic, Baffert announced second-ranked Nysos will run in Del Mar’s $1 million race instead of the Aug. 8 Whitney at Saratoga. That would be 5-year-old Nysos’ last start before the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
• Knightsbridge received a Beyer speed figure of 122, the highest by any horse this year, after covering 1⅛ miles in 1:47.51 to win last Saturday’s Monmouth Cup in New Jersey by 10¼ lengths with Flavien Prat riding for trainer Bill Mott. Five-year-old Knightsbridge was coming off a second in the Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga, behind Nysos and ahead of Journalism.
• Santa Anita announced a stakes schedule for its Sept. 25-Nov. 1 meet that includes seven stakes awarding entry in Oct. 30-31 Breeders’ Cup races. The seven are the Sept. 26 Goodwood and City of Hope Mile, the Sept. 27 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and Zenyatta Stakes, and the Oct. 3 American Pharoah Stakes, Oak Leaf Stakes and Rodeo Drive Stakes.
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• A mistake by the Del Mar racing office allowed an ineligible horse to run in an optional-claiming sprint on opening day last Friday. The 4-year-old gelding Its a Cinch, who came in with one too many wins at a level specified in the conditions, finished third behind Frank Bullitt. The Daily Racing Form reported Its a Cinch is expected to be disqualified and his owner’s $9,720 purse redistributed.
• Jaime Gomez saddled his 1,460th quarter-horse winner at Los Alamitos to tie Charles Treece for fifth among trainers all-time at the Orange County track. Blane Schvaneveldt’s 3,982 wins are the Los Al record. Gomez’s milestone victory came last Saturday when Cape Blanco and jockey Justine Klaiber won the fastest trial for the Aug. 8 California Juvenile Challenge.
• Rebel’s Romance, whose nine Grade I-level wins include two in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, has been retired at age 8. The Dubai-based Godolphin stable said it will announce plans soon for the gelding under its lifetime aftercare program. Rebel’s Romance won his second Breeders’ Cup race at Del Mar in 2024, and came back for California in 2025 to seek a record-tying third but finished second to Ethical Diamond.
DEL MAR LEADERS
Through Sunday
Jockeys / Wins
Umberto Rispoli / 5
Juan Hernandez / 5
Kazushi Kimura / 4
Emisael Jaramillo / 4
Armando Ayuso / 3
Hector Berrios / 2
(9 tied) / 1
Trainers / Wins
Doug O’Neill / 4
Michael McCarthy / 4
Phil D’Amato / 4
Antonio Garcia / 2
John Sadler / 2
(16 tied) / 1
UPCOMING STAKES (DEL MAR)
Friday
• $150,000 Fleet Treat Stakes, California-bred 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs
Saturday
• $400,000, Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs
• $100,000 Osunitas Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf
• $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap, fillies and mares, 3 and up, 5 furlongs on turf
Sunday
• $250,000, Grade II Eddie Read Stakes, 3 and up, 1⅛ miles on turf
LOS ALAMITOS
Sunday
• $225,000 Governor’s Cup Derby, quarter horses, Cal-bred 3-year-olds, 400 yards
• $400,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity, quarter horses, Cal-bred 2-year-olds, 350 yards
• $100,000 Spencer Childers California Championship, quarter horses, Cal-breds 3 and up, 400 yards
• $50,000 Rolling A Ranch Matron, quarter horses, Cal-bred fillies and mares, 3 and up, 350 yards
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