Term of Art Rallies to Win Cecil B. DeMille

Calumet Farm's Term of Art rallied late to take the $100,690 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, which lost its grade III status pending review after being switched from turf to dirt at Del Mar Nov. 27. 

Originally scheduled for one mile on the lawn, the race was moved to the main track due to rain in the Southern California area. Seven 2-year-old colts lined up Sunday afternoon, with Term of Art settling near the back of the pack under jockey Joe Talamo as favorite Sword Fighter took the lead into the first turn and set fractions of :23.80, :48.77, and 1:14.91.

Going into far turn, Vending Machine challenged the front runner's lead, but Term of Art circled the field and eventually put them away strides before the wire to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:41.69. Vending Machine held on for second with Sword Fighter in third.

"The more this horse runs, the better he's going to get," Talamo said. "I was very impressed with him today. He wasn't blowing hard at all at the end."

The Doug O'Neill trainee entered this race off a ninth-place effort in the Nov. 5 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), where he failed to make a move after being steadied around the first turn. He broke his maiden one race prior at Santa Anita Park Oct. 8 by a nose over Sonneteer. His record is now 2-1-1 from 5 starts, with $111,105 in earnings. 

"The Breeders' Cup Juvenile was a lot of horses and it got a little tight coming out of the gate," assistant trainer Leandro Mora said. "He's not a horse who can take dirt in his face. He's got to be a little clear. But he came out of it sound and we decided to try him in this race on the grass. When the race was called off the grass, Doug called me and said 'What do you think?' I said, 'I like it because it's off the grass.'

"(Today's race) worked out well and he wasn't even tired when he came back. We still have a lot more we can do with this horse."

Sent off at 6-1, Term of Art returned $15.80, $7.20, and $4.20 across the board. Vending Machine paid $12.80 and $6, and Sword Fighter paid $2.60.

Bred by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm in Kentucky out of the Storm Cat mare Miles of Style, Term of Art was consigned by Timber Town and purchased by Calumet at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale for $220,000. Whisper Hill purchased Miles of Style, a full sister to grade I winner Mr. Sidney, for $575,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale from Lane's End's consignment.