Grade 1 Winner Hit the Road Returns in Del Mar Mile

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Grade 1 Winner Hit the Road Returns in Del Mar Mile
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Hit the Road wins the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park

After more than four months off from racing, grade 1 winner Hit the Road  is scheduled to return in the $300,000 Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T) Aug. 21 at Del Mar.

The Del Mar Mile is one of two graded stakes races on the turf for horses 3-and-older on Saturday's card that features the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) as the day's racing will close with the 1 1/8-mile Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) where United  is the 125-pound highweight.

In the Del Mar Mile, Hit the Road returns to Southern California where he opened the 2021 season with victories at Santa Anita Park in the Thunder Road (G3T) and Frank E. Kilroe (G1T) stakes. The Kilroe victory gave trainer Dan Blacker the first grade 1 victory of his career. 

Campaigned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski, and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road will be making his first start since finishing fifth in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) April 9 at Keeneland. The 4-year-old son of More Than Ready  , who has been working regularly at Del Mar since mid-July, will look for a seventh win in his 11th start after securing more than $500,000 to date.

The field also features this year's Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) winner Smooth Like Strait , a 4-year-old son of Midnight Lute  . A homebred for Cannon Thoroughbreds, Smooth Like Strait enters off a runner-up finish to United earlier in the Del Mar meet in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T).  

Starting from the outside in the expected field of six is last year's Del Mar Mile winner Mo Forza , a 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo  .

In the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap, United will look for his second graded stakes win of the meet after winning the Eddie Read by a neck July 24. As the Del Mar Handicap is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 6 on the Del Mar course, it could prove a steppingstone for United. The 6-year-old son of Giant's Causeway has started in the past two editions of the Turf, finishing a close second to Bricks and Mortar  in that 1 1/2-mile race in 2019.

Campaigned by LNJ Foxwoods and trained by Richard Mandella, United has earned more than $1.6 million. 

While United aims for his second win at the meet, Arklow  will try for a second win in as many starts at Del Mar in Saturday's expected field of 11. Last year Arklow won the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar. Campaigned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and the Estate of Peter Coneway, Arklow has won nine races, including the 2019 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park.

Trainer Phil D'Amato has entered the past two winners of the Del Mar Handicap: last year's winner Red King  and 2019 victor Acclimate .


Entries: Del Mar Mile S. (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, August 21, 2021, Race 7

  • Grade IIT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $300,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 5:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Neptune's Storm (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Juan J. Hernandez 122 Peter Miller -
2 Hit the Road (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 126 Dan Blacker -
3 Smooth Like Strait (KY) UMBERTO RISPOLI 126 Michael W. McCarthy -
4 Next Shares (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Geovanni Franco 122 Richard Baltas -
5 Count Again (ON) Joe Bravo 122 Philip D'Amato -
6 Mo Forza (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Peter Miller -


Entries: Del Mar H. Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, August 21, 2021, Race 11

  • Grade IIT
  • 1 3/8m
  • Turf
  • $300,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 7:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Media Blitz (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate UMBERTO RISPOLI 119 Simon Callaghan -
2 Crossfirehurricane (KY) Mario Gutierrez 119 Michael W. McCarthy -
3 Red King (KY) Joel Rosario 121 Philip D'Amato -
4 United (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 125 Richard E. Mandella -
5 Masteroffoxhounds (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 121 Richard Baltas -
6 Master Piece (CHI) Drayden Van Dyke 119 Michael W. McCarthy -
7 Acclimate (CA) Ricardo Gonzalez 121 Philip D'Amato -
8 Arklow (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 124 Brad H. Cox -
9 Award Winner (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 121 David E. Hofmans -
10 Astronaut (KY) Victor Espinoza 117 John A. Shirreffs -
11 Say the Word (ON) Joe Bravo 123 Philip D'Amato -