War At Sea, Cabo Spirit Rematch in Del Mar Derby

War At Sea  and Cabo Spirit , the first two past the judge in the Cinema Stakes in their last meeting, took different paths to renew their acquaintance Sept. 3 in the $300,000 Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby (G2T).

War At Sea got a three-month break to nurse a bruised foot while Cabo Spirit responded to gelding with a victory in the La Jolla Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar.

Doubledown Stables' War At Sea, a Ron Ellis-trained colt by War Front  , took six tries to find the winner's circle for the first time but is 3-for-3 since March, winning the trio of races on the grass at Santa Anita Park. He won the 1 1/8-mile Cinema June 4 with a patient, pace-stalking trip, taking the lead inside the furlong marker.

The winning skein started when Mike Smith first took the call on War At Sea, and he is booked back for the Derby, starting from post 3 in a nine-horse field.

War At Sea has been sidelined since the Cinema victory, missing the Aug. 7 La Jolla because of a bruised foot.

Kretz Racing's Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile ) was detoured from a turf career to the Triple Crown trail early in the year, finishing second in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) in February, then fifth in the San Felipe (G2), and sixth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the Turfway Park all-weather track.

In his return to the grass in the Cinema, he rushed up from last to just miss by three-quarters of a length. He was gelded after that race and returned to win the La Jolla, also with a last-to-first move.

Trainer George Papaprodromou said the operation made a difference.

"We decided to geld him to get him to relax, and obviously you can see (what happened). He got a little tense and hot, but he got to relax a little more than before." 

Cabo Spirit drew the rail for the Derby. Joe Bravo takes the return call.

The Derby is not, by any means, a two-horse race.

Balnikhov , an Adaay  gelding Phil D'Amato trains for current owners Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, and Old Bones Racing Stable, raced in France as a juvenile, winning three of his last four starts there. He was second in the American Turf Stakes Presented by BMW (G2T) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day but then finished fourth when adding blinkers in the Cinema. With blinkers off, he rebounded from that to win the shorter one-mile Oceanside Stakes at the start of the Del Mar meet.

"I think we've found what he wants to do," D'Amato said after the Oceanside, "just get covered up and come with his late run."

Balnikhov got a break after the July 22 Oceanside by design.

"You don't have to train him that hard," D'Amato said, "just put some nice breezes into him and he'll show up... He likes spacing between his races."

Mackinnon , fourth in the Oceanside when returning from an extended layoff for owners ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables, and Dave Kenney, is back for another try. Trainer Doug O'Neill said Mackinnon's performance was disappointing, adding, "He needed the race, and the winner's no slouch." 

Entries: Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, September 03, 2022, Race 9

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cabo Spirit (KY)	Joe Bravo	122	George Papaprodromou	4/1
2	2Slow Down Andy (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	8/1
3	3War At Sea (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Ronald W. Ellis	6/1
4	4Spycatcher (KY)	Ryan Curatolo	122	Mark Glatt	30/1
5	5Dandy Warhol (IRE)	Flavien Prat	122	Mark Glatt	4/1
6	6St Anthony (KY)	Hector Isaac Berrios	122	Neil D. Drysdale	30/1
7	7Mackinnon (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	3/1
8	8Barsabas (KY)	Diego A. Herrera	122	Ryan Hanson	20/1
9	9Balnikhov (IRE)	Umberto Rispoli	122	Philip D'Amato	5/2