Sacred Life, Field Pass Renew Rivalry Out West

With a quarter-mile to go in the Oct. 10 Knickerbocker Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park, Field Pass  turned back the challenge of Temple  and appeared home free until the dark shadow of Sacred Life  loomed to his outside in deep stretch, defeating the gutsy gray by a head at the wire. Less than two months later, this duo will take their show on the road, renewing their rivalry in the the Nov. 27 $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.

While trainer Chad Brown shipped seven of his horses out to Del Mar to contest this weekend's Turf Festival, highlighted by the Nov. 27 Hollywood Derby (G1T) and Nov. 28 Matriarch Stakes (G1T), Mike Maker's sole hope for the weekend's stakes action rests on Field Pass.

Owned by Three Diamonds Farm, the 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid   has proved his mettle at various turf courses around the continent from Woodbine to Churchill Downs to Santa Anita Park. An ultra-consistent runner, the graded stakes winner on both turf and synthetic has earned more than $750,000 in his 22-start career. Three starts back, Field Pass scored by a neck in the July 24 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course.

Despite posting all the fractions on the front end in the Knickerbocker, Maker assistant Nolan Ramsey is confident Field Pass doesn't necessarily need to be on the lead to put on his best performance in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit.

"(Field Pass is) a pretty tactical horse," said Ramsey. "He has good speed but he doesn't have to have the lead and he doesn't have to come from too far out of it. So the jock (Umberto Rispoli) can play the break and try to work out a good trip. His last work at Belmont (five furlongs in 1:02) was good and he made the trip fine."

Before the Knickerbocker, the last time Field Pass and Sacred Life had met was in Keeneland's Maker's Mark Mile (G1T), with Sacred Life again getting the better of Field Pass when the runners finished third and fourth behind Raging Bull  . Both horses received career-high speed figures for their efforts that day.

New York-based rider Jose Ortiz flies out to California to ride the Chad Brown contingent, and will be aboard Sacred Life in Saturday's race. Leading California jockey Rispoli has the call on Field Pass.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Caruso's Sacred Life is one of two Brown-trained entries in the Seabiscuit. The other is Flop Shot , a group 3 winner in France who was second in his last two starts in allowance company over the Belmont turf course.

Recent Cal-bred stakes victor Indian Peak , who will be one of the last runners for trainer Peter Miller before he steps away from training Nov. 29, graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning Bob and Jackie , Majestic Eagle , and the John Shirreffs-trained Lambeau  complete the field.

Helens Well Wheels Back in Jimmy Durante

Three weeks after her Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) bid, the Phil D'Amato-trained Helens Well  wheels back in Saturday's $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T). Although she finished eighth in the Breeders' Cup, the twice stakes-placed daughter of Kodi Bear  was only beaten 2 1/2 lengths by the victorious Pizza Bianca  Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Helens Well returned to the work tab last weekend, breezing five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 at Del Mar. She will be ridden by Rispoli in the Jimmy Durante, who partnered with the filly in the Breeders' Cup and in her Aug. 15 maiden victory over this turf course.

"Helens Well came out of the Breeders' Cup in good shape," said D'Amato. "I thought she put in a good effort to only get beat 2 1/2 lengths and I think she likes this turf course here a lot and it's a shot worth taking.

D'Amato also entered the French import Virulente  in the mile turf test for juvenile fillies. The Al Wukair  filly graduated at first asking in France for trainer François Monfort before being sent to the D'Amato barn. Piloted by Drayden Van Dyke, she will make her North American debut in the Jimmy Durante.

"Virulente is a filly I've had for about six weeks and she's gotten better every week. She doesn't have the seasoning of the other fillies, having run just that one time. But I'm hoping her late turn of foot will make up for that."

Entries: Seabiscuit H. (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 5

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Indian Peak (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Peter Miller	10/1
2	2Field Pass (MD)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	121	Michael J. Maker	5/2
3	3Flop Shot (IRE)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Chad C. Brown	4/1
4	4Bob and Jackie (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Richard Baltas	6/1
5	5Majestic Eagle (KY)	Flavien Prat	119	Neil D. Drysdale	8/1
6	6Lambeau (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	117	John A. Shirreffs	12/1
7	7Sacred Life (FR)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	8/5

Entries: Jimmy Durante S. (G3T)

Del Mar, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 7

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 3:31 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Awake At Midnyte (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	10/1
2	2Miss Bellatrix (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
3	3Tezzaray (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Peter Miller	4/1
4	4Toeris (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	Dan Blacker	15/1
5	5Travel Smart (FL)	Flavien Prat	120	Peter Miller	6/1
6	6Liam's Dove (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Peter Miller	12/1
7	7Reem Zabeel (IRE)	Kyle Frey	120	Anna Meah	15/1
8	8Virulente (FR)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Philip D'Amato	6/1
9	9Half Past Twelve (ON)	Tiago Josue Pereira	120	Steve Knapp	20/1
10	10Sparkle Blue (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	H. Graham Motion	4/1
11	11Helens Well (IRE)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	120	Philip D'Amato	7/2