2016 Bing Crosby Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes will take place this Sunday, July 31 at Del Mar Race Course in Del Mar, California. Horses three years old and upward will take to Del Mar's dirt track and race six furlongs searching for the winner's share of the $300,000 purse.

A field of nine will give it a go in the Bing Crosby Stakes - race 8 on Del Mar's Sunday schedule. Post time is 5:40 PM. Here is a glance into the past performances of all nine combatants for this intriguing Grade 1 stakes - a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the $1.5 million Twin Spires Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 5 at Santa Anita.

2016 Bing Crosby Stakes Race Preview at Del Mar Race Course

Lord Nelson 2-1 - Bob Baffert trained colt has five wins, a second and a third place finish in 11 career starts including wins in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes over Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red February 1, 2015, the minor Speakeasy Stakes by an impressive 6 3/4 lengths October 13, 2014 and an Allowance Optional Claiming with a career best 99 Beyer Speed Figure June 3 of this year and in terrific fashion in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita last time out. Before his latest win streak was a third behind the terrific Run Happy in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes December 26, a fourth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs last May and a second in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes in April. Lord Nelson has looked great lately and will try to build on a nice two race win streak from gate 8 Sunday. Flavien Prat has the mount on the morning line favorite.

Subtle Indian 5-2 - impressive Robertino Diodoro trained gelding has seven wins and two second place finishes in 11 career starts. He arrives in very good form - a second behind Lord Nelson last time out in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita June 25 followed another second in the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes May 21 followed and a four race wins streak - over Alsvid in gate-to-wire fashion by 3 3/4 lengths with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park April 10, the minor Hot Springs Stakes on that track in March and two Allowance Optional Claiming scores to start the year. He has been a factor in every race this year and will try to keep an impressive run going from gate 2 Sunday. Mike Smith gets the call on the second betting choice.

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Alsvid 5-1 - Chris Hartman trained gelding has 43 career starts with 15 wins, 11 seconds and seven third place finishes. He has been terrific the last eight months placing in nine straight races ahead of this weekend. Last time out was a win in the minor Kelly's Landing Stakes July 2 after another win in the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes (for the second year in a row) June 4 - both at Churchill Downs. Before that were consecutive seconds - in the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprit May 6 and the Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap in April (both at Oaklawn Park) and consecutive thirds to start his year. Alsvid has been competitive as they come lately and will try to keen an impressive roll going from the outside post 9 Sunday. Chris Landeros will be in the reins of this intriguing third betting choice.

Dream Saturday 6-1 - Jerry Hollendorfer trainee raced in stakes company for the first time last April, 2015 and finished a respectable third in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and has just four starts since - a second last time out in the minor Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows July 2 followed a seventh in the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita in May, a tenth in the minor Alydar at Saratoga last August and a sixth in the minor Donald LeVine Memorial last June. He looks for his first win since an Allowance score in February, 2015 but has failed to place in three of his last four starts ahead of this weekend. Martin Garcia has been tabbed with snapping a bit of a funk from post 3 Sunday.

Home Run Kitten 8-1 - 2014 Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes winner, David Hofmans pupil has five wins, two seconds and five third place finishes in 20 career starts. He finished third in three straight graded stakes races early last year but failed to hit the board in his next three starts. Three starts back was a huge bounce back however - a win in the Grade 3 American Stakes here May 6 - a result that was followed by a very disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 4 and a fourth last time out in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes June 25 also at Santa Anita. Home Run Kitten has placed in just one of his last six starts overall and although that result was a good one he arrives in less-than-spectacular form. Joe Talamo has been tabbed to change his fortunes around from post 7 Sunday.

Indexical 10-1 - finished fourth in this race in 2014 for trainer Ben Cecil and has been OK since. Last time out was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita July 8 which followed eleven months away from the track, a third in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes on this track last August and an Allowance Optional Claiming score here in July, 2015. He has placed in just two of six graded stakes tries (both thirds) and hopes for a major breakthough Saturday. Indexical has three wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 17 career starts and will have Santiago Gonzalez guiding him from gate 4.

Justin Squared 15-1 - lightly raced Bob Baffert trained colt has three wins in four career starts. His wins came in his first three career starts - the best of which coming in the minor Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico may 21. Last time out was an unsuccessful step up into graded stakes company when he finished eleventh in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park June 11. Justin Squared looks to shrug off an uncharacteristic performance and gain his first graded stakes score from the rail. Martin Pedroza rides.

Kaabraaj 20-1 - has placed in 11 of 14 career starts for trainer Jeffrey Metz - all in the Pacific Northwest. He enters off an eighth in the minor Budweiser Stakes June 19 and a third in the minor Governor's Stakes May 22 - both at Emerald Downs. They followed an Allowance score on that track April 23 and a second in a similar race April 10 also at Emerald Downs. Kaabraaj steps into graded stakes company in so-so form and will have Edwin Maldonado aboard from post 5.

Bluegrass Bronco 20-1 - David Hofmans trained gelding has just two wins in eight career starts. He makes his stakes debut having failed to place in his last five starts overall - a sixth, consecutive fourths, a DNF and a tenth respectively in Allowance Optional Claiming races at Santa Anita. Not a whole lot is expected of Bluegrass Bronco when he leaves from gate 6 with Giuseppe Ercegovic guiding him.

2016 Bing Crosby Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Del Mar's Sunday card with a Post Time of 8:40 PM.