2016 Del Mar Mile Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap is on tap for this Sunday, April 21 from Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California. Horses three years old and upward will give it a go when they arrive on Del Mar's turf track and race one mile for the winner's portion of the $200,000 purse.

A short field of just five will line up in the Del Mar Mile - race 4 on Del Mar's Sunday schedule. Post time is 3:40 PM. Here is a glance into the past performances of all five combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Del Mar Mile Handicap Race Preview at Del Mar Race Track

Midnight Storm 4-5 - won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in August, 2014 for trainer Phil D'Amato and had a second in the 2015 Shoemaker and has caught fire again in his last two starts overall. Last time was a nice win in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes on this track July 17 after a terrific win in the 2016 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 4. Before his most recent wins was a seventh in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Classic at Churchill Downs May 7, a fourth in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March and a nice win in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar November 27. Midnight Storm now has seven wins and three seconds in 17 career starts and off two straight graded stakes wins should be in the conversation Sunday. He has won four of five career starts on this track and will try to make it five in six from gate 2 with Rafael Bejarano guiding the morning line favorite.

Om 7-2 - has 12 career starts for trainer Dan Hendricks with five wins, a second and three third place finishes. He was last seen way back on March 12 finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita after he had placed in eight prior races including a third in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes here February 13, a nice win in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile December 26, another third as favorite in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby here November 28 and two good wins - the Grade 2 Twilight Derby October 24 and in gate-to-wire fashion in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby September 6. Before that was a second as favorite in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap August 9, a third in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Affirmed and a dominating 2 1/4 length Allowance Optional Claiming score at Santa Anita in May. Om is one of two horses to ever beat American Pharoah - by 7 1/4 lengths back last August and has been decent in the lead-up to this race. He tries to bounce back off an uncharacteristic outing Sunday in his first race in five months - from the rail with Gary Stevens aboard the second betting choice./p>

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Ambitious Brew 5-1 - Martin Jones trained gelding was second in the 2014 Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes and followed that with a seventh in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint that year. He has been decent since - a second in the minor California Dreamin' Stakes on this track July 24 followed a sixth in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Santa Anita June 25, a win in the minor Lennyfromalibu Stakes at Santa Anita May 28, a sixth in the minor California Flag Stakes on that track in October and a nice win in the minor EB Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos in September. He chases his first graded stake score Sunday having placed in three of his last five starts - OK form. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 5.

Ohio 5-1 - Brazilian bred Paulo Lobo trainee has six win and two seconds in 11 career starts - four wins and two seconds in seven starts at home including three of his last four there. He debuted in North America in March and won an Allowance Optional Claiming and went on to a sixth in the Grade 3 American Stakes in May and another Allowance Optional Claiming score June 12 - all three at Santa Anita. Last time out was an eighth in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes on this track July 17. Ohio has been good against lesser company in his career but has struggled in stakes company. He hopes to change all of that Sunday from post 3 with Brice Blanc in the irons.

Little Curlin 6-1 - Jerry Hollendorfer trainee has three wins, two seconds and five third place finishes in 15 career starts and enters in decent form - having placed in his last four starts overall. He enters on the heels of consecutive thirds - the minor Wickerr Stakes on this track July 16 and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita June 16, a good second in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita in May and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track in March. Little Curlin has been good lately and will try for his first stakes win from gate 4 Sunday. Santiago Gonzalez gets the call.

2016 Del Mar Mile Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 4 on Del Mar's Sunday card with a Post Time of 6:40 PM.