Del Mar Stakes Winners Meet in Del Mar Derby

The logical places to look for the winner of the Sept. 1 Del Mar Derby (G2T) are the two prior turf stakes at the meeting for 3-year-olds. As such, Stay Hot and Formidable Man , who captured the La Jolla Handicap and Oceanside Stakes, respectively, merit serious consideration.

But don’t discount California-bred Curlin’s Kaos , winner of the Aug. 2 Real Good Deal Stakes. On paper, it doesn’t make much sense. The Real Good Deal is for Cal-breds and California-sired runners at seven furlongs on the dirt, whereas the Del Mar Derby is a graded 1 1/8-mile turf event. Yet two of the last three Del Mar Derby winners have come out of the Real Good Deal.

None Above the Law took the 2021 Real Good Deal by 5 1/4 lengths prior to winning the Del Mar Derby at 10-1. The following year, Slow Down Andy ran second to Big City Lights in the Real Good Deal and returned to add a Derby triumph at 6-1. Both faced bigger fields than Antonio Garcia-trained Curlin’s Kaos, who will have to beat only six in this year’s renewal.

A maiden in two starts at 2, Curlin’s Kaos broke his maiden in his second outing this year, at a mile on turf. He ran fourth in the Sunland Derby (G3) and Santa Anita Derby (G1), both two-turn dirt events, before winning another mile turf event. Curlin’s Kaos ran without blinkers in his two early victories and with blinkers in the Real Good Deal. For the Del Mar Derby, Curlin’s Kaos will again race in blinkers, with Diego Herrera aboard from post 7.

Stay Hot and Formidable Man will almost certainly be shorter prices than Curlin’s Kaos.

Stay Hot, trained by Peter Eurton, has won four stakes, beginning with the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) at Del Mar last fall. He added the Baffle and Pasadena at Santa Anita Park and, most recently, the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla. Antonio Fresu, who has ridden Stay Hot in each of his races, returns and leaves from post 4.

Formidable Man and Stay Hot have met only once, in the May 4 American Turf Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs. Formidable Man ran second to winner Trikari , while Stay Hot ended up last of 14 (“just not a happy horse in Kentucky,” said Eurton). Trainer Michael McCarthy tried Formidable Man again at Churchill, in the 1 1/8-mile Audubon Stakes June 1, and the colt stalked in second before weakening to sixth. Formidable Man returned at Del Mar to capture the one-mile Oceanside. Umberto Rispoli, who broke Formidable Man’s maiden at Santa Anita in March but was not on him at Churchill, will ride from post 6.

Guy Named Joe and Atitlan also come out of the previous Del Mar 3-year-old turf stakes. Guy Named Joe, trained by Doug O’Neill, ran second in the Oceanside and gets the services of Juan Hernandez from the rail. Atitlan, trained by John Shirreffs, finished third in the La Jolla in only his third lifetime start. Hector Berrios will ride from post 5.

Gold Foot and Sketchy finished one-two at Del Mar July 21 in an allowance/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the turf in their most recent starts. Gold Foot, trained by Sean McCarthy and to be ridden by Kyle Frey from post 2, is a four-time winner and has attempted stakes company only once before. Sketchy, trained by Ron Ellis and to be ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. from post 3, will be making his stakes debut.