Thought Process Looks for Clemente-Oaks Double

Little Red Feather Racing and trainer Phil D'Amato pulled off a Del Mar double last year when Iscreamuscream  captured the San Clemente Handicap (G2T) and Del Mar Oaks (G1T). They have an excellent chance to repeat that effort this year with Thought Process , a 1 3/4-length winner of the July 19 San Clemente and the morning-line favorite in the Aug. 16 Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Recent history would also suggest that this double is very doable, as Anisette  took both races in 2023. But that followed a drought going back to 2010, when Evening Jewel  scored in the San Clemente and Oaks.

Little Red Feather owns Thought Process and Iscreamuscream in separate partnerships. The group owns Thought Process with Madaket Stables and the estate of Brereton C. Jones. Jones bred the daughter of Collected   in Kentucky.

"For three of the last four years, we've done a partnership with Bret Jones (son of Brereton Jones) at Airdrie and with Madaket Stables," said Billy Koch, Little Red Feather's founder and a managing partner. "She was actually an RNA, and Bret was kind enough to put her in the package that we put together. We take a third, Airdrie takes a third, and Madaket takes a third. We've been very fortunate and very lucky."

Thought Process was a $120,000 buyback at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and a $57,000 buyback at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Since then, she has built a terrific race record of five wins and one third in seven starts, including the 2024 Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T) and Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. She is 2-for-2 this year.

Umberto Rispoli piloted Thought Process in her 2025 debut, a 5 3/4-length win in a June 14 allowance race at Santa Anita Park. Hector Berrios rode her in the San Clemente while Rispoli traveled to Monmouth Park to win the Haskell Stakes (G1) aboard Journalism . Rispoli returns on Thought Process in the Oaks.

Berrios will ride Take A Breath , trained by Mark Glatt and making her first United States start. Take A Breath has won three of her four races this year in her native Great Britain, including a class 4 fillies handicap at Beverly July 5.

Little Red Feather and D'Amato have also entered Slick , a filly co-owned by Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify. Slick broke her maiden Dec. 26 in her third U.S. start after a second in Ireland. In her only outing this year, Slick ran third in a July 20 Del Mar allowance optional claimer.

Velocity  won that race and returns in the Oaks. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Nyquist   sports similar connections to Journalism, being owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, one of Journalism's owners, and trained by Michael McCarthy. Velocity finished fourth in the April 27 Senorita Stakes (G3T) in her only previous stakes attempt.

Trainer Brendan Walsh is shipping Lush Lips  from Kentucky for the Oaks. Lush Lips has started six times in this country, with three wins and two seconds. Most recently, she scored by 3 3/4 lengths in the June 28 Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Casalu , Will Then , and Firenze Flavor , who finished second through fourth to Thought Process in the San Clemente, will try her again in the Oaks. Bob Baffert trains Casalu, a back-to-back stakes winner at Santa Anita prior to the San Clemente. Jonathan Thomas conditions Will Then, winner of the March 23 China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita. Patrick Gallagher trains Firenze Flavor, winner of the May 18 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T).

Resolve , Edge of Mali , and Miso Phansy  round out the field, with Striver  on the also-eligible list.