Calumet Farm's Mixto is looking to stir the pot once more when he lines up against five rivals in the $100,000 Native Diver Stakes (G3) Nov. 23 at Del Mar. A progressive colt for trainer Doug O'Neill, the 4-year-old son of Good Magic shook up the field in this summer's $1,001,500 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) when he pulled off a 22-1 upset in Del Mar's featured event of the season.
Mixto returns to Del Mar looking to rebound off a disappointing 11th-place effort in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The 125-pound high weight is one of two graded stakes winners in the 1 1/8-mile Native Diver, along with the Richard Mandella-trained Salesman.
Antonio Fresu has the call on Mixto.
A pair of younger foes from the Bob Baffert barn will be looking to upend Mixto's bid in Saturday's contest. The $1.05 million yearling Mirahmadi, perhaps one of the most talented colts in recent memory to take nine starts to break his maiden, and the promising Ultra Power, an impressive allowance victor at Del Mar two starts back, give Baffert a solid hand in the Native Diver. Although Mirahmadi just broke his maiden Oct. 12, the Into Mischief colt did so by an explosive 10 lengths and earned a 110 Equibase Speed Figure.
Martin Garcia rides Mirahmadi, who is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Bob Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan. The Native Diver will be the colt's first start without Lasix since his runner-up finish to Prince of Monaco in last year's Del Mar Futurity (G1).
Don Alberto Stable's Ultra Power, a product of top stallion Curlin and the brilliant race mare Unique Bella, exits a troubled third-place finish against older rivals in allowance company Oct. 26 at Santa Anita Park. The winner of that race, the Peter Eurton-trained Tarantino, resurfaces for the Native Diver in search of his first graded stakes win at age 6.
Juan Hernandez will ride Ultra Power, who has netted two triple-digit ESFs in his last two outings.
Both 3-year-olds were assigned to carry 118 pounds, seven pounds fewer than Mixto.
Not to be overlooked is C R K Stable's Skinner, making his second start off the layoff in the Native Diver.
The John Shirreffs pupil was a horse to watch on last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) trail before being knocked out of commission by a fever in the week leading up to the Run for the Roses. The Curlin colt returned to action during the summer and put in some mediocre efforts before finishing a game runner-up to Mr Fisk in the 2023 Native Diver. Given a lengthy break, Skinner was a sneaky-good second in a Del Mar allowance Nov. 1 over a 6 1/2-furlong trip perhaps too short for his liking.
Del Mar, Saturday, November 23, 2024, Race 8Entries: Native Diver S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mirahmadi (KY) Martin Garcia 118 Bob Baffert 6/1 2 2Ultra Power (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 118 Bob Baffert 2/1 3 3Skinner (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 121 John A. Shirreffs 5/1 4 4Salesman (IRE) Kazushi Kimura 121 Richard E. Mandella 10/1 5 5Tarantino (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 121 Peter Eurton 3/1 6 6Mixto (KY) Antonio Fresu 125 Doug F. O'Neill 5/2
