An important weekend of racing at Del Mar takes place seven days after the Travers Stakes this Saturday. A key trial for the Breeders’ Cup Turf comes in the form of the G2 Del Mar Handicap, which will be contested in California over a distance of 1 3/8 miles this weekend.
Before Betting On Del Mar Handicap
The Del Mar Handicap will be one of the key trials with the Breeders’ Cup in mind this weekend, with horses aged three and older competing on the turf over a distance of 1 3/8 miles. This race has been dominated by trainer Phillip D’Amato in recent years, with the trainer landing eight victories since 2014. That includes wins in each of the last two editions with Gold Phoenix.
The six-year-old will be looking to make history by becoming the first runner to win three editions of the Del Mar Handicap on Saturday, and he comes into the race in excellent recent form. Gold Phoenix landed the G2 Charles Whittingham Stakes earlier in the year, before coming up short only seventh in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes. He could be vulnerable against progressive rivals this weekend.
D’Amato is also represented by Rockemperor this weekend. The eight-year-old is another runner who could be vulnerable against more progressive rivals, but huge confidence could have been taken from his second in the G3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita in June.
El Encinal is one of the more unknown rivals in the race this weekend. The Argentinean-trained runner is a multiple-time graded winner in his home country, including when landing the G1 Carlos Pellegrini in December. However, he has been off the track for an extended period of time, which is a notable concern this weekend.
Del Mar Handicap Odds & Picks
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Balnikhov | TBA |
| Dicey Mo Chara | TBA |
| Balladeer | TBA |
| There Goes Havard | TBA |
| Rockemperor | TBA |
| Master Piece | TBA |
| Gold Phoenix | TBA |
| El Encinal | TBA |
This looks like a trappy race in prospect on Saturday, but D’Amato could once again hold the key. We are fairly keen on the chances of Irish-bred five-year-old Balnikhov. He was third in the G2 Eddie Read on his previous star, but he has plenty of previous graded form in the book, which includes a win in the G3 Dinner Party Stakes earlier this season.
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