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2025 Del Mar Futurity

Flavien Prat celebrates aboard Brant after winning the 2025 Del Mar Futurity

Del Mar's summer meeting ended on Sunday with the traditional closing day feature, the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds sprinting 7 furlongs on the main track. Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens said, "If you look at it from a 30,000-feet view, I thought it was a strong meet. I feel like we ran a lot of compelling races on the high levels. I think you need some balance and if you look at our allowance races, they filled consistently and field size in our claiming races was way up. The fact that we seemed to draw at least one shipper for just about every stakes race on the weekends, and obviously the Pacific Classic was one of our most compelling runnings in years." Racing returns to Del Mar for the track's fall Bing Crosby meet running from October 30 to November 30, including the Breeders' Cup World Championships on October 31-November 1. Jerkens added, "The fall meet is a short meet consisting of a lot of stakes races especially at the end of the meet. I feel the fall meet is predicated so much on the reliance of weather cooperating and where we are on the schedule, which is an advantage for us given the lack of other opportunities in that particular time frame in November."

Brant draws away in the stretch

Conditions were excellent at the seaside oval with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70's. Brant was sent off as the prohibitive 1-10 favorite in the field of 6 off his debut win by 5 1/4 lengths on July 26. In to challenge him included 6-1 second choice Desert Gate, undefeated in 2 starts including the Best Pal (G3) last out, and 15-1 third choice Litmus Test off his debut win on August 16. Due to the short win odds on Brant, place and show pools were not available.

Jockey Flavien Prat sent Brant to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 21.88 and 44.53 while pressed by 28-1 Balboa and stalked by Litmus Test. Turning for home Brant continued to lead through 3/4 in 1:09.11, and easily held off late-running Desert Gate to win by a length in 1:21.92. It was a long 3 1/4 lengths back to 16-1 Civil Liberty third.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 Brant Prat 2.20 ---- ---- 5 Desert Gate Hernandez ---- ---- 4 Civil Liberty Fresu ---- Winning Time: 1:23.02 $1 Exacta 2-5 2.50 $2 Quinella 2-5 4.20 $1 Trifecta 2-5-4 8.30 $1 Superfecta 2-5-4-6 12.90 Results Chart

Left: Brant in the winner's circle. Jimmy Barnes, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert said, "It started off a little anxious there. He broke inward but he recovered quickly. Being pushed down toward the rail you have to be placed forward. He's a really talented horse. Actually, they all are. We're very happy."

Right: Brant in the paddock before the race. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "I think he was ready for the day. When we broke he was very quick, he was very comfortable. He took a nice breather around the turn and we made it to the finish line. I was hand-riding him and I gave him two taps. He went on with it."

Left: Second place finisher Desert Gate in the paddock before the race. Jockey Juan Hernandez said, "He stumbled at the gate. When he got up, the other horses had a couple of lengths on me. I was happy with his effort. When I asked him to pick it up, he gave me a good move."

Right: Third place finisher Civil Liberty in the paddock. The Doug O'Neill trainee improved his record to 1 second and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $52,000 for owners Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis.

Hey Nay Nay wins the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes

Jockey Ruben Silvera sent 21-1 Dirty Rich to the lead first time by through fractions of 22.32, 46.61, and 1:11.41 while pressed by Hey Nay Nay and stalked by 27-1 Love the Pressure. Turning for home, Dirty Rich tired badly allowing favorite Hey Nay Nay to inherit the lead through 7f in 1:23.69. Kept to task by Hector Berrios, Hey Nay Nay held off late-running Plutarch to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:35.57. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to 19-2 Proletariat third.

Results Chart

Left: Hey Nay Nay in the winner's circle. Winning trainer John Sadler said, "I told (Berrios) to get clear because when you're running 13 two-year-olds on the turf you don't want to get slaughtered by some 60-1 shot. I said put him in the race and he just laid second and that was good. We haven't seen the best of him. He's a real chill horse. He's takes everything well. The idea was to get a race here so he's ready for the Breeders' Cup."

Right: Hey Nay Nay in the paddock before the race. Winning jockey Hector Berrios said, "He is a professional, I like this horse. I tried to go to the lead, but Sadler said if another rider goes first just stay second. He gave me a chance. At the turn I relaxed, and he went. In the stretch I went inside and asked him to move and he responded. It's a big jump, (going from 5 furlongs to a mile), but when you have a good horse, the distance. Is no problem."

Left: Second place finisher Plutarch in the post parade. Jockey Juan Hernandez said, "He has a lot of ability. First time on turf, he was a little green."

Right: Third place finisher Proletariat in the paddock before the race. The Jeff Mullins trainer improved his record to 1 win and 2 thirds in 3 starts, earning $67,200 for owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures.

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