Horses, Jockeys Travel West for Red Carpet Handicap

The 10-horse field for the $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap (G3T), the Thanksgiving Day feature at Del Mar, includes four horses who last raced in New York or Kentucky on assignment from nationally renowned trainers. Three of them will have elite Eastern-based jockeys who venture west only when the stakes are most plentiful and highest—as they will be through the four final days of the Bing Crosby season. The Red Carpet, a 1 3/8-mile marathon for fillies and mares, will kick off a series of seven graded grass stakes at the Southern California track that will continue through the end of the meet Nov. 29. Three notable equine travelers for the Red Carpet are Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables' Orglandes (FR) for trainer Chad Brown; St. George Farm Racing's Woodfin for Victoria Oliver; and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Cloonan, and Timothy Thornton's Blame Debbie for Graham Motion. In California, Peter Miller has had Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable's California Kook, the runner-up in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) Aug. 22, in training at San Luis Rey Downs for a month since returning from a fifth-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana (G1T) Oct. 10 at Keeneland. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Orglandes, a 4-year-old import from France making her third start in the United States after a win at Belmont Park Oct. 9. Joel Rosario has the call on California Kook. Manny Franco will be aboard Blame Debbie after their initial collaboration resulted in victory in the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stales (G3T) at Keeneland Oct. 18. Never Be Enough (GB), Colonial Creed, Going to Vegas, Aunt Lubie, Hollywood Girl, and Quick (GB) complete the field.