The $300,000 Del Mar Mile (G2), a turf test for 3-year-olds, is the fourth and final graded stakes race on Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar on Saturday.
A large field of 12 is entered for the race that closes out the 11-race card and is preceded by the $1 million Pacific Classic (G1).
An international field includes three England-breds, an Ireland-bred, and a Brazilian-bred. El Potente, a Florida-bred, is the 7-2 morning-line favorite.
A 7-year-old Temple City horse trained by Dan Blacker and will be ridden by Hector Berrios, finished second in the 2026 Kilroe Mile (G2) and is also a two-time winner of the Thunder Road Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita. He’s been off for five months, so his fitness level is certainly a question, but he’s been working well, which should help. He seems to prefer a forwardly placed position; his last win was in gate-to-wire fashion, and if he breaks on top and gets into a good spot on or near the lead early, he will be tough to run down.
A 4-year-old Wootton Bassett colt trained by Michael McCarthy for Juddmonte Farm and ridden by Juan Hernandez, comes in with high-class form. In Europe, he finished third in the 2025 Prix du Jockey Club (G1) and third in the Joel Stakes (G2). In two starts stateside, he’s earned a third in allowance company at Santa Anita in June and is coming off a nice win at the same level over this course a month ago. He is likely to settle mid-pack or toward the rear early before delivering a strong closing run.
England-bred, trained by Phil D’Amato, won the 2025 Shoemaker Mile (G1), finished third in the 2026 edition of that race, and is coming off a win in the Wickerr Stakes here a month ago. The Zoustar horse is super consistent in graded company, and his best makes him part of the exotics picture. He owns a strong tactical ability and can stalk, and he has a strong late kick that has served him well at a mile. Umberto Rispoli rides.
Is a fairly consistent English-bred, though he doesn’t win often. He captured the 2026 American Stakes (G3) with a late surge, finished second in the Shoemaker Mile and third in both the Kilroe Mile and Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). He was second in this race a year ago for trainer Phil D’Amato. The Havana Grey gelding is a confirmed closer who prefers to settle near the rear of the field and produce a powerful late run once clear racing room becomes available.
A five-year-old Alpha horse trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Kazushi Kimura, makes his North American debut. The Brazilian Group 1 winner is a question, but his overall form shows he belongs. He posted a string of steady works for two months, so he should be fit. Take a wait-and-see approach and watch the tote board.
A 7-year-old Pioneerof the Nile gelding is trained by George Papaprodromou and will be ridden by Mike Smith from the rail. He finished a close second in the recent Eddie Read, was third in an allowance race earlier this year, and finished sixth in the Kilroe Mile. He is most effective when allowed to set or press the pace and has the tactical speed to control the race from the inside. He is a proven graded-stakes campaigner with more than $1.4 million in career earnings and fits as a contender.
A 5-year-old Om horse trained by John Sadler who will be ridden by Armando Ayuso has solid local form on the Del Mar turf with a pair of allowance wins here in November. He typically races from mid-pack or with a stalking style and is expected to be competitive if he can secure a clean trip from the outside post.
A 5-year-old Twirling Candy gelding finished second in the Wickerr with a strong speed figure. He usually races mid-pack or with a late rally and has shown the ability to compete against graded company at a mile. Blaine Wright trains him, and he will be ridden by Ricky Gonzalez,
Is a consistent graded performer who was fifth most recently in the Eddie Read. He hasn’t won a race in nearly three years, the 2023 Twilight Derby (G3), but he did finish fourth in the 2026 Shoemaker Mile and third in the American Stakes. He doesn’t win often, which makes him hard to pick as a win contender. Seal Team usually races in a stalking or mid-pack position and finishes with a solid late kick when the pace is honest.
A 4-year-old Catalina Cruiser colt, is winless in nearly two years since taking the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita in 2024. He did finish third in the recent Wickerr and has shown competitive efforts in allowance and restricted stakes company, but will he have the goods to convert to a graded win against this level of competition?
Won the Daytona Stakes (G3) earlier this year at Santa Anita. In 2025, he was second in the Del Mar Derby (G2) and also won the Cinema Stakes and Pasadena Stakes. He was sixth in the Wickerr, an out-of-character performance at odds of 3-1. The Omaha Beach colt, who is trained by Mark Glatt and will be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, often races with tactical speed or from a stalking position and has shown the ability to finish strongly at a mile and beyond.
Is a 7-year-old Air Force Blue gelding who finished second to Cabo Spirit in the 2025 San Gabriel Stakes (G3) and has mixed recent form that includes a prior placing in the Del Mar Mile, with nearly half of his 26 career starts taking place at the seaside oval. He usually races in mid-pack or with a stalking trip and can finish effectively when the pace collapses. The Simon Callaghan trainee, who will be ridden by Victor Espinoza, hasn’t won in a while but shows up now and again to hit the board.
The race was inaugurated in 1987 as the Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap on dirt and became a Grade 3 the following year and a Grade 2 in 1990. Sponsorship changes led to the Del Mar Mile Handicap name, and it shifted to turf in 2005 and to stakes-allowance conditions in 2021, where it has remained. The turf course record is 1:32.10, set by Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero Obviously (IRE) in 2012.
Other notable winners include Precisionist (1988), Alphabet Soup (1995), El Corredor (back-to-back in 2000 and 2001 for Bob Baffert), Obviously (2012, 2013), Mo Forza (2020, 2021 for Peter Miller), Hong Kong Harry (2022), Du Jour (2023), Conclude (2024), and Formidable Man (2025).
Retired Hall of Famer Chris McCarron and Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat share the jockey record with four wins each; Baffert leads all trainers with four winners.
Post time for the Del Mar Mile is 10:18 p.m. ET.
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.
