Del Mar Futurity (G1) Day

2024 Del Mar Futurity

Flavien Prat celebrates aboard Gaming after winning the 2024 Del Mar Futurity

Date: 9/08/2024

Del Mar’s summer meeting ended on Sunday with the traditional closing day feature, the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds sprinting 7 furlongs on the main track. Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO Joe Harper said, “As always we want to thank the horsemen and women for their partnership and for helping us put on another outstanding summer meeting. We look forward to welcoming back the Breeders’ Cup in November and to hosting racing fans and participants from all over the world here in Del Mar and the greater San Diego area.” Gary Fenton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California added, “As always, Del Mar shines the best light on California racing. We are grateful to the DMTC team for their innovative approach in delivering a world-class racing experience. We look forward to hosting the 2024 Breeders’ Cup with them in November.” Racing returns to Del Mar for the track’s fall Bing Crosby meet running from October 31 to December 1, including the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on November 1-2.

Gaming draws away in the stretch

Conditions were excellent at the seaside oval with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80’s for the 6,756 fans in attendance. Citizen Bull was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of 7 off his debut win on August 17. In to challenge him included 9-5 second choice Getaway Car, undefeated winner of the Best Pal Stakes (G3), and 4-1 third choice Gaming, a debut winner on August 11.

Jockey Juan Hernandez sent Getaway Car to the lead exiting the chute through fractions of 21.85 and 44.35 while pressed by 32-1 Brother Tony and stalke by McKinzie Street and Gaming. Turning for home Getaway Car tired as Gaming opened up a 2 length lead through 3/4 in 1:09.71. Kept to task by Flavien Prat, Gaming cruised to a 1 3/4 length win over McKinzie Street in 1:23.02. It was a long 4 lengths back to late-running favorite Citizen Bull third.

Pgm  Horse               Jockey        Win  Place   Show
 2   Gaming              Prat           9.80   4.40   2.60
 6   McKinzie Street     Kimura                5.80   3.60
 7   Citizen Bull        Smith                        2.60

Winning Time:  1:23.02

$1 Exacta 2-6                35.60
$2 Quinella 2-6              36.40
$1 Trifecta 2-6-7            75.60
$1 Superfecta 2-6-7-1       164.70

Left: Gaming in the winner’s circle. Jimmy Barnes, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert said, “You’re always concerned when you draw the one, two. But (Flavien) Prat, he’s smart. He let the other ones go. He let him drop back a little bit, picked a spot up the rail and to the outside and he was on his way. No game plan.” This is Baffert’s record 18th Del Mar Futurity winner.

Right: Gaming in the paddock before the race. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, “He relaxed well; he was a bit on his toes before the race so I kept him quiet. Very straightforward, and leveled out nice. Bob just told me not to rush him and I thought I was in a good spot on my way around the corner. When he went off to his left lead I jumped on the bridle right away. After that I felt pretty much in control the whole way.”

Left: Second place finisher McKinzie Street in the paddock before the race. Trainer Tim Yakteen said, “He ran really big. The winner ran a super race.”

Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Citizen Bull heads out for the post parade. The Bob Baffert trainee improved his record to 1 win and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $81,000 for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

Artislas wins the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes

Immediately before the Del Mar Futurity, the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3) featured a field of 13 two-year-olds (after 3 scratches) going 1 mile on the Jimmy Durante turf course. An Chorr Dubh, the lone filly in the field, was sent off as the 11-4 favorite off her debut win on July 27 at Gowran Park in Ireland. In to challenge her included 7-2 second choice Scipio, a debut winner on August 2, and 5-1 third choice Mischief River, second in the Best Pal (G3) last out.

Jockey Cesar Ortega sent Mischief River to the lead first time by through fractions of 22.18, 46.61, and 1:12.21 while pressed by 12-1 Show of Force and stalked by 30-1 Tiz Happy. Into the lane Mischief River continued to lead through 7f in 1:24.44. 15-2 fifth choice Artislas, 6th early under Reyly Gutierrez, came through on the inside and outfinished deep closing 7-1 fourth choice Sabertooth to win by 1/2 a length in 1:36.53. It was a neck back to Scipio third, while favorite An Chorr Dubh failed to rally finishing 7th beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Results Chart

Left: Artislas in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Jeff Mullins said, “He was sitting fourth or fifth just cruising along. I told Reylu just be patient; hopefully you’ll get somewhere to go and hopefully you’ll have horse when it’s time to go and he said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll have horse.’ He’s always shown us a lot. Reylu has worked him almost every time and he’s always been really high on this horse.”

Right: Artislas returns after the race. Winning jockey Reylu Gutierrez said, “It’s all a credit to the horse; I mean he fit in an easy hole. Not many horses have courage to do that, especially horses his age. He saved ground the whole way, he wasn’t ranked at all, you know horses usually stretching out 5 1/2 to a mile it’s tough. Really professional by this horse. Future is very bright for him. I think he will do a mile, and he does everything we have expected of him in the mornings. A lot of thanks to Corey Nakatani helping me off the track and, of course, Jeff Mullins.”

Left: Second place finisher Sabertooth in the paddock before the race. The Tim Yakteen trainee improved his record to 3 seconds in 3 starts, earning $50,000 for owner George Andrew Sharp.

Right: Third place finisher Scipio in the paddock. The Richard Baltas trainee improved his record to 2 thirds in 2 starts, earning $21,000 for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran.

Seventh place finisher and beaten favorite An Chorr Dubh in the post parade. Jockey Flavien Prat said, “I was behind the winner and I thought I was in a good spot. She was very even.”

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