This evening Del Mar will host one of the most prestigious flat meetings of the year, as the eyes of the horse racing world turn to California.
The Conditional preview five juvenile races on a Friday card that boasts the entries of top quality young racehorses from across the world.
Many British & Irish runners are with a chance of featuring this evening, before the attention turns to a bumper-packed Saturday card.
The Conditional will also publish a preview of the Saturday races tomorrow afternoon, so be sure to check the blog for any new posts and follow our social media accounts.
(All prices are correct at time of writing with select bookmakers)
9:50 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 2) – 5f (Turf)
Wesley Ward’s duo of Twilight Gleaming and the unbeaten Averly Jane head the market with British bookmakers, and both receive a 3lbs fillies allowance.
The current favourite, Averly Jane, has won as favourite in all of her three starts to date, and looks to be the one to beat here.
On debut, she won on dirt, on a sloppy surface, before winning on a faster dirt ground in August.
Her only appearance on turf came last time out, last month, at Keeneland, where she beat her stablemate Kaufymaker, who opposes her again here.
She has beaten her nearest rivals by a combined distance of over thirteen-lengths, and has looked as if there is even more to come from her.
Stablemate Twilight Gleaming has been seen in the UK and France since running twice in the USA where she finished second on debut, before winning her maiden by seven-and-a-half-lengths in May.
At Royal Ascot in June, she finished second behind Quick Suzy in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.
She was then seen being ridden to victory by Frankie Dettori at Deauville, in the Prix de la Vallee d’Auge, a Listed race for two-year-olds.
One Timer for Larry Rivelli is another unbeaten two-year-old in the race, having also won his three starts, twice on fast ground on the all-weather and once on firm grass.
The gelding won his maiden emphatically by twelve-and-a-half-lengths, beating runner-up Tough To Tame who has since gone on to finish a close second in a Grade 3 race in September.
The aforementioned Kaufymaker has also been seen at Ascot, but could only manage an eighth-placed finish in the Coventry Stakes over 6f.
This drop back in trip is likely to suit, but given her finish behind Averly Jane it’s difficult to see her beating the field here.
Time To Party has won once and finished second twice on his racecourse starts to date, with all runs coming on firm ground.
In his last run he finished three-quarter-of-a-length runner-up to One Timer at Santa Anita.
Derrynane won last time out at Woodbine in a Listed race for fillies, after finishing only in fifth in another Listed affair at Saratoga.
Time To Party finished less than a length behind One Timer on last outing, and did win his maiden at Del Mar in September, ahead of Sumter.
Run Curtis Run is an outsider who will be running with the addition of blinkers here.
Michael O’Callaghan’s Twilight Jet is considered the best of the European chances for the race and will come from stall 1.
He will be running for the eleventh time this season, and was last seen winning the Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket on good to soft ground.
The colt has run on good to firm ground over 5f in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but could only manage a seventh placed finish, in a race won by Perfect Power.
Armor, for Richard Hannon, won on debut at Doncaster, before finishing sixth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot then won the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood on soft ground.
Since, he has finished fourth and third respectively in two Group 1 races, behind the formidable Perfect Power on both occasions.
He has looked comfortable running on firmer ground, and could be in with a chance here.
By No Nay Never, out of a High Chaparral mare, he is well bred and has been running in competitive races and will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
His dam’s sire was a dual Breeders’ Cup winner for Aidan O’Brien, tasting success in two renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2002 & 2003, the second coming in an exciting dead-heat finish, the first dead-heat in Breeders’ Cup history.
Vertiginous for Brian Meehan won last time out in a listed race, and has plenty of experience on a firmer surface.
The filly has opposed Twilight Gleaming at Ascot, finishing over three-lengths behind as a 66/1 shot, and finished in fourth in Group 2 company in the Lowther Stakes at York in August.
Although she outran her odds in the Queen Mary Stakes, it seems unlikely she’ll be able to close the gap between her and Ward’s filly.
Hierarchy travels over for Hugo Palmer, and will again be the mount of Oisin Murphy’s.
He was last seen finishing a close second in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury and this will be his first run over 5f.
Go Bears Go has finished a head behind Perfect Power in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, and finished a short distance behind Armor in the Middle Park Stakes in September.
Last time out he finished seventh of eight in the Dewhurst Stakes, but on earlier season form he could feature at the finish.
Thunder Love for George Boughey is another of British interest, if she lines up, but is currently first reserve for the race and looks more likely to run on the undercard.
Sumter sums up the field as second reserve, for Richard Madella and Joel Rosario, and is still searching for his first win.
10:30 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1) – 1m110y (Dirt)
Echo Zulu for Steven Asmussen heads the market with UK bookmakers, at short odds of evens or odds on generally.
She is unbeaten in her three starts to date, and showed her capabilities over a further distance when winning a Grade 1 comfortably at Belmont Park last month.
Hidden Connection is proven over the trip, having also won easily by over nine-lengths on her last outing in a Grade 3 at Churchill Downs.
Juju’s Map has been unbeaten in her two starts since a second-placed finish on debut, and is another runner who has won easily over a distance further than a mile, most notably in a Grade 1 at Keeneland last time out.
Tarabi has much to do against the favourite here, having finished four-lengths behind her on last outing, whilst Sequist has finished a distance behind Juju’s Map previously and looks unlikely to have the capabilities required to reverse form here.
Desert Dreamer completes the field as the outsider and, although she hasn’t finished outside the top three in any of her races to date, she has lost by big margins in each of her runs.
11:10 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 1) – 1m (Turf)
In what looks to be a wide open field, with the favourite generally at odds of around 6/1, fourteen runners are due to go to post.
Four European runners line up; the British trained fillies Hello You, Mise En Scene & Cachet, as well as French raider Malavath.
Hello You for David Loughnane is the most fancied of the European runners and was last seen winning the Rockfel Stakes ahead of Cachet on good to firm ground.
She steps up to a mile for the first time.
Mise En Scene, by Siyouni, won her first two starts before finishing fourth in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket, behind unbeaten Inspiral, and a short head behind Cachet.
She is likely to prefer the sounder surface, but will have to prove herself over a mile in the hands of Oisin Murphy.
Cachet, who is currently a 14/1 shot, won on debut but hasn’t tasted success since in Group and Listed races.
Over a mile she has finished seventh and third respectively, the seventh-placed finish coming in the Prix d’Aumale at Longchamp.
She did put on a better showing in the Fillies’ Mile, as mentioned, beating Mise En Scene, but she’s another with much to prove in this company.
Malavath will be ridden by Ryan Moore and is bidding for a hat-trick of wins.
She is an unknown over the trip and on the ground as both of her wins have come on a softer surface, and she has only raced over 6f.
Despite this, she has seen out both wins quite comfortably and there doesn’t seem a reason for her not to stay the distance, however the ground is a concern.
Consumer Spending is the current favourite, having won twice and finished second in her first three starts over further than a mile.
She is proven to stay the trip and will enjoy the ground.
Haughty, for Chad Brown, has been first past the post in both races to date, however was disqualified for interference and placed third on debut.
Pizza Bianca won on debut, before finishing second to the impressive Wild Beauty at Woodbine in September.
Over a shorter distance, Koala Princess has shown plenty of class, and if able to stay the trip she could feature here.
Irish-bred Helens Well is an outsider at 40/1, but did win her maiden over course and distance and could be capable of challenging for the places.
11:50 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA (Grade 1) – 1m110y (Dirt)
Unbeaten Corniche heads the market as the most fancied of three Bob Baffert runners, ahead of another unbeaten colt in Pinehurst and stablemate Barossa.
Commandperformance for Todd Pletcher has finished second twice in his only two starts, whilst the trainer also runs Double Thunder who won a Grade 3 on debut.
Oviatt Class finished behind Corniche last time out and has much to do to reverse the form here.
Pappacap finished ahead of Oviatt Class in the American Pharoah Stakes, as mentioned, but was three-and-a-quarter-lengths behind Corniche.
Japanese trained Jasper Great won his maiden impressively by ten-lengths on his only racecourse start to date, and could be one to watch at a bigger price if able to improve in this company.
Giant Game is a son of 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Giant’s Causeway, and won his maiden recently at Keeneland.
Christopher Davis’ pair American Sanctuary and Tough To Tame complete the line-up.
American Sanctuary has finished behind Double Thunder this season, whilst Tough To Tame was just held on step up in trip last time out and could improve.
Jack Christopher is a non-runner.
00:30 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Grade 1) – 1m (Turf)
Godolphin’s Modern Games heads the market for Charlie Appleby, and regular jockey William Buick will ride.
He has won three of his five races this season, and all wins have come on good or firmer ground.
By Dubawi, he is drawn in stall 1, and is expected to run well.
Stablemate Albahr is also by Dubawi and has won all four of his races since finishing third on debut at York.
He won a Listed race at Salisbury, before travelling to Canada where he was last seen winning a Grade 1 impressively at Woodbine in the hands of Frankie Dettori, who will again take the ride.
Dubawi Legend, for Hugo Palmer, splits the Godolphin pair in the market.
He ran well behind the unbeaten Native Trail last time out in the Dewhurst Stakes, but will have to overcome a wide draw here.
Aidan O’Brien will be looking to add to his impressive Breeders’ Cup tally here, and his first opportunity comes in the form of Glounthaune, son of Kodiac.
He beat Castle Star on debut before disappointing in the Dewhurst Stakes, finishing sixth of eight.
Last time out at Leopardstown he got back to winning ways in the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes and will surely be in fine condition heading into this race.
At a bigger price, Michael Bell’s Great Max will line-up in the hands of John Velazquez, and will wear a visor.
He will need to show significant improvement to feature amongst some high-class juveniles here.
An interesting runner in the race is Grafton Street, owned by Mrs John Magnier and trained in Canada by Mark Crasse.
He finished third on debut on sloppy track over 5f, before showing plenty of quality to finish second in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine, in the race won by Albahr.
On that occasion Albahr won comfortably, but Grafton Street was an eye-catcher as he managed to breeze past many of his rivals to stay on well.
At 25/1, he is a potential each-way candidate, but it’ll be difficult for him to reverse form with Albahr.
However, he is still improving and won his maiden last time out.
Portfolio Company is the likeliest of the North America-based horses, if following the market, and has two second-place finishes in Graded races since winning on debut.
Slipstream and Dakota Gold are both bidding for hat-tricks stepping up in trip, whilst Tiz The Bomb is looking for his fifth consecutive win having won a Grade 2 when last seen.
Our bets:
9:50 – 3. Go Bears Go 16/1 (EW)
10:30 – 2. Hidden Connection 3/1
11:10 – 10. Helens Well 40/1 (EW)
11:50 – 2. Jasper Great 16/1 (EW)
00:30 – 2. Albahr 7/1
11. Grafton Street 25/1 (EW)
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THE CONDITIONAL 