DEL MAR LEADERS
Final standings
JOCKEYS / WINS
Juan Hernandez / 21
Flavien Prat / 19
Antonio Fresu / 11
Edwin Maldonado / 7
Three tied / 6
TRAINERS / WINS
Philip D’Amato / 14
Bob Baffert / 8
Peter Miller / 8
Doug O’Neill / 7
Three tied / 5
WEEKEND STAKES (LOS ALAMITOS)
Saturday
• $200,000 Grade II Starlet, 2-year-old fillies, 1-1/16 miles
Sunday
• $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes, 2-year-old fillies bred or sired in California, 1 mile
DOWN THE STRETCH
• Edwin Maldonado, Junior Alvarado, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux and Rodney Prescott have been selected as finalists for the 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, which has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950. The Woolf Award, one of the most prestigious awards in American racing, is determined by a vote of riders nationwide and can only be won once. The 75th Woolf Award winner will be announced in February and a winner’s circle ceremony honoring the winner will be held at a later date at Santa Anita.
• Six 2-year-old fillies were entered for Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Starlet at Los Alamitos. Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the race the past six years, has entered two fillies – Nothing Like You and Grazia. Nothing Like You will be seeking her third consecutive victory and will have Juan Hernandez aboard. Grazia, a 3¼-lengths winner in her debut at Del Mar on Nov. 12, will be ridden by Flavien Prat. The Starlet will be held at Los Alamitos for the 10th time after being known as the Hollywood Starlet when run at Hollywood Park (1981-2013).
• Del Mar, which continued to offer safe racing during its 13-day Bing Crosby fall meet, announced that total wagering for the meet was $153.50 million compared to $162.03 million in 2022. Handle averaged $11.81 million per day, a decrease of 7% from last fall’s record wagering. Del Mar’s 2024 summer meet will begin Saturday, July 20 and run through Sunday, Sept. 8. The seaside track will host the Breeders’ Cup in consecutive years for the first time next November and in 2025.
— Art Wilson
