Unbeaten Iscreamuscream Faces Big Test in Del Mar Oaks

Two shippers and Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) winner Circle of Trust  join five from the July 20 San Clemente Handicap (G2T) in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) at Del Mar Aug. 17. But the major questions are probably whether undefeated local Iscreamuscream  is better than Whiskey Decision , who has three consecutive victories at three different tracks east of the Mississippi, and how much, if at all, to hold Medoro 's San Clemente loss against her.

Iscreamuscream and Whiskey Decision are both riding three-race winning streaks, with some differences.

Iscreamuscream has yet to lose, all of her races on the turf. She debuted for trainer Phil D'Amato last year with a sharp 2 1/2-length win in a six-furlong maiden race. At 3 this year, she tuned up nicely for the one-mile San Clemente with a 3 1/2-length victory in a six-furlong allowance optional claimer. Then she and Zona Verde  outfinished previously undefeated Medoro by margins of three-quarters of a length and a half-length, respectively, in the San Clemente.

That gives Iscreamuscream, a daughter of Twirling Candy  , a win over the course against many in the Del Mar Oaks field. She hails from the barn of D'Amato, who excels at winning turf stakes so well that he often doesn't get credit for how good his horses can be on the main track. Hector Berrios rode Iscreamuscream for the first time in the San Clemente and returns from the rail.

Whiskey Decision's only flaw was when she ran fourth in her career debut Feb. 14 on the synthetic at Turfway Park. She quickly rectified that with a 6 1/2-length triumph at a mile over the same surface. Trainer Arnaud Delacour switched her to turf at Churchill Downs, where she won at 1 1/16 miles in allowance optional claimer company. At the Oaks distance of 1 1/8 miles in the July 8 Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park, the daughter of Into Mischief   won by 2 3/4 lengths. Umberto Rispoli is set to ride Whiskey Decision from post 3.

Medoro, a daughter of Honor Code  trained by Peter Eurton, went undefeated through her first four races, which included three Santa Anita Park stakes and culminated in the 1 1/8-mile Providencia Stakes (G3T). But then came that San Clemente third, when she broke slowly from post 10 for regular rider Antonio Fresu, couldn't find racing room on the second turn, and had to swing extremely wide for the stretch drive.

In the Oaks, Medoro will again have the services of Fresu. She drew post 6, and the chute start gives the field a much longer distance to that first turn.

D'Amato has entered two others in the Oaks: San Clemente second Zona Verde (post 4) and Honeymoon winner Circle of Trust (post 2). Zona Verde hasn't won since the Dec. 2 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T). But that came over the Del Mar course with leading rider Juan Hernandez, who returns here. Fresu rode Circle of Trust in the Honeymoon, and Reylu Gutierrez will pilot her this time. Circle of Trust had trouble in the Jimmy Durante while still a maiden, and after she broke her maiden, she finished third to Medoro in the Providencia before scoring in the Honeymoon over Oaks entrant Sakura Blossom , who then ran fourth in the San Clemente.

Buchu  is the other shipper and brings some interesting credentials. A daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify  , she has lifetime earnings of $604,345, far more than any other filly in the field. Her record is a bit spotty, with three wins in 10 starts, but she was considered good enough last year for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), running sixth with a troubled trip. Buchu, trained by Philip Bauer, won the 2023 Jessamine Stakes (G2T) and this year's Appalachian Stakes (G2T), both at Keeneland. Martin Garcia has ridden her through much of her career, though not in her most recent, a sixth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) with a wide trip. Garcia is back aboard from post 5.