Grade 2 John C. Mabee Draws Field of Eight

Category :: News

The Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes is the featured race Saturday, August 8 at Del Mar with a field of eight fillies and mares set to go 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

The Ontario-bred Fanticola is the 5/2 morning line favorite for trainer Philip D’Amato after capturing the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes June 27 at Santa Anita in her last start. The five year-old daughter of Silent Name has finished in the money in each of her last seven starts, including consecutive second-place efforts in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara and Grade 1 Gamely Stakes before breaking through in the Royal Heroine. Jockey, Joe Talamo, retains the mount breaking from post 3.

Queen of the Sand to battle Fanticola again

7/2 second choice, Queen of the Sand, will try to turn the tables on Fanticola after finishing eighth in the Gamely and second in the Royal Heroine. Prior to those efforts, the Patrick Gallagher trainee got the better of Fanticola while winning the Grade 3 Santa Barbara. Queen of the Sand, a five year-old daughter of Footstepsinthesand, has won 8 of 25 career starts for earnings of $384,170. Drayden Van Dyke will be aboard breaking from post 7.

Grade 1 winner available at huge price

Personal Diary (15/1), has won just 2 of 15 career starts, but is an intriguing longshot getting back to west coast racing where the four year-old daughter of City Zip has done her best working, including a Grade 1 victory in the Del Mar Oaks last August. Brice Blanc will be aboard breaking from post 5.