Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks is on tap for Del Mar in sunny Southern California this Saturday, August 15. Three year old fillies will be featured when they take to Del Mar’s turf track and race 1 1/8 miles searching for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.
A field of eight have been confirmed for the Del Mar Oaks – race 8 on Del Mar’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:40 PM. Let’s take a glance into the past performances of all eight combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.
Prize Exhibit – British bred James Cassidy trained filly has 15 career starts already with five wins, a second and a third place finish. She enters this weekend off a career-best effort – a win in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap in this track July 19 which followed a win after closing from ninth in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita June 27. She failed to hit the board in her previous three starts however – a fifth in the minor Penn Oaks May 30, a fourth in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes May 3 and a fourth in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes in April. She also finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies in October. Prize Exhibit has really picked up her game this summer and is expected to be in the mix again Saturday. She hopes to make it three straight graded turf wins in a row and will have Santiago Gonzalez in the reins from post 5.
Sunset Glow – multiple graded stakes winning Wesley Ward trained filly has placed in all nine career starts – three wins, five seconds and a third place finish. She posted consecutive graded scores on Del Mar’s synthetic track last summer – the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes August 6 and the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes August 30 and went on to a respectable second to Lady Eli and ahead of Prize Exhibit in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to end her 2014 campaign. She has three starts so far this year -last time out was a second as favorite to Prize Exhibit in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap here July 19 after a second in the minor Wait a While Stakes at Belmont Park May 16 and a third in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland in April. Sunset Glow has been competitive every time out and looks to make it 3-for-4 at Del Mar when she departs from the outside post 8 with Gary Stevens aboard.
Paulina’s Love – Richard Baltas trained filly has two wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in nine career starts and enters in the best form of her career – a third place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes in her stakes debut last time out at 12-1 odds July 19 followed consecutive wins – an Allowance Optional Claiming score June 5 and a maiden score in April. She has placed in three straight races overall and has looked good in each. Tyler Baze will be in the saddle trying to keep the upward trend going Saturday – from post 2.
Her Emmynency – has three wins and a second place finish in five career starts for trainer Michael Stidham but enters of a career worst effort – a sixth place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap here July 19. She finished second behind Sunset Glow in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on this track in August and had two good wins after that before her ugly outing last time out – the minor Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita in October and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Arlington June 20 – her first start of 2015. Her Emmynency will be looking for a strong bounce back Saturday when she lines up in post 5 with Rafael Bejarano in the saddle.
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Sharla Rae – Doug O’Neill trained filly has 12 career starts with four wins, a second and a third place finish. Last time out was a seventh in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational July 4 after a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita May 30, a good second behind Spanish Queen in the Grade2 Honeymoon Stakes May 3, a respectable third in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks March 21 at Turfway Park and a win in the minor California Stakes at Golden Gate February 7. Sharla Rae had been decent to start the year but hasn’t looked great in her last two starts overall. James Graham will be in the saddle hoping to change all of that from gate 4.
Rattataptap – Phil D’Amato trained filly has two wins and a second place finish in seven career starts but has placed in just one of her last four starts ahead of this weekend. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita June 27 which followed a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming June 11, a fifth in the minor Santa Paula Stakes in April and a seventh in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes in February. Rattataptap hopes to place in stakes company for the first time Saturday when she leaves from post 3 with Mike Smith guiding her.
Zipessa – has just two career starts for trainer Michael Stidham – both wins. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score by 2 3/4 lengths on this track July 17 which followed a maiden score by 6 3/4 lengths at first asking at Arlington in May. Zipessa makes her stakes debut Saturday hoping to keep the undefeated streak going – from post 7 with Flavien Prat in the irons.
Majestic Heat – Barry Adams trained filly makes her stakes debut Saturday having posted two wins and a second place finish in five career starts. She enters off an Allowance Optional Claiming score here August 9 and a second in an Allowance on this track July 26 – in decent form ahead of her stakes bow. Corey Nakatani has been tabbed to ride in Majestic Heat’s huge step up in competition – from the rail.
