There are two $100,000 stakes at Del Mar on Monday, but the star of the holiday matinee may be Full Serrano, who runs in an allowance race at a mile.
Full Serrano has not raced since he won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at 13-1 at Del Mar last November. He sustained an injury last December that ended hopes of a start later that month in the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at Santa Anita, as well as a trip to the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Full Serrano, trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, resumed workouts in early July.
“He’s coming back, and he looks like the same horse,” Sadler said Friday. “This is where we want to be.”
Sadler entered Full Serrano in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf, but said he did not plan to start the 6-year-old Argentine-bred horse in that race. An appearance in Monday’s allowance, the second race on an 11-race card, may serve as a prep race for the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita.
If Full Serrano performs well Monday and in the Goodwood, Sadler said a decision will be looming whether to target the BC Dirt Mile or the BC Classic at 1 1/4 miles. Last year, Full Serrano was second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar in his American stakes debut.
The BC Classic was eliminated from consideration last fall after Full Serrano developed an illness and missed vital training time.
“The clock ran out on me getting him ready for the big one,” Sadler said.
On Monday, Full Serrano will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez and starts from the outside in a field of six.
Full Serrano is not the only major stakes winner in the field. Two Rivers Over, winner of the Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile in Dubai in April 2024, returns from an 11-month layoff following a seventh-place finish in the California Crown last September. Trainer Doug O’Neill said in late August that Two Rivers Over was sidelined by body soreness and an eye infection late last year before resuming workouts in late June.
Sadler and O’Neill have other runners in the field. Sadler and Hronis start Packs a Wahlop, a two-time stakes winner on turf in 2022 who was second by a head in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita in May. O’Neill runs Ghazaaly, who was eighth of nine in a $40,000 claiming race on turf Aug. 22.
The Northern California stakes winner Il Bellator (2022 California Derby) and American Admiral (2024 Mt. Diablo Stakes) also are entered.
Strong Tranquility Lake field
The 2024 graded stakes winners Nothing Like You, One Magic Philly, and Sugar Fish are among eight fillies and mares in an intriguing running of the $100,000 Tranquility Lake Stakes at a mile.
Sugar Fish, winner of the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita last September, was later fifth in the BC Distaff at Del Mar last November. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Sugar Fish has not raced since she finished third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita last December.
Nothing Like You was fourth in the 2024 Zenyatta Stakes in her final start last year, and she finished a well-beaten fifth in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 2 at Del Mar in her first start of 2025. Nothing Like You is trained by Bob Baffert, who also runs Ooty and Splendora in the Tranquility Lake, which is restricted to fillies and mares that have not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more, other than statebred races, at a mile or longer since Feb. 1.
Splendora and Ooty were first and second in a six-furlong allowance race on July 25.
The Tranquility Lake Stakes will be the longest career race for One Magic Philly, who was a well-beaten fifth in a strong running of the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on July 5 at Los Alamitos.
Liberation looks to rebound
Jasmina, the promoted winner of the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes for fillies on Aug. 3, and What’s a Good Name, second against males in the Graduation Stakes on Aug. 8, return in Monday’s $100,000 Generous Portion Stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs. They must beat the Sadler-trained Liberation, who stumbled early in the CTBA Stakes and raced wide, eventually finishing fourth, promoted to third, as the 1-2 favorite.
“I expect a big bounce-back effort,” Sadler said. “Things didn’t go her way.”
The field for the Generous Portion does not include My Love Caroline, who was demoted from first to fourth in the CTBA Stakes for causing interference. Trainer Jorge Periban said on Friday that My Love Caroline recently sustained a bruised foot in a stall accident but that she will race later this year.
Sadler also starts Mohaven, an attractive maiden race winner on Aug. 10.
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