The Oceanside Stakes lured an overflow cast on opening day at Del Mar and because of the huge field and the tight course, it’s anybody’s ballgame.
One of the reasons the Oceanside Stakes is fully subscribed is that the conditions open up the race for a plethora of horses on the verge of stardom.
The $100,000 Oceanside Stakes will be run at a mile on turf. The race is for three year olds that have not won a sweepstakes with a winning purse of $50,000.
The race was inaugurated in 1937 and in one strange year it was offered for fillies and mares only.
It has been so popular an opening day stakes, that in many years it has been split and run in divisions. Since 1964, this race has been run in divisions 29 times.
A total of 14 horses are in the main body of the Oceanside Stakes and there are a pair of also-eligible racers that will run if there are scratches.
From the rail out, Arms Runner seems locked and loaded. He has won his first two starts, both down the hillside course at Santa Anita, and he has been impressive. He was extremely professional in his last win, the Desert Code Stakes when he earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. This racer has a right to be a star as his sibling Calculator took a Grade 3 race and earned over $500,000. Desert Code is trained by Peter Miller, who has been a major force at Del Mar in recent years.
Bird Is the Word was a slow learner and took time to graduate. He is stakes placed and was second in the $81,000 Singletary Stakes on May 6.
Vending Machine is another Miller student and the runner felt the wrath of the racing stewards last time. He finished first in a $75,000 optional claimer but he drifted out and was disqualified to fourth. He was second in a Grade 3 race at Del Mar last year. Vending Machine’s connections would love to see him mature like his best sibling, Comma to the Top, who earned over a million.
Bowies Hero carries the Major Tom fans and the runner knows his way around Del Mar. Last year he won the $102,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf. He won that race off a layoff and he will be making a comeback Wednesday. Bowies Hero won his 2017 debut in the Singletary Stakes. In his last race, Bowies Hero was a comfortable fourth in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park. He was flattered when the winner of that race returned to repeat in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 1.
Pioneer Lad has some semblance of speed but will be trying grass for the first time while Rockin Rudy has not raced since May 6. Rockin Rudy has a right to fire fresh as he won his debut by over eleven lengths in an $80,000 maiden claimer. He is another that will be trying to win on grass for the first time.
Allaboutmike looms the speed component of the Miller crew. He has flashed sub: 22 speed in his career opener and the strategy will likely be to send this horse to the lead from the sound of the bell.
Lucky Bode has some things to prove. He lost five times in Southern California and then shipped north to Golden Gate on June 4. He won that Maiden Special Weight race but now will be tested for class.
Placido is cut out to be a nice horse. He cost $250,000 and he seems to be figuring it out. He lost his first two starts but was visually solid graduating last time out.
Grecian Fire will need to invent a trip since he has limited speed but he won the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes in May and was hung wide in his last race.
Caribou Club has never run a poor race. He did something that doesn’t happen every day when he graduated in a $75,000 stakes and he was far from disgraced last time when fourth in the $100,000 J. W. Murphy at Pimlico.
Fortune of War is battle tested and will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, one of the best grass riders in the nation. Fortune of War ran seven times in Europe and was in the money in four of those races. He has steadily progressed in this country. He was fourth in his U.S. debut, third in his next start, then second and then he graduated April 30 at this very mile distance on grass. He has trained fast and steadily for this race including a best of the morning: 59 3/5 workout just eight days ago.
Monster Man flattered Bowies Hero. He was fifth to that runner in May but then won his next start. The colt brings some semblance of speed to the party but it is hard to project him on the lead this time.
My Man Chuckles has shown to be a late-running sprinter so far and that may not help him here. Often times, when late-running sprinters go a distance of ground, they are closer early and don’t have the same late kick. One thing My Man Chuckles has going for him is his pedigree. His sibling Debt Ceiling won a Grade 3 race and banked nearly $300,000.
The last two horses will only run in the Oceanside Stakes if there is a scratch or two. Reign On broke his maiden sprinting on grass in England but his other two wins were on the synthetic surface at Lingfield. He only beat two horses to the wire in his stateside debut.
Harbour Master was troubled in his first race in this country last October. He returned to the racing wars about three weeks later and was a dull eighth as the beaten chalk. With Harbour Master’s style, things will need to unfold just about perfectly for him to be successful. Harbour Master is a horse to watch for the future. He has the blood to excel as his sibling Prize Exhibit took a number of Graded stakes and won nearly $700,000.
With all of the speed in this edition of the Oceanside Stakes, the race seems to set up for a closer and Bowies Hero fits the bill. He will be reunited with rider Tiago Pereira, who was aloft for the win in May. He has trained solidly for this race for trainer Phil D’Amato and should be able to reel them all in at crunch time.
Good luck.
