Jockeys Umberto Rispoli and Hector Berrios have at least several things in common.
One, they are formidable forces on the turf.
Two, they each won one of the opening day features with strong stretch rides in one-mile turf tests as Del Mar commenced its 85th season Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 22,284. Defending jockey champion Juan Hernandez finished second in both races after winning three races earlier.
But the biggest news of the day for bettors was a single winning ticket in the Pick Six worth $254,450.80. Although favorites won seven of the 11 races, two long shots in the Pick Six — Schwarzmeier ($68.40 in the eighth) and Atitian ($72.20 in the 11th) — eliminated all but one winning bet.
“We had a terrific opening day,” said Del Mar president and chief operating officer Josh Rubinstein. “The racing was superb. Overall, what a great start. great start. I’m proud of our team working around the clock to get the facility into incredible shape.”
The handle of $23.9 million was up 10 percent over a year ago.
As for Berrios and Rispoli, each won two turf races Saturday with Berrios also taking the finale with Atitian.
Berrios and Iscreamuscream held off Zona Verde in a stretch duel to win the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap. Two races earlier, Rispoli rallied Formidable Man from eighth to victory over the final quarter mile to pick up his second turf win of the day in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes.
Favorite Iscreamuscream trailed only briefly on the backstretch in the San Clemente, then out-finished Zona Verde and the charging Medoro in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.
“When she felt the other fillies, her speed kicked in,” Berrios said of Iscreamuscream.
Said trainer Phil D’Amato: “I thought she might be stalking, but she ended up on the lead and showed her class. I think she will take a step forward off this two-turn race.”
Early Saturday morning, Rispoli was seen walking the Del Mar track. The reconnaissance served him well: he moved Formidable Man five-wide on the far turn before pulling away down the stretch to a 1½-length win over Guy Named Joe. Favored King of Gosford was third entering the stretch but finished sixth in the field of 11.
It was Rispoli’s third win in the Oceanside Stakes.
“It went good today,” said Rispoli. “I’ve done well in this race before and things went well today. He broke well. We got squeezed a little after that, but not too bad. Then he went outside and he had room to run. It was all good after that.”
Trainer Michael McCarthy didn’t have the same confidence as the field entered the far turn.
“He was a little bit farther back than I thought he would be,” said McCarthy. “But he was rolling there in the last quarter mile. I wasn’t crazy with what went on in the first half mile. Obviously, he was excited.”
McCarthy said Formidable Man could be headed to the Del Mar Derby.
Day No. 2
Sunday’s 11-race card will feature two, $100,000 stakes races on the turf and the return of three-time trainer champion Richard Baltas to the entry box.
Baltas, who last fielded horses at Del Mar in 2021 will have morning-line favorite Ag Bullett in the Osunitas Stakes for older fillies and mares at one-mile on the turf.
Baltas, who had one starter on Saturday in a claiming race, shared the 2017 summer meeting trainer title with D’Amato then won back-to-back fall meeting titles in 2019 and 2020. Baltas, 63, hadn’t fielded a horse in California since May of 2022 when he returned to Santa Anita last December.
Baltas is excited to be back at Del Mar.
“Everybody gets excited here,” he said. “They’re all in a better mood. There are more fans, which is great for the sport. There’s great turf racing here. And it’s fun.”
Ag Bullet hasn’t raced since finishing ninth in a Grade II stakes race at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend. Before that race, the 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy had won four of her five previous starts with the last two under Rispoli, who will be aboard Sunday.
Joining Ag Bullet in the nine-filly Osunitas field are two other strong 4-year-olds — Bob Baffert’s Chilean import Richi (Hernandez) and the John Shirreffs’ trained Justique (Mike Smith), who won the 2022 Desi Arnaz Stakes during Del Mar’s fall meeting.
Smith will also be aboard First Peace, the morning-line favorite of the Wickerr, a one-mile test for older Cal-breds. It will be Smith’s 12th straight ride (three wins, five seconds, two thirds and a fourth so far) on the 4-year-old son of Funtastic. Antonio Fresu will ride expected second-favorite Almendares. The pair teams to place second in the graded Del Mar Derby last Sept. 3.
Newcomer jockey Reylu Gutierrez scored his first Del Mar win with the John Sadler-trained Schwarzmeier in a stretch duel with favorite Mirahmadi.
• Favorites won seven of the 11 races: 1. Atomic Drop (Antonio Fresu, $4.80); 2. Getaway Car (Hernandez, $4.60); 4. De’ Medici (Hernandez, $5.00); 5. In Theory (Hernandez, $7.40); 6. Cayucos (Kyle Frey, $3.20); 9. Formidable Man and 10. Thorne House (Tiago Pereira, $5.60).
• Trainer Mark Glatt had three wins Saturday (Atomic Drop, Tigerhon in the third and Thorne House). Baffert and McCarthy each had two winners apiece.
