OUT OF THE GATE

DEL MAR LEADERS

Through Thursday

Jockeys / Wins

Juan Hernandez / 7 Umberto Rispoli / 6 Joe Bravo / 4 Three tied / 3

Trainers / Wins

Philip D'Amato / 4 Doug O'Neill / 4 Bob Baffert / 3 Three tied / 2

WEEKEND STAKES DEL MAR Today

• $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 5furlongs (turf)

Saturday

• $400,000Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 6furlongs

• $300,000Grade II San Diego Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 11/16 miles

Sunday

• $250,000Grade II Eddie

Read Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 11/8 miles (turf)

DOWN THE STRETCH

• Del Mar's David Jerkens says one of the toughest jobs for a racing secretary is finding horses to fill stakes races on the dirt. “It's enormously challenging,” he said. “I'm sure you saw the card Belmont day, and we're obviously going to try to talk people into running against Flightline in the Pacific Classic. For us it's hard. You have a standout based in California and you're not really going to get anybody from out of state in some cases.” Flightline and Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer are expected to headline the Pacific Classic on Sept. 3.

• In addition to many outof-state trainers who have strings of horses at Del Mar this summer, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and Wesley Ward will send selected horses west during the 31-day meet.

Ward won Thursday's fourth race, and Cox has entered 2021Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun in Saturday's Grade II San Diego Handicap, a prep for the Pacific Classic. Cox also plans to run Shedaresthedevil in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 6.

• A short field of five was entered for Saturday's $600,000Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. The Jim Dandy, run at a mile and an eighth, is a prep for the $1.25 million Grade I Travers Stakes on Aug. 27. Epicenter, runner-up to longshot Rich Strike in this year's Kentucky Derby, is the 3-2morning-line favorite, followed closely by Early Voting (8-5) and Zandon (2-1). Chad Brown trains the latter pair and Steve Asmussen will saddle Epicenter. Joel Rosario has the mount on the favorite, while Jose Ortiz will be aboard Early Voting and Zandon will be ridden by Flavien Prat.