Flamboyant Back in SoCal For Eddie Read

David Bienstock and Chuck Winner's Flamboyant just started to hit his stride early in 2016, when he shipped overseas for the Dubai Turf (UAE-I) in March.

The 5-year-old Peer Gynt gelding started the year with his first graded stakes win in the San Gabriel (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park in January and validated that breakthrough score in the San Marcos (gr. IIT) in February.

Now his connections are hopeful that a quality fifth-place run against some of the best turf horses in the world at Meydan in the $6 million Dubai Turf did nothing to hamper his roll. He makes his first start back stateside in the $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes (gr. IIT) at Del Mar July 17.

The 1 1/8-mile turf test has dropped to its lowest purse total since 1990 and has been downgraded below a grade I for the first time since 1987, but still attracted a field of nine Sunday that features six graded stakes winners, including Flamboyant, who is trained by Patrick Gallagher.

"He seems to have come back the same way he left, really," Gallagher said July 14 at Del Mar. "He ran well in Dubai and the whole thing was enjoyable. When you go that far, you hope to run well, as long as your horse is happy and healthy.

"He's back acting the same as he always does."

The horse entering the Eddie Read in the best form is likely A Venneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing's Midnight Storm, last-out winner of the Shoemaker Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita June 4. The Phil D'Amato-trained son of Pioneerof the Nile   also has a formidable record on the Del Mar turf, with three wins from four starts over the seaside grass course, including the 2014 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) and the Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIT) Nov. 27.

NOVAK: Midnight Storm Gets Shoemaker Mile Revenge

Grade I winner Finnegans Wake is the only other entrant with a graded victory over the Del Mar turf course, which came in the 2014 Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. IIT), and the 7-year-old Powerscourt horse trained by Peter Miller recently snapped a five-race winless streak with an allowance score June 16 at Santa Anita.

Two-time grade II winner Ashleyluvssugar, Feb. 13 Arcadia (gr. IIT) victor Bolo, and last-out Charles Whittingham (gr. IIT) winner Si Sage round out the graded stakes-winning entrants.

BALAN: Si Sage Speeds to Whittingham Victory

Outside of those ranks, Ohio, a Brazilian-bred son of Elusive Quality  , has done nothing wrong in his two U.S. grass starts, albeit at the allowance level. If he runs in the Eddie Read—he's also entered for the Wickerr Stakes July 16 at Del Mar—the Paulo Lobo trainee will stretch out beyond a mile for the first time in his 10-race career. Ohio won his two 2016 turf starts at Santa Anita, both at a mile, by a combined 4 1/2 lengths.

Stakes winner Texas Ryano and allowance victor Patentar complete the field.