The $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks presented by Keeneland Sales attracted a remarkable ensemble of 3-year-old fillies poised to compete in the 1 1/8-mile turf contest on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Del Mar.
Mindset Shift demonstrates a compelling profile, having secured victory in five of her seven lifetime starts, including three triumphs in four appearances on the Del Mar turf, highlighted by an impressive 1 ¾-length victory in her most recent outing in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap on July 19 at Del Mar. Alpine Dream, a $775,000 acquisition as a 2-year-old, boasts a pair of commendable stakes victories on the Santa Anita turf course this year and has consistently finished within the top four in her nine career starts. Pouting Petals appears favorably positioned in this race, having achieved two wins and two runner-up finishes in her four starts this year. Subsequently displayed exceptional form from late last year into early 2025, securing three consecutive victories, including the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar by 2 ¼ lengths over Alpine Dream. She prevailed in the China Doll Stakes in March at Santa Anita, where she achieved a career-best 100 Equibase Speed Figure. Seize The Moment will be making her debut in North America following consecutive wins in Great Britain. She transitions to the stable of trainer Mark Glatt, and jockey Hector Berrios opts to ride her instead of Mindset Shift. Speeding Comet has exhibited consistent progression in each start, claiming an allowance victory last time out over 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Del Mar, subsequent to a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in a downhill turf sprint at Santa Anita. Refined has a lone win last December at Santa Anita. Tuscan Taste prevailed by a narrow margin at this 1 1/8-mile distance on the turf in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita in May. Determination, Soup Enthusiasm, and Rim of Canyon complete the lineup.
Assessment and leading candidates:
Pouting Petals arrives from Kentucky under the guidance of trainer Brendan Walsh, following a 3 ¾-length victory in the Tepin Stakes in her most recent race, earning a career-best 107 Equibase Speed Figure, the highest speed figure among all horses entered in the Del Mar Oaks. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will be in the saddle on Saturday and has been in excellent form since his return from an injury last month. Gaffalione does not frequently travel to Del Mar, but he achieved success when undertaking this exact journey in 2022, winning the Del Mar Oaks aboard Spendarella for trainer Graham Motion. Pouting Petals broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park by seven lengths in her fourth career start last November with the addition of blinkers in her first start for Walsh. She then immediately followed up with a Gulfstream allowance victory in January before finishing second to Nitrogen, arguably the premier 3-year-old turf filly in the nation, in both the Grade 3 Florida Oaks and the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes presented by Accenture. Following the Edgewood, Pouting Petals dominated the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs in late June. She is currently performing at her peak, and Walsh is traveling to win.
Mindset Shift has consistently performed admirably throughout her career, securing five visits to the winner’s circle in seven career starts. Her only two defeats occurred in her career debut on the dirt and a ninth-place finish in the 2024 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where she led the field for 7 ½ furlongs before being overtaken by heavily favored Lake Victoria in the final sixteenth of a mile. She returned from a nearly eight-month hiatus following the Breeders’ Cup to win by 5 ¾ lengths with a 105 Equibase Speed Figure in an allowance race over a mile on the turf at Santa Anita in June. In her most recent start, she emerged victorious in the San Clemente Handicap, defeating Alpine Dream, Subsequently, Tuscan Taste, and Soup Enthusiasm, improving her career record to 3-for-4 on the Del Mar turf. She holds the highest ranking in this field based on average speed figure (96) and demonstrated a strong workout on Aug. 10, covering five furlongs on the turf in 1:00.20 in preparation for the Del Mar Oaks.
Alpine Dream is an exceptionally consistent filly, never finishing outside the top four in nine career starts for trainer Bob Baffert. She broke her maiden in her career debut by 5 ½ lengths at Del Mar last July before finishing third in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes, fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf behind Mindset Shift, and second behind Mindset Shift again in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita. She reversed her fortunes this year with consecutive turf stakes victories at Santa Anita, achieving Equibase Speed Figures of 100 and 95 in those wins. In her most recent race, she finished second to Mindset Shift in the San Clemente. This filly has participated in four graded stakes races throughout her career and has consistently finished in the money in all four.
The remaining contenders (with best Equibase Speed Figures in comparable races): Rim of Canyon (92), Tuscan Taste (102), Soup Enthusiasm (93), Determination (102), Refined (85), Striver (82), Seize The Moment (102), Subsequently (100), and Speeding Comet (95).
Potential Winners In Preferred Order:
Pouting Petals
Mindset Shift
Alpine Dream
