Sometimes, it’s not difficult to discern for whom a race is named. Enter the Grade 1 Bing Crosby.
You might not know of a race called the Dinner Party, which is run each year at Pimlico in Baltimore. It’s named for an 1868 dinner where Maryland Governor Oden Bowie decided to build Pimlico. The winner of the first Dinner Party? A cantankerous horse named Preakness, and the rest, there, is history.
It’s a bit more straightforward at Del Mar: Crosby was among the co-founders of Del Mar, alongside Jimmy Durante and Oliver Hardy. Without him, it’s hard to imagine there being a racetrack at Del Mar.
The race itself has a rich history, and now includes a starting spot in the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup Dirt Sprint. On top of the hefty $400,000 purse, there’s a ton of prestige associated with the race.
This year’s rendition does not have a Grade 1 winner in it, but over half of the starters - six of the nine - have wins in stakes races. All of that is an equation for value- let’s meet the field, and put together a wager.
If you are wagering at Del Mar today - check out our friends at AmWager! They’ve got a 100% deposit match up to $150 right now for new customers. And you can always catch our weekly SoCal Saturdays video podcast on the Sporting Tribune’s YouTube page. We handicap the entire Saturday card no matter where they’re running, and get you ready for the day.
Grade 1 Bing Crosby. 6 furlongs, dirt. 3+up. $400,000.
1. Crazy Mason. 6/1. Jockey: Christopher Elliott. Trainer: Gregory Sacco.
Crazy Mason is shipping from the east coast, having run most recently in a muddy edition of the Grade 3 True North at Saratoga. That was his first race after two months off, and a string of three consecutive victories, including the Grade 2 Carter at Aqueduct. Jockey Chris Elliott is going to have to get Crazy Mason going a lot earlier than he has in previous races: he has closed from well off the pace in his races, and at tracks where that style plays well. That won’t play as well at Del Mar, but he’s not without a chance.
Comment: exacta and trifecta include.
2. Dr. Venkman. 4/1. Jockey: Antonio Fresu. Trainer: Mark Glatt.
Dr. Venkman is a throw-back: he runs in both route and sprint races, and is effective in both. He won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on this day last year, with his connections opting for the Crosby this year. He has run back-to-back seconds in graded stakes sprints coming in, and I expect his form to continue. Can he win here? Sure. But the morning-line maker got this one right and didn’t make him the favorite.
Comment: exacta and trifecta include.
3. Hejazi. 7/2. Jockey: Juan Hernandez. Trainer: Bob Baffert.
Hejazi is a near-impossible horse to figure out. A three-and-a-half million dollar purchase, he ran once in January of 2024 before taking 17 months off. He’s never won a stakes race, but the connections clearly think of him as a grade 1 type. When you pay this much for a horse, you need to make some money back at stud; this would elevate him to that level. I’ll play against, again, today.
Comment: toss for value.
4. Smooth Cruisein. 20/1. Jockey: Kyle Frey. Trainer: Karen Headley.
Smooth Cruisein is the sole 3-year-old in the field, and has never run a race outside of Santa Anita. He has tried stakes company three times, all against fellow 3-year-olds, finishing no better than third. This is considerably more difficult than any of those fields, so expect him up the track in this one.
Comment: first toss.
5. World Record. 3/1. Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset.
World Record is your likely favorite, and his best win came Grade 2 Amsterdam a year ago at Saratoga. That race is restricted to 3-year-olds, and World Record is yet to record a win in a stakes again older horses. He nearly did that last out in the Grade 3 Aristides at Churchill; he was turned away by Durante, an older horse who has otherwise not won a stakes race. If you’re an every-other bettor, World Record is your play: he’s won four times, all in his even-numbered starts; this is start 10. We’ll try to beat him here, as he seems to notably improve on lasix, which is not permitted here.
Comment: can win.
6. Roll On Big Joe. 6/1. Jockey: Julien Leparoux. Trainer: Bob Hess, Jr.
Roll On Big Joe is a Florida bred, and not an expensive one: his sire’s stud fee was $3,000. With any kind of reasonably good finish today, ROBJ will go over a half-million dollars in career earnings. It’s not always easy to determine which horses will become great runners, and ROBJ is a reminder. Since leaving the state-bred ranks in Florida, he has run 9 times on dirt, finishing in the top two in all but one, where he finished third. He’s won both stakes races he’s entered, one at Santa Anita and one at Churchill. Jockey Julien Leparoux is in to ride for this one, and while I don’t generally think of that as a big positive, he’s clearly got a good rhythm with this horse. I like him enough to put him on top in this company, and the 6/1 price is too nice to pass on.
Comment: most likely winner.
7. Mbagnick. 5/1. Jockey: Armando Ayuso. Trainer: John Sadler.
Mgabnick’s morning line at 5/1, when placed next to the resume of Roll On Big Joe, is surprising. Since moving to the USA from Chile in the spring of 2023, he has raced 16 times, winning three of those races. Two of those came at Delta Downs, prior to a move west. His speed figures are strong, but west coast figures trend that way. I’ll let him beat me here, as I simply don’t see it.
Comment: go ahead and beat us.
8. Spirit of Makena. 20/1. Jockey: Abel Cedillo. Trainer: George Papaprodromou.
Spirit of Makena is a tough one to handicap, as he has only run twice in the last two calendar years. The good part - he was excellent off the bench in March, finishing a good third in the Grade 3 San Carlos. He was nowhere to be found last out in the Grade 3 Triple Bend, but I think you can draw a line through that. I expect his line to tick up, but I don’t think I’d bet him at less than 50/1 in this field.
Comment: toss.
9. Lovesick Blues. 20/1. Jockey: Geovanni Franco. Trainer: Librado Barocio.
While I don’t think he’ll win today, I love the inclusion of Lovesick Blues in this race. His connections moved him from the Miyadi barn to the Barocio barn last fall, giving him a ton of time off before beginning this year’s campaign. He’s run solely in stakes company this spring and summer, all of them on the turf. Today is a big ask, but I like the gamble for the connections. I think he ends up running big, and finishes in the top 4.
Comment: include in exotic plays.
The Sporting Tribune Play:
$.50 Late Pick 5, starts Race 7 ($48): 4,5,8,9 / 2 / 6,8,9,10 / 5,6 / 5,6,9. Good luck!