Del Mar Preview | Jimmy Durante Stakes 2023

The juvenile fillies take center stage in the G3 Jimmy Durante, the second portion of the stakes feast at Del Mar Saturday. The Jimmy Durante is sandwiched between the $100,000 Stormy Liberal turf sprint and the G1 Hollywood Derby as the Turf Festival continues at the seaside oval.

The G3 Jimmy Durante is Race 5 on the nine-race Saturday card. It’s named after the popular comedian and actor who was a Del Mar regular. He’s the same guy whose name you see when you drive to the track on “Jimmy Durante Boulevard” and the Del Mar turf course is named after him, too. Approximate post time for the stakes is 2:30 p.m.

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Eleven fillies are expected to line up for the Jimmy Durante, a one-mile test on the turf. Trainer Chad Brown brings in the morning line favorite.

Lady de Berry broke her maiden last out at Keeneland. It was her first time on the turf and her first time going two turns.

“Her only start on the turf was very, very good,” Brown says. “She ran like she’s a stakes quality 2-year-old filly and it seemed like a good spot for her.”

Go With Gusto looks like the main threat. She was runner-up against the boys in the $150,000 Qatar Gold Mile at Santa Anita on the Friday Breeders’ Cup undercard.

The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro is still looking for her first win. She broke her maiden in her debut but was disqualified. Instead of staying with maidens, trainer Mark Casse took a swing at the G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and she finished third.

Impressed with her race, Casse brought her out with his Breeders’ Cup string and she didn’t disappoint.

“I thought she kind of had a bit of a rough trip,” assistant trainer Shane Tripp says of her race in the Gold Mile. “Kind of got stopped there a couple of times. We thought she’d probably win so I think this will be a good time to give her a shot to win the money. She’s young and I think they get better with racing. The distance will suit her.”

All of Go With Gusto’s starts have been a mile on the turf.

Mo Fox Givin finished just a neck behind Go With Gusto in the Gold Mile. The daughter of Mo Town has done her share of traveling. She broke her maiden at Colonial Downs in August, ran second in a non-winners of two lifetime allowance race at Churchill Downs in September before her run in the Gold Mile at Santa Anita.

“She was a bit too sharp,” trainer Leonard Powell says. “She went a bit too fast early. But she was very courageous to run third. I think she’ll relax a little more Saturday and we’re going to ride her a little more conservatively.”

This will be Mo Fox Givin’s fourth different racetrack in four career starts but Powell doesn’t think it will be a factor.

“She’s a very classy filly,” he notes. “She handles everything with class.”

Del Mar’s leading trainer, Phil D’Amato, will bring two fillies to the dance. Circle of Trust broke her maiden last out up at Santa Anita, but was disqualified for a bumping incident in the lane.

“She had a breakthrough performance going long last time,” D’Amato says. “We were able to get Joel Rosario on her. You can’t go wrong there.”

His other filly, Ms Brightside, is new to the barn.

“I’ve never run her but I was very impressed with her maiden victory overseas,” D’Amato says.” She’s had some really nice, spiffy works here in the morning and I think drew a good post for her so she can save all the ground on the rail and come with a good run.”