John C. Mabee Stakes 2020: Entries & Odds at Del Mar

The 63rd edition of the John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, September 5 has drawn a field of eight older fillies and mares headed by a pair of on-the-rise 4-year-olds in Raymundos Secret and Lady Prancealot.

The Grade II race with its $150,000 purse goes as the 10th of 11 on a card that will have an early starting time of 1 p.m.

Raymundos Secret, a Florida-bred by a British stallion named Treasure Beach, comes into the mile and one-eighth Mabee off a photo-finish tally in a one-mile allowance race at Del Mar on August 14. That was the first start by the Phil D'Amato-trained bay since October 26 of last year, so it surely should serve as a good tightener.

It was also the filly's fourth win in six lifetime starts, all on the green. She races for the partnership of Sierra Racing or Sterling Stables.

Lady Prancealot, who does her running out of the barn of trainer Richard Baltas, comes into the Mabee off a series of stakes tries against some of the better grass fillies and mares on the west coast. The Irish-bred by Sir Prancealot most recently finished fourth - beaten less than two lengths despite trouble along the way - in the Grade II Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar on August 8.

Last year she won the Grade III Valley View at Keeneland and the Grade I American Oaks at Santa Anita and sports a bankroll of $574,841. She's owned by McClanahan, Iavarone or Parkland Thoroughbreds.

Interestingly, though not surprisingly, the top two riders at the session - Umberto Rispoli and Flavien Prat - ride the top two fillies in the feature. Rispoli will get a leg up on Lady Prancealot, while Prat goes aboard Raymundos Secret.

Pulpit Rider comes into the Mabee off a photo-finish score in the Solana Beach Stakes for California-breds going a mile on the grass at Del Mar on August 15. The 5-year-old mare by the late Lucky Pulpit has won six races and more than $460,000 in purses.

Zee Drop, a 4-year-old chestnut by Lemon Drop Kid, steps into stakes competition for the first time. She's won three of her eight lifetime outings, including a victory on the green at Del Mar last September.

A field of eight was entered for the Grade II, $150,000 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Clubon Saturday, September 5.

The 1 1/8-mile test for older fillies and mares on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, won the past two years by standout Vasilika, will be run for the 63rd time overall and the 18th time since being renamed for one of the founding fathers of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Seven race nominees were put through final exercises when the turf course opened at 9:45 this morning with some trainers waiting to make entry decisions until after the workouts.

Trainer Phil D'Amato, who conditioned Red King for an upset of United in the Del Mar Handicap on the grass eight days ago, observed as Raymundos Secret worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.60 and declared the Florida-bred, 4-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach ready for the race.

"She had a nice strong gallop out and it's all good," D'Amato said.

Raymundos Secret has four wins in six lifetime starts and is fresh off a victory in an allowance race here on August 14 that ended a nearly 10-month hiatus from racing.

"She might have come back earlier in a pre-Covid environment," D'Amato said. "There was nothing wrong physically, we just gave her that extra time. She came back in really good order and I think it was a really good prep for her. So we're taking a shot in the stakes."

A year ago, Raymundos Secret was tried at the 1 1/8-mile distance in a stakes here - the Grade I John C. Mabee Stakes. She set the pace for the first mile but was overwhelmed by late runners in the final eighth and finished eighth of 13.

"She's grown up since then and seems like a much kinder filly to rate now," D'Amato said. "I'm hoping that with her being more mature, and showing she can relax, that will help her finish better."

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