The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is up and running again after last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup extravaganza as the Bing Crosby fall meet continues through the end of the month.
The highlight of the meet arrives during the final week with the Fall Turf Festival and a total of 14 stakes remaining on the schedule. Racing days are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a card on Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving).
Named for the popular California speedster who won 19 of 25 career races, the $100,000 The Chosen Vron Stakes is Saturday.
The Chosen Vron had impressive winning streaks of eight and six in a row during his career. The 7-furlong race named for him is restricted to California-bred or sired horses ages 3 and up.
The morning-line favorite is Man O Rose (8-5, post 5). Edwin Maldonado rides for trainer Jeff Mullins.
Man O Rose is 2-for-2 in 2025 -- a wire-to-wire, 5 ¼-length romp in the E.B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos and a gritty nose victory in the California Flag Handicap on Oct. 11 on Santa Anita’s unique downhill turf course.
His only start at Del Mar produced a second-place finish in the Cary Grant Stakes a year ago.
Closely matched at 3-1 and breaking from the rail is Shea Brennan (post 1), trained by Phil D’Amato. Armando Ayuso has the call aboard the colt, who fourth -- beaten 1¼ lengths – by Man O Rose in the California Flag.
The speedy Clovisconnection (7-2, post 2) for trainer Blaine Wright, with Juan Hernandez aboard, brings the field’s highest recent Beyer figure of 116. His pedigree is laced with Vronsky (sire of the race’s namesake), making him a prime upset candidate if he can harness his blazing early speed without faltering late as he has in prior sprints.
Drop Um (12-1, post 4) and Stamp My Passport (10-1, post 6) pack the punch, too, and hail from the barns of trainers Felix Rondan and Leonard Powell, respectively. Both have shown some inconsistency and remain vulnerable to the top trio’s class.
Longshots R Heisman (12-1, post 3) and Style Cat (6-1, post 7), both from Peter Miller’s barn, trail in form, but the latter, being by Curlin to Mischief, hints a bit at potential in his return to stakes action. His outside post could prove taxing in what shapes up as a pace-favoring affair
Overall, expect a hot early pace set by Man O Rose and Clovisconnection, which could benefit stalkers, with value lurking in the exotic bets.
After this weekend, stakes races return Nov. 15 with the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 7 furlongs.
This race is ideal for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies also-rans seeking redemption, and some turf-to-dirt switchers always offer some value in exotic bets.
The Bob Hope Stakes (G3) highlights 2-year-old colts and geldings at the same 7-furlong dirt distance and purse. Traditionally dominated by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile graduates, it favors dirt closers with 85-plus Beyer speed figures. Jockey Juan Hernandez’s win rate of 40% at Del Mar makes him a key angle to play regardless of which trainer he rides for.
Shifting to the turf, Nov. 22 brings the $150,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds at 1 mile. Overall, front-runners have done exceptionally well, such as Clock Tower a year ago.
The Nov. 28-30 cards are packed with stakes action, starting with the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (G1) on Nov. 28, a 1 ½-mile turf test for older horses that frequently draws Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) also-rans.
The next day, Del Mar’s Turf Festival continues with the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (G1), the crown jewel for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. The historic race is one of several carried down the California coast from the now-defunct Hollywood Park.
That same day, the $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) for 3-year-olds and up targets older routers, including more Breeders’ Cup also-rans. Also on the Nov. 29 card is the $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) for 2-year-old fillies at 1 mile on turf.
Closing out the season on Nov. 30 is the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares at 1 mile. Invaded by Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf horses, speed has been a key betting angle over the past several seasons.
Elite Competition: Features two Grade 1 races (Hollywood Derby and Matriarch) that can help decide divisional championships. Past winners include United (Hollywood Derby) and With Anticipation (Matriarch).
Turf Emphasis: Seven straight days of grass racing amid a 16-day meet, filling voids from weather-hit East Coast tracks -- trainers from New York and Maryland often ship in for reliable weather and usually defeat the best local horses.
Hollywood Flair: Races nod to Tinseltown (Cecil B. DeMille, Jimmy Durante), tying into Del Mar’s Bing Crosby roots. Expect complete fields, with total festival purses exceeding $1.3 million.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
