THE west coast juveniles get a first shot at a Grade 1 this weekend at Del Mar. A full field of 14 fillies line up for the Del Mar Debutante Stakes.

The likely favourite Tamara could not have a better pedigree or connections – a daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of multiple champion Beholder, owned and bred by Spendthrift Farm, trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Mike Smith. She won her debut at Del Mar in August by two and a quarter lengths after stumbling at the start.

Cheap purchase Dreamfyre for little known trainer O.J. Jauregui is one of the favourites off her two wins from two.

The Michael W. McCarthy-trained Pushiness is the only other stakes race winner, also with a two-for-two record.

Earlier on the card, the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares over nine furlongs on turf has a field of five including the Irish-bred Muhaarar filly Paris Peacock. Now trained by Thomas Proctor she won a listed race and the Group 3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Stakes at Gowran last year for Jessica Harrington. In six starts in the US, she is yet to make the winner’s enclosure.

Sunday sees the juvenile colts take centre stage in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity with a field of seven.

Bob Baffert is attempting to win a 17th renewal and saddles two – Prince of Monaco and Mirahmadi, the two colts have similar ownership groups. Prince of Monaco scored an eight-length triumph in a five-furlong maiden race at Los Alamitos on July 9th. The son of Speightstown followed that with an over four-length victory in the six-furlong Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes.

Mirahmadi, a $1,050,000 son of Into Mischief was stakes-placed on his racing debut, but is still a maiden after three starts.

Kentucky Downs

At Kentucky Downs some of the best US turf runners contest the Great FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes with a $1.7 million purse and an all-expenses-paid ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The field of 12 contains four Grade 1 winners, including Santin (2022 Turf Classic and Arlington Million) and 2023 winners Therapist (United Nations Stakes) and Never Explain (Man o’ War Stakes).

Red Knight won this Turf Cup last year when edging Gufo by a short nose and returned to the winner’s circle in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream.

This is a tricky track to come late and like Therapist, he does his best running from off the pace.

He was third to his stablemate last time out in the United Nations.

Santin lost his way after his good form last year but looked to be coming back to his best when just failing to Set Piece’s late run in the Million again last month and might take this.