By DRF.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (July 23, 2025) — The simple approach with California-bred Pushiness for Saturday’s $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar is to let the four-time winner take her customary position as a pacesetter.
How she does over the next 55 seconds or so is slightly harder to assess.
“There is not really a strategy,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “We’ll let her run away from there. She’s naturally fast.”
So is Imaboutago, who could pressure Pushiness in the Daisycutter, which drew a field of 10 fillies and mares, including fellow Cal-bred multiple stakes winner Chismosa.
Pushiness, bred by Richard Barton Enterprises and owned by Mike Repole, has won two dirt stakes at Del Mar, but has yet to win a turf sprint stakes. In her first start in such a race, Pushiness was a game second by a half-length in the Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March, leading to early stretch.
Pushiness drew the outside post in the Daisycutter, which further clarifies how she will be ridden by jockey Juan Hernandez.
“You’re always concerned about that, especially against better horses,” McCarthy said of the post position. “We’ll see how she does against open company.”
Chismosa is by Clubhouse Ride, out of the Cat Dreams mare You Can Dream, was bred by owner Jaime Renella and trained by Rafael DeLeon. She has six wins in 25 starts, earnings of $624,250 and is coming off a third in the July 5 Great Lady M.
Pushiness is by Kantharos, out of the Empire Maker mare Imperial Pippin. She has four wins in 10 starts, earnings of $208,426 and is coming off a second in an Apr. 14 optional claimer.