Motion Shipper Appealing Cat in Del Mar Debut

Appealing Cat makes her first appearance in Southern California for trainer Graham Motion in search of a graded stakes victory in the renamed Red Carpet Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Del Mar turf Nov. 22.



The Augustin Stable Pennsylvania homebred drew the rail for her initial start since finishing a close third, beaten half a length, in the listed Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the Keeneland lawn Oct. 19.



The 5-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal   will be shortening up a furlong for Saturday's $100,000 Red Carpet, formerly the Beverly Hills Handicap when it was contested at Hollywood Park at 1 1/4 miles. On hiatus in 2013, this is the first year for the race to be held at Del Mar. With the portable rail at 18 feet, it attracted a full field of 11 fillies and mares, with two others on the also eligible list. Post time for the Red Carpet is 4 p.m. PST.



Appealing Cat made a determined bid in the Dowager to just miss to White Rose in a 14-horse field. With a stakes victory in the Mrs. Penny at Parx Racing in her prior race Sept. 6, Appealing Cat is the 121-pound highweight in the Red Carpet. Rafael Bejarano has the mount.



Just to her outside in post 2 is Winning Rhythm, 2-for-2 on the Del Mar turf for Stronach Stables and trainer Paddy Gallagher. Coming off an allowance/optional claiming win by a head Oct. 9 at Santa Anita Park, the 4-year-old Giant's Causeway   filly makes her stakes debut while compiling a 3-2-2 mark in nine lifetime starts.



Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who won the Beverly Hills in 2012 with Capital Plan, enters the Irish-bred Hijra, making her United States stakes debut. The Oratorio filly has a win and two thirds in three American starts since transferring from France earlier this year, all in allowance company. She has been in the money in seven of eight lifetime starts. Elvis Trujillo takes over for Bejarano.



Carla Gaines, who won the 2011 Beverly Hills with Malibu Pier, is represented by English import Lady Pimpernel, making her U.S. bow for Triton Racing. The Sir Percy filly comes off back-to-back wins in Great Britain, including a 20-1 upset in a minor stakes at Salisbury in her most recent start Aug. 13. Victor Espinoza takes the call on the four-time winner.



Bee Brave looks to bounce back from a sixth in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes on opening day of the Del Mar fall meet Nov. 7 for trainer Simon Callaghan, who won the Beverly Hills in 2010 with Turning Top. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred partners and Green Lantern Stables, the Great Britain-bred daughter of Rail Link has a win over the new Del Mar course, taking a high-priced allowance event last August.



Carrying 119 pounds is Hronis Racing's Scooter Bird, coming off  4 3/4-length allowance romp at Santa Anita Oct. 23. The 4-year-old War Pass filly ran third in the restricted Tranquility Lake over Del Mar's Polytrack Aug. 31. She is trained by John Sadler, who won the Beverly Hills in both 2008 and 2009 with Black Mamba.



Racing Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale saddles Three Hearts for Team Valor International. The daughter of Hat Trick   was a close third in last year's Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) at Colonial Downs. She makes her first stakes appearance of the year after three allowance starts in New York this summer that followed a year's layoff. Three Hearts will race with blinkers off.