History Could Be Made in Del Mar Derby

With three 3-year-old fillies entered in the 12-horse field, the Sept. 6 running of the Del Mar Derby (G2T) could be historic as no filly has won the 1 1/8-mile test first run in 1945.

Warren's Showtime, a California-bred daughter of Clubhouse Ride, held a one-length lead in the stretch of the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) over the same turf course and distance Aug. 22 before finishing third, 1 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Red Lark.

Trained by Craig Lewis for owner/breeders Benjamin and Sally Warren, Warren's Showtime has four stakes wins among her five career victories, with four of her five third-place finishes also coming in stakes. The filly, who has earned $460,251, is very adaptable, with a stakes win and one placing in main track stakes.

Warrren's Showtime will break from post 7 under jockey Jorge Velez, the filly's regular rider until Mike Smith took over the mount for the Del Mar Oaks. Smith is riding at Churchill Down Sept. 4-5, precluding him from being able to return to the Del Mar jockey colony Sunday as part of COVID-19 restrictions.

Lewis, who has saddled 997 winners through Sept. 1, is also represented by Margot's Boy in the Del Mar Derby, a California-bred son of Clubhouse Ride. A multiple grade 2 winner trained by Lewis, Clubhouse Ride stands at Legacy Ranch near Clements, Calif. A homebred for Alfred Pais, Margot's Boy finished third in the Snow Chief Stakes on the Santa Anita Park turf in June and drew the near-outside 11 post.

Trainer Mike Stidham has shipped widely traveled Pixelate to the West Coast in search of easier company than he has faced on the East Coast. The Godolphin homebred son of City Zip won the Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and has placed in six additional stakes at five other racetracks and has amassed earnings of $191,400. 

Pixelate was under consideration for the $500,000 American Turf Presented by Smithfield (G2T) being run at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, but when that race drew top turf stars Smooth Like Strait and Field Pass, Stidham opted to go to Del Mar.

"We've been battling with what I think are the best 3-year-old turf horses in the country," Stidham said. "We were considering the race at Churchill but when we found out those horses were going to Churchill, I decided to take a detour and take a shot at Del Mar. It's a $200,000 and a grade 2 and it made sense to go out there."

Pixelate finished second to Smooth Like Strait earlier in the year in the War Chant Stakes at Churchill and was third in the Audubon, also at Churchill, won by Field Pass.

With no finish worse than third in 10 career starts, Pixelate is a gutsy competitor.

"He runs hard every time. It doesn't matter the surface or the rider," Stidham said. "He is always there giving a strong effort."

Top Del Mar rider Umberto Rispoli will be aboard Pixelate for the first time. "Being able to get Rispoli made the decision even easier," said Stidham.

Another accomplished filly entered is California Kook, a California homebred for Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber trained by Peter Miller. The Boisterous  filly ran second in the Snow Chief and held the same position at the wire in the Del Mar Oaks. She has won two of eight career starts and has a bankroll of $167,762. Flavien Prat, who is neck and neck with Umberto Rispoli for Del Mar leading jockey, is aboard from the 4 post.

Rounding out the filly threesome is French-bred Guitty, runner-up in the San Clemente (G2T) July 25 for the Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables, Mark Mathiesen, and Mathilde Powell. Trained by Leonard Powell, the filly was brought to the U.S. after one start in her native country.

Kanderel, a Candy Ride  colt trained by Richard Mandella for owner/breeder Wertheimer and Frere, won the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields before finishing second in Del Mar's Runhappy Oceanside Stakes. Juan Hernandez rides from the 6 hole. 

Other Derby entrants with stakes placings to their credit are Shared Belief Stakes (G3) third Kiss Today Goodbye; K P All Systems Go, second in the Cinema Stakes and third in the La Jolla Handicap (G3T); and Heywoods Beach, third-place finisher in the Cinema.

Entries: Del Mar Derby (G2T)

Del Mar, Sunday, September 06, 2020, Race 10

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	American Farmer (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	122	Steve M. Sherman	-
2	California Kook (CA)	Flavien Prat	119	Peter Miller	-
3	Guitty (FR)	Eswan Flores	119	Leonard Powell	-
4	Pixelate (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Michael Stidham	-
5	No Slo Mo (WA)	Geovanni Franco	122	Mark Glatt	-
6	Kanderel (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Richard E. Mandella	-
7	Warren's Showtime (CA)	Jorge I. Velez	119	Craig Anthony Lewis	-
8	Kiss Today Goodbye (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	J. Eric Kruljac	-
9	Dominant Soul (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	122	Paula S. Capestro	-
10	Heywoods Beach (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	122	John W. Sadler	-
11	Margot's Boy (CA)	Tiago Josue Pereira	122	Craig Anthony Lewis	-
12	K P All Systems Go (NY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Jeff Mullins	-