The $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes, a 7-furlong dirt race for 2-year-old fillies, is set for Saturday at Del Mar and will be the day’s third race, with a post time of 4:30 p.m. ET.
Trainer Bob Baffert, a six-time Desi Arnaz winner dating back to when it was the Moccasin Stakes and run at Hollywood Park, has two runners, including Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Holmby.
Holmby (4-5) is an Indiana-bred daughter of Corniche who sold for $28,000 as a weanling at Keeneland in November 2024 and then for $55,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton in July 2025, a relative bargain in the Baffert barn that houses multiple million-dollar purchases.
The chestnut filly broke her maiden impressively at Del Mar in July 2026, then won the Sorrento Stakes (G3) in August by a neck in a hard-fought finish. She was then third in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and second in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita in October, but her connections chose to skip the Breeders’ Cup.
She is the clear class of the field thanks to her proven graded stakes form and the ability to handle the 7-furlong distance; cutting back from two turns in the Oak Leaf should help her.
Sea’s No Joke (7-5), the other Baffert entry, was seventh on debut at Del Mar in August before breaking her maiden at Santa Anita on Oct. 24. The Practical Joke pedigree and connections give her a solid upside, and her recent maiden win suggests she is coming into her own, though she has limited experience against this level. She will certainly be part of the pace and, if she can hold on, is a solid bet at the very least in all exotics.
Michael McCarthy sends out the Omaha Beach filly Mo Chuisle (5-1), a $130,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling and an $825,000 2-year-old at OBS back in April. She won her debut convincingly at Santa Anita on Oct. 4, going 6 furlongs and holding off Vino Vino Vino by 1 ¼ lengths as the favorite. The high-priced filly, with her strong debut and pedigree, makes her a logical threat to the favorite. She should relish the 7-furlong trip if she continues progressing.
Calumet Farm’s homebred Vino Vino Vino (12-1), by Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Vino Rosso, has been consistent in maiden special weight company and, though yet to reach the winner’s circle, she has three seconds. She shows decent form and has been holding her own against similar company, and though her chances improve if the pace is honest, the class jump is her biggest challenge.
Ruis Racing LLC’s homebred Grammy’s Gal was fifth in a Del Mar maiden special weight in late August and third in a Santa Anita maiden on Nov. 1. She is the least experienced in the field and would need a significant step forward to contend with the top runners.
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