By DRF.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 16, 2024) — The $1,500 supplemental fee required to make Stay and Scam eligible for Sunday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar may be money well spent.
A two-time stakes winner this year, Stay and Scam was not nominated earlier this month for $150 in what trainer Doug O’Neill said was an oversight.
“This was definitely the plan all along,” he said.
Stay and Scam, who races for Paul and Zillah Reddam, will be favored to win the Solana Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile on turf.
Stay and Scam won the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at a mile over the Santa Anita turf on May 25 as the 1-2 favorite. In her only subsequent start, Stay and Scam was third by three lengths behind Connie Swingle in the July 27 Daisycutter Handicap against open company at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar.
“You get fitness from a race like that,” O’Neill said. “We wanted to win, but she gave a gutty effort. I think going back to two turns will help.”
A winner of 6 of 14 starts, Stay and Scam is quick enough to set the pace, but equally as effective as a stalker. She will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who has been aboard for her last 13 starts.
“Mario knows her well,” O’Neill said. “We can play the pace.”
Stay and Scam, by Square Eddie, is one of three stakes winners in the Solana Beach, along with Rose Maddox and Tom’s Regret, who are both trained by Steve Miyadi.
The Solana Beach is the last of nine races Sunday and drew a field of 12, but will be limited to 11 starters.
Rose Maddox, who was second in the 2023 Solana Beach, has won four stakes since the beginning of 2023. Rose Maddox won the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside course at Santa Anita in January in a three-horse photo. Stay and Scam was third, beaten two noses.
Rose Maddox was a disappointing seventh by three lengths behind Stay and Scam in the Irish O’Brien Stakes on the hillside turf course in March. Rose Maddox later finished third and fourth in allowance races on turf at Santa Anita.
The Solana Beach Stakes is Rose Maddox’s first start in 10 weeks. She won the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint in January following a similar layoff.
Tom’s Regret, who starts from the inside post, has won three sprint stakes on dirt and was second in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in May 2023. This is Tom’s Regret’s first start in a two-turn stakes on turf. She may set the pace.
The promising 3-year-old filly Moment’s Pleasure is likely to be near Stay and Scam throughout. Moment’s Pleasure was second in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes in her stakes debut and won an allowance race for statebred fillies and mares on turf on July 28 at Del Mar.