Sneaking Out to Bring Momentum Into Rancho Bernardo

After securing the first graded stakes win of her career in her previous race, KMN Racing homebred Sneaking Out will look for a second consecutive win when the consistent daughter of Indian Evening faces an expected seven other fillies and mares in the $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) Aug. 21 at Del Mar.

Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sneaking Out posted a three-quarter-length victory in the July 4 Great Lady M. Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course after tracking from second early in that 6 1/2-furlong sprint. Sneaking Out, with Umberto Rispoli scheduled to be aboard for the first time, will try that distance again Friday.

The victory in the Great Lady M. improved Sneaking Out's record to 5-4-0 from 11 starts. The 4-year-old California-bred filly out of the Kitten's Joy  mare Maddie's Odyssey won last year's Evening Jewel Stakes over other state-bred females in April at Santa Anita Park. She'll be making her fifth start at Del Mar after securing a victory and two runner-up finishes among her previous tries at the seaside track.

The third-place runner from the Great Lady M., Amuse, also will try the Rancho Bernardo. Trained by Richard Mandella, Amuse finished off the board in a July 24 turf sprint at Del Mar and will return to the dirt, where she has won two of five starts and only finished off the board once.

Sneaking Out, the highweight at 123 pounds, is expected to face three other runners entered off wins who have each been assigned 119 pounds: Gingham, Into Chocolate, and Mother of Dragons. They'll start from the field's three inside positions.

Gingham will make her first start since winning the June 13 Angels Flight Stakes at Santa Anita Park—her first stakes score after finishing second this year in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) there. Mike Smith was aboard for the most recent effort and returns on the 3-year-old Quality Road  filly.

After a pair of starts in the East, Pam and Marty Wygod homebred Into Chocolate returns to Southern California. The grade 3-placed daughter of Into Mischief  won an allowance-level race July 12 at Belmont Park going six furlongs.

Mother of Dragons, who is owned and trained by Andreas Psarras, ventures to Del Mar after a narrow victory July 18 in the California Governor's Handicap at Pleasanton. 

Rounding out the field will be stakes winners Artistic Diva, who is grade 3-placed, Mucho Amor, and Unique Factor.

raceEntries date="8/21/2020" country="USA" trackid="Dmr" racenumber="9"]