Don’t Say Halo, Eight Others to Run in Del Mar Derby Today

Don’t Say Halo tops a competitive field of nine, including seven stakes winners, for today’s $138,550 Del Mar Derby for 3-year-olds.

The nine-furlong turf test carries an $82,300 winner’s purse and another $25,000 in Breeder’s Cup awards.

Don’t Say Halo, winner of the Spotlight Stakes and Cinema Handicap earlier this year at Hollywood Park, will carry high weight of 121 pounds, including jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. The son of Halo will break from the outside.

Expected to be Don’t Say Halo’s main obstacle will be the lightly raced Padua, who has never been out of the money in five starts. Padua, winner of the Swaps Stakes last month, will be ridden by Pat Valenzuela and break from post position two. He will carry 119 pounds.

The field, in post position order, for the Del Mar Derby (including weight and jockey assigned):

Floating Reserve, 119, Chris McCarron; Padua, 119, Valenzuela; Pretensor, 116, Marco Castaneda; Varick, 120, Ed Delahoussaye; Catane, 111, Rafael Meza; Derby Dawning, 118, Sandy Hawley; First Norman, 117, Gary Stevens; Kingsbury, 114, Fernando Toro; and Don’t Say Halo, 121, Pincay.

Mint Leaf, ridden by Chris McCarron, rallied in the final furlong and won Saturday’s $56,150 San Clemente Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over Queen of Bronze. Mint Leaf ran 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:42 3/5 and paid $14 to win.