Led by La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT) winner Singletary, a field of 10 3-year-olds is entered Saturday in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.Singletary had failed in stakes races three consecutive times as a heay favorite before putting it all together last time in the La Jolla on Aug. 16.Senor Swinger, a two-time winner on turf who was favored in the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla and closed well to be third, could benefit from the additional distance Saturday.Also in the field are the winners of the two divisions of the opening day's Oceanside Stakes – Devious Boy and Sweet Return.A competitive field includes Bis Repetitas, winner of a claiming/allowance race at Del Mar Aug. 21 and runner-up in Hollywood Park's Cinema Handicap (gr. IIIT); Californian, second in Arlington Park's American Handicap (gr. IIT) two races back; Fairly Ransom, second in one Oceanside division and fourth in the La Jolla; Middleweight, an allowance winner at Del Mar Aug. 11; Outta Here, winless in five starts this year in top company; and Puma.Trainer Donald Chatlos is hoping Singletary, who has never finished worse than third in seven career turf starts, can reprise his La Jolla victory in the Derby. In that race, Singletary turned the tables on Devious Boy, who had beaten him in the Oceanside division, and also dispatched Sweet Return and Fairly Ransom in addition to Senor Swinger.Trainer Ron McAnally, who has won the Derby twice with Hawkster and Tight Spot in 1989 and '90, will saddle two runners in Saturday's race, Sweet Return and Fairly Ransom. The only other trainer in this year's field who has a win in the event is Senor Swinger's trainer, Bob Baffert, who saddled Anet in 1997.
All will carry 122 pounds .
$300,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT), 3-yar-olds, 1 1/8 mile on turf
PP. Horse, Jockey
1. Senor Swinger, Jose Valdivia, Jr.
2. Bis Repetitas, Corey Nakatani
3. Californian, Victor Espinoza
4. Puma, Mike Smith
5. Fairly Ransom, Alex Solis
6. Singletary, Patrick Valenzuela
7. Outta Here, Tyler Baze
8. Middleweight, David Flores
9. Devious Boy, Julie Krone
10. Sweet Return, Gary Stevens