Versatile Kingly Stays on Turf for Del Mar Derby

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Versatile Kingly Stays on Turf for Del Mar Derby
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Kingly and jockey Mario Gutierrez win the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar

After posting a front-end score in his first start on turf in the La Jolla Handicap (G3T), Kingly will stay on the green for the $250,000 Del Mar Derby (G2T) Sept. 1 at Del Mar.

The La Jolla victory by Clearview Stables, RAC 04 Racing, and Michael Meegan's Kingly saw the son of Tapit  open a 3 1/2-length lead early and just hold off Neptune's Storm—also entered in the Del Mar Derby—by a neck. That victory gave the versatile Kingly wins on all three surface types—he won on dirt in his maiden debut in December 2018 at Del Mar and on synthetic when scoring by a half-length in the California Derby in April at Golden Gate Fields.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Kingly has a record of 3-2-2 from eight starts and earnings of $242,200. On Sunday, he'll break from the outside in the expected field of 10 3-year-olds.

Neptune's Storm returns after just missing in his graded stakes debut. Before the La Jolla, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig, and Daniel Weiner's Neptune's Storm grabbed back-to-back stakes wins on the Santa Anita Park turf, taking the Cinema in June by one length after a three-quarter-length win in the Singletary in late April. 

Trained by Richard Baltas, Neptune's Storm has won or placed in seven consecutive races and earned $279,585 in his career.

Another Del Mar Derby runner who just missed last out is Jerry Moss' Nolde, who finished a nose behind Jasikan in the Runhappy Oceanside Stakes on opening day of the Del Mar meet July 17. Nolde has been rested by trainer John Shirreffs since that effort, and Jasikan finished third in the La Jolla.

In three starts on grass, Nolde has two wins and the Oceanside runner-up finish. Nolde, who rallied from fifth early in the Oceanside, has worked four times at Del Mar since that effort, including a five-furlong move in 1:00 2/5 Aug. 24. 

Williamson Racing's Visitant will make his turf debut in his first start for trainer Carla Gaines after a grade 3 placing last out when the son of Ghostzapper  finished third to Baffert stablemates Mucho Gusto and Roadster in the Affirmed Stakes (G3) June 16 on the Santa Anita main track. Then trained by John Martin, Visitant won the Alcatraz Stakes May 19 on the synthetic surface at Golden Gate.

Also Sunday, seven promising 2-year-olds are expected to go in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes. Filly Croughavouke, a maiden winner in Ireland, will take on males in the one-mile test that will serve as her North American debut.

The race will mark the turf debut of Raging Whiskey, who has made four starts on dirt this season, including a third-place finish in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course. Hronis Racing's Encoder, a son of champion grass horse English Channel , will stretch out after rallying from fifth to win a five-furlong maiden race on the turf Aug. 7 at Del Mar.


Entries: Del Mar Derby (G2T)

Del Mar, Sunday, September 01, 2019, Race 9

  • Grade IIT
  • 1 1/8m
  • Turf
  • $250,000
  • 3 yo
  • 6:09 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Walker Stalker (NM) Ruben Fuentes 122 Jeff Bonde 30/1
2 2Hackberry (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Martin Garcia 122 Dan Blacker 20/1
3 3Nolde (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 5/1
4 4Originaire (IRE) Mike E. Smith 122 Jeff Mullins 4/1
5 5Neptune's Storm (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 122 Richard Baltas 7/2
6 6Visitant (KY) Geovanni Franco 122 Carla Gaines 8/1
7 7Parsimony (PA)Keeneland Sales Graduate Abel Cedillo 122 Doug F. O'Neill 15/1
8 8Moody Jim (IRE) Drayden Van Dyke 122 Jeff Mullins 5/1
9 9Nolo Contesto (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 122 John W. Sadler 8/1
10 10Kingly (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Bob Baffert 9/2




Entries: Del Mar Juvenile Turf S.

Del Mar, Sunday, September 01, 2019, Race 3

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 2 yo
  • 3:02 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Encoder (KY) Flavien Prat 120 John W. Sadler 9/5
2 2Commander (FR) Abel Cedillo 118 Philip D'Amato 4/1
3 3Hit the Road (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 120 Dan Blacker 6/1
4 4Croughavouke (IRE) Mike E. Smith 115 Jeff Mullins 5/1
5 5Billy Batts (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Drayden Van Dyke 120 Peter Miller 7/2
6 6Raging Whiskey (MD) Rafael Bejarano 120 Doug F. O'Neill 6/1
7 7Ardenlee Star (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Michael W. McCarthy 15/1