Tim Yakteen has had five weeks to find the 5 3/4 lengths that separated his colt, Secured Freedom, from Proletariat, the runaway winner of the Oceanside Handicap at a mile on opening day of the current Del Mar meet. They meet again Aug. 23, in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (G2T).
"I've been trying to figure that out," Yakteen said one morning this week between training sets. "The question is, if that horse can continue to carry his speed the extra distance. If he does, that's going to be a very tough race for us."
He is not alone. None of Proletariat's eight opponents in the mile and one-eighth Derby have ever unleashed an effort remotely similar to his Oceanside romp.
After a smooth start that day under Kyle Frey, the gelded son of Raging Bull led the field into the first turn and improved his position from there. Proletariat, who is trained by Jeff Mullins, hit the top of the stretch still ahead by open lengths, leaving the opposition to squabble for the placings. His final time of 1:33.54 equaled the stakes record set 21 years ago and generated a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Video: Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside H. (BT)
Secured Freedom, under Ramon Vazquez, took advantage of a ground-saving ride to win a three-horse photo for second money over Mr. A. P., runner-up in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and Bust Out, winner of the Cinema Stakes in May at Santa Anita Park. The Yakteen colt was making his first start on grass following a comfortable win in the Affirmed Stakes in June at Santa Anita. A son of Practical Joke , Secured Freedom had dipped a toe in the Triple Crown waters earlier in the year with a third-place finish in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and a fourth in the San Felipe Stakes (G2). The verdict was in, so his people settled for a swing at the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) and just missed third money, well behind the impressive 1-2 finishers, Crude Velocity and Englishman.
"He's a very big horse," Yakteen said. "From a mental standpoint, he presented himself at first as being a little bit on the edge. He came in with his eyes kind of wide open. Then throughout his career he's gotten more relaxed.
"Watching him on grass, I liked his stride," the trainer added. "It looked more efficient, more fluid on turf than on dirt. It remains to be seen if the Oceanside winner can run the same fractions and keep going. But Mullins did the right thing with him. Gave him a break when he needed it and came back firing strong. I'm not sure there's anything in the field that can go with him early."
Proletariat showed promise last year when he hit the board in a pair of 2-year-old stakes on West Coast turf. Mullins gave him the winter off, then began working him in March to a steady tune that included a comeback allowance optional claiming win in May.
"He's doing good," Mullins confirmed this week. "And we were expecting a big race from him in the Oceanside."
As the season unfolded, the clear leader of the West Coast grass 3-year-olds was Stark Contrast, who won the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita and the American Turf Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs. Stark Contrast went to the sidelines in June, however, leaving trainer Michael McCarthy to go to the bench for the Del Mar grass program with Cinema winner Bust Out, fourth in the Oceanside, and Tribalism, second last out in an allowance optional claiming test.
Doug O'Neill and Phil D'Amato will take their battle for the local training title into the Del Mar Derby, with D'Amato running the Irish imports Jordi Bear and Melismatic and O'Neill starting Sunland Park Derby winner Pavlovian, who'll be making his turf debut.
Mullins also entered Charlie's Curlin, an allowance race winner who ran third in the Cinema.
Interestingly, the only runner in the field who has won at the Derby's mile and one-eighth is Unrivaled Time, who bagged the Snow Chief Stakes over the Santa Anita grass in May. The son of Not This Time , trained by Leonard Powell, also won the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) on the Del Mar grass last November, but his return to the scene in the Oceanside was thwarted on the far turn when he was pinched between horses, bobbled, and took up, all while at the back of the field. He deserves another chance.
Del Mar, Sunday, August 23, 2026, Race 7Entries: Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Proletariat (KY) Kyle Frey 122 Jeff Mullins 9/5 2 2Unrivaled Time (CA) Armando Ayuso 122 Leonard Powell 15/1 3 3Secured Freedom (VA) Ramon A. Vazquez 122 Tim Yakteen 8/1 4 4Tribalism (IRE) Joel Rosario 122 Michael W. McCarthy 5/1 5 5Bust Out (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 Michael W. McCarthy 8/1 6 6Pavlovian (CA) Edwin A. Maldonado 122 Doug F. O'Neill 8/1 7 7Jordi Bear (IRE) Antonio Fresu 122 Philip D'Amato 8/1 8 8Melismatic (IRE) Kazushi Kimura 122 Philip D'Amato 6/1 9 9Charlie's Curlin (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Jeff Mullins 12/1
