Overflowing Field Set for Del Mar Derby

Gary Barber's Monster Bea and Abbondanza Racing's Free Rose, who won the first two legs of the Del Mar turf series for 3-year-olds, will have a rubber match of sorts Sept. 4 in the Del Mar Derby  (gr. IIT), but will have to fend off an overflowing field of fit challengers to win.

Monster Bea burst onto the scene opening day at Del Mar July 15 with a standout score in the Oceanside Stakes in his first start for trainer Peter Miller at odds of 12-1, but Free Rose upset the previous upsetter in the La Jolla (gr. IIIT) at odds of 28-1 Aug. 6, when he set the pace for trainer Richard Baltas and never relented in a half-length win.

Monster Bea came in fourth in the La Jolla, and four others return from the 1 1/16-mile grass test to try 1 1/8 miles in the Del Mar Derby, including Lucky Bryan (second), Moonlight Drive (third), Dressed in Hermes (sixth), and Mr. Roary (seventh).

BALAN: Free Rose Speeds to La Jolla Victory

Another entrant looming in the Del Mar Derby on the top of his game is John Parker's homebred Gold Rush Dancer, who is riding a three-race win streak in California-bred stakes and will enter the graded ranks for the first time Sunday.

The Private Gold colt has won those three races at three different racetracks since early May for trainer Vann Belvoir. In his first start on grass May 1 at Golden Gate Fields, Gold Rush Dancer took the Silky Sullivan Stakes, then won the Snow Chief Stakes on the Santa Anita Park turf May 28. Following a nearly two-month layoff, Gold Rush Dancer took to the Del Mar dirt and dialed back to one turn to win the seven-furlong Real Good Deal Stakes July 27.

Leading Del Mar jockey Flavien Prat, who has been aboard for all three of the stakes wins, returns for the Del Mar Derby and the pair will break from the rail in the 14-horse field.

"He's coming into the race really good and he had a good final workout the other day." Belvoir said of a :47 3/5 half-mile drill Aug. 28 at Del Mar. "We drew a good position with the one hole out of the chute and we've got a top jock on him. Prat said he's equally good or better on the dirt, but I think he can run on any surface.

"We have some pretty tough Cal-breds around here, so I don't think it's that big of a step up in class."

Also intriguing after last-out turf wins are the likes of Blackjackcat, Curlin Rules, and Trojan Nation.

Al and Sandee Kirkwood's Blackjack Cat has been impressive in both of his turf starts. The Mark Glatt-trained Tale of the Cat   gelding broke his maiden in a sprint down the Santa Anita hillside turf course in June then won in his first start against winners and going two turns by 2 1/4 lengths in a conditional turf allowance at Del Mar July 23.

Curlin Rules and Trojan Nation won their turf debuts on the Del Mar grass recently after multiple unsuccessful tries to find the winner's circle on dirt in stakes company.

Hronis Racing's Curlin Rules broke his maiden on the dirt at Santa Anita in February, but couldn't connect in five ensuing main-track tries for trainer John Sadler. He took to the Del Mar turf Aug. 6, however, and won a mile turf allowance by a length in frontrunning fashion.

Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones' Trojan Nation raced in three consecutive grade I races as a maiden on the Triple Crown trail (the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, and Belmont Stakes), but finally found the wire first on the Del Mar turf July 31.

BALAN: Trojan Nation Takes to Turf at Del Mar

Rounding out the field is stakes winner Arcature, maiden victors I'malreadythere and Diplodocus, and grade I winner Ralis, who is winless in eight starts since his score in the 2015 Hopeful (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course nearly a year ago for trainer Doug O'Neill and Reddam Racing.

Ralis has, however, been close against familiar company recently. The Square Eddie   colt was just a nose back of Gold Rush Dancer and Mr. Roary in the respective Snow Chief and Rainbow stakes.