The $200,000 San Clemente Handicap (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar drew a field of 11, which includes local stars from the division and a couple of talented shippers from the East Coast for the 1-mile test on turf.
Inaugurated in 1949 on dirt, the 1970 renewal was set on the Jimmy Durante turf course, and the distance was settled at a mile in 1988, where it’s been ever since. The race earned Grade 3 status in 1994 and Grade 2 in 1996.
Notable winners include elite turf performers and future standouts such as Hall of Famers, Breeders’ Cup winners, champions, and/or Grade 1 winners Flawlessly (1991), Hollywood Wildcat (1993), Jewel Princess (1995), and Evening Jewel (2010).
Recent standouts include Anisette (2023), Bellabel (2022), Madone (2021), Laura’s Light (2020), Mucho Unusual (2019), Thought Process (2025), and Iscreamuscream (2024).
The race often serves as a stepping stone to the Del Mar Oaks (G1) later in the meet.
Bred in Ireland, the Brendan Walsh-trained Raiding Party (3-1) broke her maiden at Keeneland last October in a 1 1/16-mile turf test. Shelved for seven months, she returned with a strong second in a Churchill Downs allowance on May 7 over the same distance on firm turf, then a nice win at the same level six weeks ago. This Sioux Nation filly owns a stalking-to-closing style but has shown some good tactical speed to stay in touch. She is a live contender in her stakes debut under Ben Curtis.
Trainer Kelsey Danner ships Ground Support (5-1) from the East and a fifth-place finish in the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs off an eight-month layoff. The Army Mule filly broke her maiden at 100-1 last year at Kentucky Downs, then wired the field in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct before capping her juvenile season with a strong third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G3) over this course. She is a tactical front-runner or presser who relishes firm turf and has proven versatile and competitive at this stakes level.
Senorita Stakes (G3) winner Marjoram (8-1) returns to action after a very dull fifth in the Summertime Oaks (G3) last month. She broke her maiden at first asking in November at Churchill Downs, rallying from near the back after a slow start to win a 6½-furlong maiden special weight on a sloppy main track. She returned to action in April at Santa Anita and stumbled badly at the start before finishing fifth, then rebounded strongly to win the May 9 Senorita at Santa Anita, breaking last again but rallying to win by a head.
Her late-closing ability only helps this Michael McCarthy trainee, and she is a big candidate for the win with Juan Hernandez at the helm.
Lookin at Diamond (6-1), by Lookin At Lucky, was bred and is owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club and trained by Leonard Powell. She debuted at Santa Anita in April and finished a respectable fourth, beaten about 3 ¼ lengths, in a 6½-furlong maiden special weight on turf.
She broke her maiden impressively next out on May 2 over a mile, winning going away under jockey Victor Espinoza. She was most recently third in the Honeymoon Stakes on June 6 and returns to stakes action here. She shows a come-from-behind running style as a patient mid-pack to deep closer with a strong late kick, which will help here at a likely reasonable price in the shadow of the shippers. Umberto Rispoli will be aboard.
The Peachtree Stables homebred Spirit Doll (8-1), by Tiz the Law out of the Cairo Prince mare Pakhet, is coming off a nice win at Gulfstream Park in the one-mile Honey Rider Stakes over the turf for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The bay filly has a versatile running style that allows her to settle just off the pace or track closely before delivering her solid late kick. Her pedigree suggests suitability for the 1-mile turf distance of the San Clemente, where her tactical speed and closing ability should position her well in a competitive field. Rasheed Hughes has accepted the call.
Phil D’Amato, who has saddled the last two winners of this race, will tighten the girth on Little Red Feather Racing and William Strauss’s Peanutbutterbombe (8-1), a daughter of Collected and the Lope de Vega mare Candy Store. She made a stylish and winning back in October at Santa Anita over 6 1/2 furlongs on turf, breaking sharply from the rail, setting the pace inside, relaxing on the lead, and kicking clear to win comfortably by 1 1/2 lengths. She then showed her class with a close third in the Blue Norther Stakes in December and then earned another third in February before capturing a tough allowance at Santa Anita two months ago. She is a forward-running type who often takes or contests the early lead and has proven versatile on firm turf. She is a live contender under Antonio Fresu.
The City of Light filly Light Won Up (10-1), who is trained by Doug O’Neill, was most recently a flat fourth in the Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita last month, but she is a stakes winner, having taken the 6 1/2-furlong Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita on the downhill turf by a comfortable 2 ¾ lengths. She also owns a second in the Senorita Stakes (G3) and fourth in the Limestone Stakes (G3) at Keeneland this spring. She likes to be forwardly placed early or sit just off the pace, but this step up in company against tough shippers may be a challenge for her. Emisael Jaramillo rides.
British-bred Inbox (8-1), by Ectot out of Trainnah (by Pivotal), is another trained for owners, including Little Red Feather Racing. She broke her maiden impressively at Santa Anita in January at nine furlongs on the turf, winning by over a length as the favorite, and followed up with a strong second in the Honeymoon Stakes five months later. She is a tactical runner who can track the pace or sit up on it, and she’s shown a strong ability to quicken and sustain her run to the wire. She is a live contender, but watch the tote for a reasonable price. Joel Rosario returns.
Wild Like the West (15-1), by Into Mischief out of the Curlin mare American West, is trained by Richard Baltas and broke her maiden impressively at Santa Anita in October 2025 over a mile on turf, winning by a half-length. She hasn’t reached the winner’s circle since, but she was a close second in the Blue Norther Stakes in December and in the 9-furlong Providencia Stakes in April at Santa Anita. She likes to be forwardly placed early, her Achilles heel being her running out of steam before the wire. Héctor Barrios rides.
Somerset West (20-1) faces winners for the first time after breaking her maiden at Santa Anita last month. The Kantharos filly, who is trained by John Sadler, makes an ambitious jump into stakes company and will be ridden by jockey Armando Ayuso. Her running style appears to suit mid-to-late positioning with a solid finishing punch, making her a horse who can capitalize on pace setup; her question is the jump in class.
Irish-bred Cortina d’Amprezzo (20-1), the third from D’Amato and co-owned by Little Red Feather here, is another facing winners after breaking her maiden in her sixth start last out last month at Santa Anita. She’s in a tough spot here, and her far outside post doesn’t help, but she may surprise, so a good idea is to watch her warmup and odds before making the last wager.
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.
