Three-time stakes winner Macias is the most accomplished runner in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes on opening day of the Del Mar season July 21.
For the second straight year, there was no need to split the one-mile Oceanside, which kicks off the Del Mar stakes turf series for sophomores that includes the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 14 and the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 5.
In all, there are 89 horses entered, including two also-eligible entrants, on a 10-race opening day program. The Oceanside is the eighth race with a 5:30 p.m. PDT post.
Zayat Stables' Macias is looking for his first win since capturing the Baffle Stakes on Santa Anita's hillside turf course Feb. 13. The son of Purge also has stakes wins as a 2-year-old at Santa Anita in the one-mile Eddie Logan on grass and the Jack Goodman Stakes over the Pro-Ride main track.
Macias is coming off a third-place effort in the Will Rogers Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Hollywood Park grass June 20. He led by two lengths in the stretch after setting the pace but gave way late at the rail in a game effort.
Martin Garcia retains the mount on the dark bay colt who breaks from post 6 with top weight of 121 pounds.
The only other stakes winner in the field is Six-S Racing Stable and partners' Gallant Gent, winner of the Afflebaugh at Fairplex last September for trainer Craig Lewis.
Gallant Gent ran third in the Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) at Oak Tree last fall and is coming off a sixth-place finish in Hollywood's Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) June 19. In his only prior try on turf, the Yankee Gentleman gelding was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT) Nov. 7 at Santa Anita.
Other top contenders in the field are Darley Stable's Hockley, coming off an optional claiming allowance win at nine furlongs on the Hollywood turf June 11 for trainer Eoin Harty, and the Craig Family Trust's Twirling Candy , who is unbeaten in two starts on Hollywood's Cushion Track and makes his stakes and turf debut for John Sadler. Twirling Candy was withdrawn from the Swap Stakes (gr. II) July 17 in favor of the Oceanside.
Sadler also entered Domonation, twice placed in grade III stakes and making his turf bow for Joy Ride Racing and La Cresta Farm.
$100,000 Oceanside Stakes (Race 8, 5:30p.m.), 3-Year-olds, One Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Face and an Ace (KY), B Blanc, 119, J P Gonzalez
2. Very Fair (CA), M E Smith, 119, J Hollendorfer
3. Twirling Candy (KY), J Rosario, 119, J W Sadler
4. Brady Blue Eyes (KY), T Baze, 119, M Glatt
5. Hockley (KY), D R Flores, 119, E G Harty
6. Macias (KY), M Garcia, 121, B Baffert
7. Domonation (KY), R Bejarano, 117, J W Sadler
8. Just Magic (KY), M A Pedroza, 119, J Armstrong
9. Gallant Gent (KY), V Espinoza, 119, C A Lewis
10. Killer Bear (CA), F Valdez, 119, S Knapp
