Good luck getting to the bottom of the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) Aug. 22 without a road map and a runestone. Ten fine fillies, including four Irish lasses and two from Great Britain, will assemble from far and wide to run for one of the most coveted prizes of the summer seaside season.
On any other day, the mile-and-one-eighth Oaks could stand on its own as a featured contest with far-reaching ramifications. As it is, the race will set the table near the end of an 11-race program for the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), which immediately follows.
Expectations will be high for Kensington Lane, who descended upon Saratoga on the Fourth of July to surprise the Belmont Oaks (G1T) at odds of 23-1. While racing in Ireland for Donnacha O'Brien, the chestnut daughter of Starspangledbanner won a group 3 event for the trainer's mum, Annemarie O'Brien, who struck while the iron was hot and sold the filly to the stateside partnership of Agave Racing Stable, Medallion Racing, and Evan Trommer.
"When she was purchased, the plan was always to run in the Del Mar Oaks," said Phil D'Amato, now in charge of Kensington Lane. "But she was doing so well, her trainer thought timing-wise it made sense to try the Belmont Oaks."
The diversion was worth a cool $330,000 and meant for only a slight delay in the filly's California arrival. D'Amato welcomed Kensington Lane with open arms and has worked her four times since.
"She's the consummate professional," D'Amato said. "She knows what her job is. Point her in the right direction and she's basically going to train herself."
Joel Rosario, who rode Kensington Lane in New York, rides her in the Oaks.
Video: Belmont Oaks S. (G1T)
Another branch of the O'Brien clan will be represented by Green Carrera, who gave Tim Cohen of California's Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, a rousing score on Day 4 of the Royal Ascot meet with a victory in the well-endowed Sandringham Handicap. There were 30 runners in the straightaway mile. Rancho Temescal co-owns the filly along with Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Farfellow Farms.
Joseph O'Brien, who has been training Green Carrera at his private yard in Ireland's County Kilkenny, dispatched the filly to Del Mar in the company of traveling lad Mikey Hamill, well qualified to handle Green Carrera both on the ground and in the saddle. In 2022 and 2023, Hamill rode for trainers Leslie Young and Keri Brion on the United States steeplechase circuit, winning seven races from fewer than 50 rides.
Hamill has been pleased with the way Green Carrera has adapted to her new surroundings.
"I've never seen her eat so well," Hamill said. "She's taken to training like she's been here all her life."
Green Carrera has been staying in the Leonard Powell barn and will remain in Powell's care after the Oaks. The trainer, who won the race with Anisette in 2023 and Fatale Bere in 2018, will take a shot in the Oaks with Lookin At Diamond, third last time out in the listed Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
D'Amato, also a two-time winner of the Oaks, has two besides Kensington Lane in the field, both coming out of the July 18 San Clemente Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.
Inbox, who arrived from England last year as a maiden, was beaten only half a length, while Peanutbutterbombe, third in the listed Blue Norther Stakes last December, finished a flying fourth after an awkward start and a tight squeeze on the final turn.
Raiding Party finished third in the San Clemente, returned to her Turfway Park home base, and has made another cross-country trip to give the longer Oaks a try. Her trainer Brendan Walsh also entered Define, who won an Ellis Park maiden special weight turf race in her only U.S. start. Both Walsh fillies hail from Ireland. Wild Like the West, trained by Richard Baltas, is another emerging from the San Clemente after checking sharply in deep stretch that day when shaved by the fast-closing Inbox.
There will be justifiable Oaks support for Tam Tam, from Phil Bauer's Kentucky outfit, based on the good speed figures attached to her victory in the listed Tepin Stakes June 27 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro has been worse than third only once in eight starts.
After shocking the 2025 Del Mar Oaks with Velocity at odds of 35-1, Michael McCarthy will try to win the race again with the Irish filly Victorious Dream. Her part owner, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, will be gunning for its third Oaks trophy in the last four years.
Victorious Dream caught the eye when she finished third while still a maiden, beaten just a head, in the listed Providencia Stakes in April at Santa Anita. She went on to win a maiden special weight race, then impress in an allowance optional claiming event July 17 on the Del Mar grass, receiving a speed figure that rivaled the winning number in the San Clemente the following day.
"We're in with a chance," McCarthy said. "The plan was to give her a little time after the maiden race, run in the allowance, and then point for the Oaks. So far, so good."
Del Mar, Saturday, August 22, 2026, Race 9Entries: Del Mar Oaks Presented by Keeneland Sales (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Victorious Dream (IRE) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Michael W. McCarthy - 2 Lookin At Diamond (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Leonard Powell - 3 Tam Tam (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 Philip A. Bauer - 4 Green Carrera (GB) Umberto Rispoli 122 Joseph Patrick O'Brien - 5 Define (IRE) Kazushi Kimura 122 Brendan P. Walsh - 6 Inbox (GB) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 Philip D'Amato - 7 Peanutbutterbombe (KY) Antonio Fresu 122 Philip D'Amato - 8 Wild Like the West (KY) Armando Ayuso 122 Richard Baltas - 9 Kensington Lane (IRE) Joel Rosario 122 Philip D'Amato - 10 Raiding Party (IRE) Ben Curtis 122 Brendan P. Walsh -
