Las Vegas, NV – Del Mar racetrack in beautiful Del Mar, California will be the scene of the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. Hirsch Stakes this Saturday, August 3. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will take to the track and chase the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse over 1 1/16 miles.
A field of nine has been confirmed for the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. Hirsch – race 8 on Del Mar’s Saturday card. Post time is 5:40 PM. Let’s take a brief glance into the past performances of all nine combatants for this Grade 1 stakes. The 1 1/16-mile Polytrack event is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the $2 million Ladies’ Classic Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
Include Me Out – was stellar in 2012 – six starts – four wins including the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap, the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes at Santa Anita on March 17, an impressive 4 1/2 length victory in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on January 22 and an impressive win in the 2012 version of this race. She was a somewhat disappointing third in the Grade 1 Zenyatta in September and then closed her 2012 campaign with an OK third in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. She has just one start in the last eight months – a win in the minor but competitive Desert Stormer Handicap ahead of Teddy’s Promise and Winding Way June 16. She is rested, is the defending champion in this race and is the one to beat Saturday. She starts from the far outside with regular rider Joe Talamo in the saddle.
Byrama – was decent in 2012 with three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 10 starts. She has seven starts in 2013 – a good second in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 13, an OK third in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita, another third as favorite in the minor Wishing Well Stakes February 10 and a disappointing fourth in the competitive Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes January 6. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 2 A Gleam July 13 after her best career result – an impressive win by 3 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at 6-1 odds June 15 after an ugly sixth in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs May 4. Byrama has placed in eight of her last 10 starts and has to be on the radar based on her graded stakes results the last two months. She is the 123 pound high weight and will have Gary Stevens riding her.
Lady of Fifty – Jerry Hollendorfer filly has six wins, one second and five third place finishes in 15 career starts. She had an OK third in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes January 16 before a disappointing fourth as favorite in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes January 20, a relatively easy win in the competitive Grade 2 Bayakoa at Hollywood Park by 3 1/4 lengths December 8 and a win in the minor Palm Springs Handicap at Santa Anita November 1. She had a good second as 17-10 favorite behind Open Water in the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap May 18 at Hollywood Park and was a very respectable third in the Grade 1 Vanity last time out June 15 at Hollywood Park. She looked great in the winter and will be looking for her first win of 2013 Saturday.
More Chocolate – John Sadler trained More Chocolate made her stakes debut and finished a very pleasant third in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes December 30 after six career starts produced two wins and a second place finish for trainer John Sadler. She a very nice win in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes by two lengths over the talented Book Review January 20 and followed that with another good result – a second in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes March 16. Last time out was a great second to Byrama in the competitive Grade 1 Vanity Handicap after a tepid fifth in the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs May 3. More Chocolate now has three wins, three seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts.
Clement L. Hirsch Stakes betting at Del Mar with OffTrackBetting.com
Great Hot – Brazilian bred Great Hot had 11 starts in 2012 with only three seconds and a pair of thirds in minor stakes action. She was a distant ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and followed that with a third in the Kalookan Queen Stakes to end her 2012 campaign. She had a fourth in the Pasadena Handicap at Santa Anita January 13 and followed that with an impressive win (her first in 13 races) and a career best 98 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes in February with Gary Stevens aboard. Last time out was a fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March – the last time we saw Great Hot.
Quiet Oasis – made her 2012 debut with an impressive win in the Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap at Hollywood Park on April 29 and followed it up with a very good result – a second in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes also on that track. She raced last July to another impressive score in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Mile at Hollywood Park and then endured an eight month layoff. She returned March 24 to a respectable third in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes and was an ugly seventh last time out in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley April 13 at Keeneland.
Sisterhood – Wesley Ward trained filly has stepped up in graded stakes company the last two starts and has prospered. Last time out was a second in the Grade 3 Arlington Matron Stakes May 25 after a second in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland April 19. Before that was a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream January 6 and a seventh in the minor South Beach Stakes also at Gulfstream December 9. She has just three wins and two second place finishes in 16 career starts.
Sister Kate – Jerry Hollendorfer trainee made her first graded stakes start in May and finished fifth in the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett after a two race win streak – the minor Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita April 14 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Golden Gate February 23. Last time out was a win in the minor California Governors’ Cup Handicap at Sacramento July 13 after a fourth in an Allowance at Golden Gate in June. She has six wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 17 career starts.
Via Villaggio – has 17 career starts and has placed in 12. Last time out was an OK second in the minor California Governor’s Cup Handicap at Sacramento July 13 after a sixth in the minor Desert Stormer Handicap in June in her only other start in 2013. In 2013 results included a fourth in the Grade 1 Zenyatta to follow a decent third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, a good second in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks to Grace Hall, a decent third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks and an impressive win in the Grade 3 Railbird on May 18 2012 in her cushion track debut. Via Villaggio has will race in graded stakes company for the first time this year but enters in so-so form.
Leave feedback about this