Two-year-old Thoroughbreds who compete at Del Mar through the seaside observe’s prestigious summer season meet often go on to get pleasure from ample racing success.
Want examples? The final dozen years have seen Kentucky Derby winners I’ll Have One other, California Chrome, American Pharoah, and Nyquist compete at Del Mar through the summer season of their juvenile years. The identical goes for 2023 Preakness Stakes victor Nationwide Treasure, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Introduced by Baccarat and Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap this yr.
The 2024-‘25 Highway to the Kentucky Derby is simply across the nook, with the primary qualifier happening at Churchill Downs Saturday. There’s a powerful likelihood 2025 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown contenders competed through the just lately concluded 2024 Del Mar summer season meet, so let’s evaluation 5 of essentially the most promising juveniles we noticed in motion:
Bullard
By means of the years, Michael McCarthy has skilled some top-notch horses similar to 2018 Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile and 2019 Pegasus World Cup winner Metropolis of Mild, 2021 Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer, and, extra just lately, 2024 Kentucky Derby starter Endlessly.
May Bullard be the newest star for McCarthy? The colt by 2017 Horse of the Yr Gun Runner definitely regarded like a shiny prospect when rallying strongly to win his debut, dashing three-quarters of a mile on Sept. 1 at Del Mar.
Bullard wasn’t anticipated to win; bettors favored the skilled Kalea Bay at odds of 3-5 whereas making Bullard the three.40-1 second selection. However after settling behind the pack by means of a gap quarter-mile in :21.93, Bullard launched a decided late cost and gained greater than three lengths by means of the ultimate eighth of a mile alone to defeat Kalea Bay by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:10.32.
Kalea Bay pulled six lengths away from the third-place finisher, so Bullard’s efficiency was stronger than it first seems. In accordance with the Equibase GPS consequence chart, Bullard ran his last eighth of a mile in a pointy :12.17, suggesting he has potential for stretching out to 1 mile or farther. Preserve an in depth eye on this $675,000 yearling acquisition from the household of Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches, Arcangelo, and Jazil.
Citizen Bull is bred for fulfillment. He’s a son of five-time main North American sire Into Mischief — the sire of Kentucky Derby winners Genuine and Mandaloun — out of a mare by Distorted Humor, the sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Humorous Cide plus 2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer.
This elegant pedigree may be very seemingly one cause why Citizen Bull offered for $675,000 as a yearling. Educated by six-time Kentucky Derby-winning coach Bob Baffert, the bay colt is beginning to ship on that lofty buy worth.
Citizen Bull debuted in an Aug. 17 maiden particular weight race sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar. After operating an in depth second by means of a gap quarter-mile in :22.10, he edged previous Smash It to win by three-quarters of a size in 1:03.42. Smash It, in turned, pulled seven lengths away from third-place finisher Kalea Bay.
This tremendous debut preceded a begin within the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity dashing seven-eighths of a mile. Quick early quarter-mile fractions of :21.85 and :44.35 left Citizen Bull in sixth place early on, however down the homestretch he rallied steadily to complete third behind stablemate Gaming.
Citizen Bull gives the look he’ll shine in longer races with slower early tempo fractions. Given an opportunity to race forwardly in races going one mile or farther, he might develop right into a severe Highway to the Kentucky Derby contender.
Probably the most thrilling juvenile to emerge from Del Mar this summer season is Gaming, who was bought for $250,000 again in March. Each his sire, Sport Winner, and broodmare sire, Johannesburg, gained the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, so it’s protected to say Gaming is bred to excel from an early age.
Gaming began as the favourite in his Aug. 11 debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar. The consequence? A strong victory. Setting quarter-mile fractions of :21.87 and :44.71 did nothing to tire the Bob Baffert-trained teen, as Gaming powered away down the homestretch to win simply by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:17.42.
Gaming was equally sharp when making his stakes debut within the Del Mar Futurity. Going through a deep discipline together with Citizen Bull, McKinzie Avenue, and Grade 3 Finest Pal Stakes winner Getaway Automobile, Gaming saved floor in fifth place early on, superior up the rail and shifted outdoors to grab command, and gained by 1 3/4 lengths. He accomplished seven-eighths of a mile in 1:23.02.
With an unblemished file and a Grade 1 win beneath his belt, Gaming ranks as California’s main 2-year-old in the intervening time. It’s a title he’s unlikely to relinquish with out a combat.
McKinzie Avenue has proven robust kind at Del Mar for coach Tim Yakteen. The colt by four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie is arguably the second-fastest juvenile in California proper now.
Previous to starting his racing profession, McKinzie Avenue went by means of the public sale ring 3 times: as a weanling, as a yearling, and as a 2-year-old in coaching. Every time he introduced a better worth: $120,000, $150,000, and $290,000.
If McKinzie Avenue was provided on the market at public sale immediately, he would absolutely convey a better bid than $290,000. He debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden particular weight race on July 28 and led right through fast fractions of :21.97 and :44.93 to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:04.02. The runner-up, Emerald Bay, pulled 5 lengths away from the remainder and returned to win his subsequent begin.
This robust debut prompted a begin within the Del Mar Futurity. Despatched off because the 6.80-1 fourth selection, McKinzie Avenue outran expectations in opposition to a top quality discipline, closing from a few lengths behind the new early tempo to complete second to Gaming. McKinzie Avenue truly gained a little bit of floor on Gaming by means of the ultimate eighth of a mile and completed only one 3/4 lengths behind.
It’s laborious to knock something McKinzie Avenue has completed up to now. If he can efficiently stretch out to distances past one mile, he’ll be a severe participant on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby.
Smash It
Smash It’s the solely horse on this record who didn’t debut at Del Mar. He bought began with a runner-up end in a June 14 maiden particular weight race at Santa Anita Park.
However Smash It made his summer season at Del Mar rely, packing in three begins. The primary two, on July 20 and Aug. 17, yielded runner-up finishes behind Getaway Automobile and Citizen Bull, respectively. As talked about beforehand, Smash It completed solely three-quarters of a size behind Citizen Bull whereas pulling seven lengths away from the remainder.
Smash It lastly bought a win beneath his belt on Sept. 7. Favored to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden particular weight race, the chestnut gelding led at each name to defeat the Baffert-trained first-time starter Into Midnight by three-quarters of a size in 1:03.14, lacking the observe file by 1.28 seconds.
A Louisiana-bred son of 22-time stakes winner Star Guitar, Smash It’s steadily progressing in the suitable course for coach Todd Fincher. Each begin has been higher than his final, so don’t be shocked if Smash It retains enhancing by means of the autumn and winter.