The last race on most race cards is typically one of the deepest, a competitive race that gives bettors a chance to collect rewarding exotic payoffs on their way out the door. Often such races feature claimers or maidens, but occasionally, a high-end race on the grass lands in the mix.
One such occasion occurs Sept. 3 on Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar when a field of 11 races in the nightcap in the Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T). Beyond the $300,000 purse of the race, also on the line is a paid, automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The race is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series.
Typical of a race card finale, contention runs deep. There is no clear standout, with Heywoods Beach, Master Piece, Masteroffoxhounds, Red King, and Tizamagician being five of the contenders. All enter the race with question marks to a degree.
Heywoods Beach and Tizamagician move from dirt to turf after a 1-2 finish in the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes (G3) on the Del Mar main track.
Tizamagician will be trying grass for the first time since he ran 10th with a troubled trip in the one-mile Runhappy Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar as a 3-year-old in the summer of 2020.
"I'm going to be a magician and make a grass horse out of him," Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said. "With as tough as the (Pacific) Classic is and him wanting the long distance, it just figured (that) I tried him once as a 3-year-old on the turf, and it wasn't a real fair evaluation. So we're just hoping he can adapt to the turf because then you have more long races, and that's what he really likes."
As for some of the others—Master Piece comes off a win in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) but is just 2-for-10 since 2020; Masteroffoxhounds comes off a disappointing effort when fifth in the Eddie Read; and Red King is 8 years old and winless in four starts this year.
Working in Master Piece's favor is an apparent fondness for racing over the Del Mar turf course. Besides winning the Eddie Read, he was second in the 2021 Del Mar Handicap.
In four starts since August 2021, the gray ridgling by Mastercraftsman has raced for trainer Michael McCarthy in California.
Abel Cedillo has the mount for owners Fernando Diaz-Valdes, Baalbek Corp., and Don Alberto Stable. Master Piece carries 123 pounds, co-high weight with Tizamagician.
Trainer Phil D'Amato starts four horses: the aforementioned Masteroffoxhounds and Red King, plus Gold Phoenix and Gregdar.
Philip Belmonte and Gordon Jacobsen's Red King gave D'Amato his sixth win in the Del Mar Handicap two years ago. All of D'Amato's victories in the three-turn turf race have come since 2014.
Four races before the Del Mar Handicap, D'Amato holds another potential winning hand in the $300,000 Del Mar Mile (G2T), even without entering his star turf miler Count Again.
His trainees, Hong Kong Harry and Cathkin Peak—2-3 behind Master Piece in the 1 1/8-mile Eddie Read—cut back a furlong for the Del Mar Mile.
Tripoli and comebacking Astronaut lead the opposition. Both starred on Pacific Classic Day in 2021 with Tripoli upsetting the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) and Astronaut taking the Del Mar Handicap.
The Del Mar Mile is not a Breeders' Cup WAYI qualifier.
Del Mar, Saturday, September 3, 2022, Race 7Entries: Del Mar Mile S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Air Force Red (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Leonard Powell 10/1 2 2Tarantino (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Ed Moger, Jr. 15/1 3 3Irideo (ARG) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 Marcelo Polanco 5/1 4 4None Above the Law (CA) Joe Bravo 122 Peter Miller 6/1 5 5Hong Kong Harry (IRE) Flavien Prat 122 Philip D'Amato 3/1 6 6Goliad (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Richard E. Mandella 5/1 7 7Cathkin Peak (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 122 Philip D'Amato 4/1 8 8Figureti (CHI) Abel Cedillo 124 Amador Merei Sanchez 20/1 9 9Tripoli (KY) Tiago Josue Pereira 124 John W. Sadler 8/1 10 10Astronaut (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 12/1
Del Mar, Saturday, September 3, 2022, Race 11Entries: Del Mar H. Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dicey Mo Chara (GB) John R. Velazquez 119 Leonard Powell 15/1 2 2Gold Phoenix (IRE) Flavien Prat 118 Philip D'Amato 6/1 3 3Gregdar (KY) Umberto Rispoli 119 Philip D'Amato 5/1 4 4Red King (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 118 Philip D'Amato 8/1 5 5Tango Tango Tango (KY) Declan Cannon 119 Jack Sisterson 20/1 6 6Tizamagician (KY) Mike E. Smith 123 Richard E. Mandella 4/1 7 7Order and Law (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 117 Robert B. Hess, Jr. 30/1 8 8Tesoro (KY) Joe Bravo 117 O. J. Jauregui 20/1 9 9Master Piece (CHI) Abel Cedillo 123 Michael W. McCarthy 3/1 10 10Masteroffoxhounds (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 120 Philip D'Amato 6/1 11 11Heywoods Beach (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 121 John W. Sadler 8/1
