Lush Lips Might Kiss Them Goodbye in Aggressive Del Mar Oaks

The $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks introduced by Keeneland Gross sales drew a incredible full discipline of 3-year-old fillies set to contest the 1 1/8-mile turf race on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Del Mar.

Thought Course of checks all of the containers as a winner of 5 of seven profession races, with three wins from 4 begins on the Del Mar turf course, together with a powerful 1 ¾-length win in her most up-to-date begin within the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap July 19 at Del Mar. Casalu, a $775,000 buy as a 2-year-old, has a pair of good stakes wins on the Santa Anita turf course this yr and has but to complete worse than fourth from 9 profession begins. Lush Lips seems to be properly positioned right here and ending with two wins and two seconds in her 4 begins this yr.  Will Then was in peak kind late final yr into early 2025, profitable three straight together with the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar by 2 ¼ lengths over Casalu. She gained the China Doll Stakes in March at Santa Anita, the place she earned a career-best 100 Equibase Velocity Determine. Take A Breath might be making her first begin in North America coming off back-to-back wins in Nice Britain. She switches to the barn of coach Mark Glatt and jockey Hector Berrios will get off Thought Course of to take the mount. Velocity has proven constant enchancment in each begin, profitable an allowance final time going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Del Mar following a fourth-place end within the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in a downhill turf dash at Santa Anita. Slick owns one win final December at Santa Anita. Firenze Taste gained by a nostril at this 1 1/8-mile distance on the turf within the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita in Might. Resolve, Miso Phansy, and Fringe of Mali spherical out the sector.

Evaluation and predominant contenders:

Lush Lips ships in from Kentucky for coach Brendan Walsh coming off a 3 ¾-length victory within the Tepin Stakes final day trip, incomes a career-best 107 Equibase Velocity Determine, the very best pace determine of any horse entered within the Del Mar Oaks. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione might be aboard on Saturday and has been in high kind since coming back from an damage final month. Gaffalione doesn’t journey to Del Mar typically however was profitable when making this precise transfer in 2022 when he gained the Del Mar Oaks aboard Spendarella for coach Graham Movement. Lush Lips broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park by seven lengths in her fourth profession begin final November with the addition of blinkers in her first outing for Walsh. She then got here proper again to win a Gulfstream allowance in January earlier than ending second to Nitrogen, arguably one of the best 3-year-old turf filly within the nation, in each the Grade 3 Florida Oaks and the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes introduced by Accenture. Following the Edgewood, Lush Lips dominated the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs in late June. She’s on the high of her recreation and Walsh is transport in to win.

Thought Course of has just about finished nothing flawed in her profession, taking 5 journeys to the winner’s circle from seven profession begins. Her solely two losses have been in her profession debut on the filth and a ninth-place end within the 2024 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf the place she led the sector for 7 ½ furlongs earlier than being swallowed up by closely favored Lake Victoria within the ultimate sixteenth of mile. She returned from a virtually eight-month layoff following the Breeders’ Cup to win by 5 ¾ lengths with a 105 Equibase Velocity Determine in an allowance race going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita in June. Final day trip, she gained the San Clemente Handicap beating Casalu, Will Then, Firenze Taste, and Miso Phansy to enhance her profession file to 3-for-4 on the Del Mar turf. She is ranked first on this discipline by common pace determine (96) and had a pleasant bullet exercise on Aug. 10 going 5 furlongs on the turf in 1:00.20 in preparation for the Del Mar Oaks.

Casalu is an ultra-consistent filly, by no means ending worse than fourth in 9 profession begins for coach Bob Baffert. She broke her maiden in her profession debut by 5 ½ lengths at Del Mar final July earlier than ending third within the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes, fourth within the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf behind Thought Course of, and second behind Thought Course of once more within the Grade 3 Surfer Woman Stakes at Santa Anita. She turned issues round this yr with back-to-back turf stakes wins at Santa Anita with 100 and 95 Equibase Velocity Figures in these wins. Final day trip, she completed second to Thought Course of within the San Clemente. This filly has run in 4 graded stakes races in her profession and has completed within the cash in all 4.

The remainder of the sector (with finest Equibase Velocity Figures in comparable races): Fringe of Mali (92), Firenze Taste (102), Miso Phansy (93), Resolve (102), Slick (85), Striver (82), Take A Breath (102), Will Then (100), and Velocity (95).

Win Contenders In Choice Order:

Lush Lips

Thought Course of

Casalu