Solana Beach Preview: Quick Cordiality Could Carousel Them Again

DEL MAR, CA – Trainer Tim Yakteen’s quick-footed mare Cordiality could very well take the field on another carousel ride in Saturday’s $125,000 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar.

The Solana Beach is a 1-mile turf route restricted to California-bred or sired fillies and mares. This year’s edition is the ninth event on an 11-race card with a local post time of 6:00 PM Pacific.

Here is a look at the full field for the race:

1. Sedamar 5/1 – She’s been nothing if not consistent on California turf, putting together a 12-4-3-4 record that includes earning her first black type placing in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes 2 starts back. Her first off-the-board turf effort came last time out in the Osunitas Stakes over this course and distance, but she was still a game fourth and should contend again here.

2. Cordiality 3/1 – The speedy veteran took the field on a merry-go-round chase over this course and distance last time out in the Osunitas and seems to have a similar pace advantage, at least on paper. She really seems to love Del Mar: she won the 2018 edition of this race, carries a 6-3-2-0 record over the local lawn, and has worked fowardly since her Osunitas score.

3. Big Sweep 5/1 – She has done little wrong so far in her career, winning 3 of 4 starts including the Echo Eddie Stakes (against the boys) and the Fleet Treat Stakes over the local dirt last time out. She picked a rather salty spot to make her turf debut, however, and her lone prior routing attempt in the Melair Stakes resulted in her only loss to date.

4. Mucho Unusual 8/5 – She takes a considerable class drop after running well against several of the nation’s top turf distaffers at the graded stakes level in her past 8 starts. She put together a very respectable 8-1-1-3 record during that span, and the referenced victory came over this course and distance in the 2019 San Clemente Stakes (G2).

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5. Pulpit Rider 6/1 – She missed crossing the wire first by juts a neck in last year’s edition, though she was disqualified and placed sixth for interference in the stretch. Off for 10 months, she was fourth in June’s Fran’s Valentine before finishing third against open optional claimers over this course and distance last month.

6. Smiling Shirlee 12/1 – The second sophomore in the field has some turf experience, though she finished off the board in both attempts, which came at the beginning of 2020. She has a 3-1-2-0 record in dirt routes, so the distance should not be a question, but she will need to show that she can handle this surface before bettors give her too much consideration.

7. Kitty Boom Boom 12/1 – She won 2 of her first 3 starts on turf (all routing), including last year’s 1-mile Campanile Stakes against California-bred sophomores at Golden Gate Fields. She has only made 2 starts since and has been away since February, but few trainers have horses fire off the bench better than Richard Baltas (36% strike rate after similar layoffs).