Del Mar Racing This Weekend: Del Mar Handicap, Pat O’Brien and Torrey Pines Preview

Del Mar closes out August with three graded stakes across two days. Saturday, August 29 carries the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on turf and the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on dirt, and Sunday, August 30 wraps the weekend with the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for three year old fillies. Here is what is entered, who is defending, and how we would bet each race.

Del Mar Handicap 2026: Gold Phoenix Chases a Third Straight Win

The Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap runs Saturday, August 29 at a mile and three eighths on the turf for a $300,000 purse, open to three year olds and up. Gold Phoenix, trained by Phil D’Amato, is the story. He won this race in both 2024 and 2025 and is entered again, looking to become the first horse in the modern running to take it three years running. Eleven horses are entered: Gold Phoenix, Flashiest, Atitlan, Santa Barbarian, Mondego, Packs A Wahlop, Maaz, Test Score, Atomic Age, Nitti and Old Pal. Atitlan has finished on the board behind Gold Phoenix in this spot before, so he is the one with the clearest form line to the favorite.

Pat O’Brien Stakes 2026: Dr. Venkman Returns to Defend

The Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes goes the same afternoon, Saturday, August 29, at seven furlongs on the main track for a $250,000 purse. Dr. Venkman, trained by Mark Glatt, won last year’s edition and heads a ten horse field back to defend. Stronghold, runner up in 2025, is entered again this year alongside Jimmy’s Dailys, Moonlight, Gold Sweep, Vodka Vodka, Big City Lights, Bartholdy, Iron Man Cal and March Of Time. Big City Lights was third in the 2024 running and gives the field another proven sprinter at this distance.

Torrey Pines Stakes 2026: Three Year Old Fillies Close Out the Weekend

The Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes runs Sunday, August 30 at one mile on the main track for a $150,000 purse, restricted to three year old fillies. The probable and possible entrants named so far are Bank Shot for trainer Ryan Hanson, Dainey for Bob Baffert, Mohaven for John Sadler, She’s No Quant for Edward Freeman and Light Won Up for Doug O’Neill. That is four different powerhouse barns represented before the field is even final, which usually means a competitive edition. Last year’s winner, Om N Joy, posted a 103 speed figure in a tight three way finish, and this crop looks similarly bunched on paper.

How to Bet the Del Mar Weekend Card

Entries are in for all three races, but morning line odds had not been posted as of this writing, so check the live odds board on MyWinners once betting opens. In the Del Mar Handicap, a two time defending champion at a fair price is a straightforward single bet, and Gold Phoenix over Atitlan makes a sensible exacta if you want to build out. The Pat O’Brien sets up as a rematch of last year’s top three, so a Dr. Venkman and Stronghold exacta box is worth pricing once the board is up. The Torrey Pines is the most open of the three with four separate top barns in the mix, which makes it a race to spread wider in the exotics rather than lean on one horse.

Our Take on the Del Mar Weekend

Gold Phoenix is the horse to beat in the Del Mar Handicap, Dr. Venkman gets the nod to repeat in the Pat O’Brien off the way he finished last year, and the Torrey Pines is the toughest race of the weekend to call with this many live barns entered. Three graded stakes across two days makes this one of the stronger non feature weekends left on the Del Mar calendar.

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