Red Carpet 'Cap Features International Flair

The $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap (gr. IIIT) will have a distinct international flavor Nov. 24 at Del Mar.

Of the 10 entered in the main field for the 1 3/8-mile turf test, seven were bred outside of the United States and all of them raced outside of North America before moving stateside.

The most accomplished filly in the field—by far, at least in earnings—is Reiko Hara's homebred Japanese group I winner Nuovo Record,  who has more than $4.9 million in earnings. The Heart's Cry mare shipped overseas from Japan to make her first U.S. start Nov. 5 in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, where she ran 11th.

Originally expected to ship back over the Pacific Ocean to run in the Longines Hong Kong Cup (HK-I) at Sha Tin, Nuovo Record's connections instead decided to keep her in California for the time being. The 5-year-old logged her first local drill Nov. 20 on the Del Mar turf course, where she covered five furlongs in 1:02 flat.

BLOOD-HORSE STAFF: Nuovo Record to Race at Del Mar

The only U.S. graded stakes winner in the field is Uruguayan-bred Generosidade, who took the March 13 San Luis Rey Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita, but has been winless in five stakes starts since. She was also a group I winner in Brazil in 2013.

East Coast shipper and French-bred Arles looms a threat, however, from the barn of Graham Motion, following a very encouraging second-place finish in her first U.S. start Sept. 3 in the Glens Falls Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga Race Course, where she finished just three-quarters of a length behind Suffused at the Red Carpet's 1 3/8-mile distance. The Monsum filly also earned a group II placing in Germany in 2015.