Hollywood Derby, Martiarch will end fall meet with bang

DEL MAR, Calif. – The Del Mar fall meet started with a flourish by playing host to the Breeders’ Cup and it will finish with a flourish, with seven graded turf stakes over the final four days including Grade 1, $400,000 races on Saturday and Sunday that have lured top-quality horses and riders from the East Coast.

The Grade 1 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds on Saturday and Grade 1 Matriarch for fillies and mares on Sunday both were won last year by trainer Chad Brown, with Domestic Spending and Viadera, respectively, and he will try to win both again.

Public Sector, winner of three straight graded stakes at Saratoga and Belmont Park, is scheduled to ship west for Brown for the Hollywood Derby. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

Regal Glory, runner-up in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland in her last start, represents Brown in the Matriarch. Jose Ortiz, who is here for the weekend, has the mount.

The Hollywood Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, is expected to have a large field when entries are taken Wednesday. Others expected for the race include Beyond Brilliant, Camp Hope, Cathkin Peak, Flashiest, Hudson Ridge, It Can Be Done, Lincoln Hawk, Santin, Subconscious, Team Merchants, and Zoffarelli.

John Velazquez will be in town to ride Lincoln Hawk, who worked five furlongs on turf on Sunday morning at Del Mar in 1:04 for trainer Richard Baltas. Cathkin Peak, trained by Phil D’Amato, worked five furlongs on turf in 1:02.20.

Subconscious, trained by Richard Mandella, worked five furlongs in 1:00 on the main track under regular rider Juan Hernandez on Sunday morning. He is the best of the locals, having won the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita in his last start.

The Matriarch, at one mile, looks like it will have a smaller field when entries are taken Thursday. Zofelle and Princess Grace, second and third, respectively, behind Going Global in the Grade 2 Goldikova on the Breeders’ Cup undercard on Nov. 6, both remained here for the Matriarch. Both worked a half-mile on turf Sunday, with Zofelle timed in 51.20 seconds for Brendan Walsh, and Princess Grace in 50.80 for Mike Stidham.

Others expected for the Matriarch include Bodhicitta, Mucho Unusual, Tapwater, and Warren’s Showtime.

Velazquez rides Bodhicitta, who worked five furlongs on turf in 1:04.20 on Sunday morning for Baltas.

Strong stakes on undercard

Supporting the Grade 1 races on the weekend at Del Mar are two grass stakes on Saturday and one on Sunday, all of which, like the Hollywood Derby and Matriarch, have strong representation among the shippers.

The Grade 2, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday includes both Flop Shot and Sacred Life for Chad Brown, with the brothers Ortiz – Irad on Flop Shot, Jose on Sacred Life – set to ride. Sacred Life won the Grade 3 Knickerbocker at Belmont last time out.

Graham Motion on Sunday said he may run English Bee. Others expected for the Seabiscuit include Bob and Jackie, Indian Peak, Lambeau, Majestic Eagle, Neptune’s Storm, and North County Guy.

John Velazquez rides Bob and Jackie, who had the fastest time – 1:01.20 – of eight who worked five furlongs on the turf Sunday.

Also Saturday is the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante, for 2-year-old fillies at one mile. Sparkle Blue, an allowance winner last time out here Nov. 3 after shipping in from Fair Hill, has remained for Motion with assistant Alice Clapham and will again have Jose Ortiz aboard. His brother Irad landed on Tezzaray, a maiden winner Nov. 4 in his U.S. debut for Peter Miller. Tezzaray worked five furlongs on turf Sunday morning in 1:03.20.

Others expected for the Durante include Awake at Midnight, Dendera, Fuente Ovejuna, Helens Wells, Liam’s Dove, Mamajoon, Miss Bellatrix, Reem Zabeel, Toeris, Tonito’s, and Virulente, who worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 on the turf Sunday morning for Phil D’Amato. Reem Zabeel, trained by Anna Meah, covered a half-mile on turf in 52.80.

On closing day Sunday, the Matriarch is supported by the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille for 2-year-olds at one mile.

Brown is scheduled to send Verbal, a debut winner at Belmont, who has Jose Ortiz up. Others expected for the DeMille include Barsabas, Boise, Degree of Risk, Derecho Dandy, Elevado, Get Back Goldie, Groovy Huey, Optimising, and possibly Astronomer and Il Capitano.

Cordiality to end long layoff

The accomplished mare Cordiality, a multiple stakes winner against Californiabreds, returns to action at age 8 following a 56-week layoff on Thursday in Del Mar’s fourth race, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for fillies and mares who have second-level allowance conditions, or, like Cordiality, can be claimed for $100,000.

Tim Yakteen, who trains Cordiality for owner Donnie Crevier, said Cordiality was bred earlier this year, “but she didn’t take.”

“So we gave her some time,” Yakteen said. She has a strong, steady series of works for her return as she seeks her 13th win in 35 starts.

Her rivals include Ivy League, who won a first-level allowance Oct. 16 at Santa Anita after trying graded stakes company in two of her previous three tries.

“I thought I’d try to work through another condition,” Ivy League’s trainer, Richard Mandella, said of running in this race as opposed to the Red Carpet on Thursday or Matriarch on Sunday.

◗ Jockey Kyle Frey got career win No. 1,000 on Friday aboard the 2-year-old Tizlightning.

◗ Jockey Geovanni Franco announced on Twitter that he was relocating to Oaklawn Park for the start of that meeting Dec. 3, and that Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens would be his agent.

◗ Cairo Memories, ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov.5 after winning her first two starts on grass, is expected to try dirt in the Grade 1 Starlet on Dec. 4 at Los Alamitos. She worked a half-mile on the main track in 50 seconds on Sunday morning at Del Mar for trainer Bob Hess Jr.