Thought Process bids to defend home turf in Del Mar Oaks

Nearly perfect on turf, Thought Process will try to extend her winning streak in Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1). The Phil D’Amato trainee rates as the star of the local division, but Kentucky shipper Lush Lips and recent British transplant Take A Breath provide new challenges at Del Mar. 

Thought Process boasts a 5-for-6 mark on turf. Other than her uncharacteristic ninth in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), where she tired after setting a scorching pace, the chestnut has been unbeatable on the lawn. She’d dominated her first three turf starts, including the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and Santa Anita’s Surfer Girl (G3), and she’s resumed in winning form this season. 

After wiring her June 14 comeback at Santa Anita, Thought Process stalked and pounced in the local prep, the July 19 San Clemente H. (G2) over a mile. Several of her beaten foes will re-oppose Saturday, going an extra furlong – runner-up Casalu, third-placer Will Then, fourth Firenze Flavor, and seventh Miso Phansy. 

Will Then, from the Jonathan Thomas barn, and Bob Baffert’s Casalu have crossed swords before. In last year’s Jimmy Durante (G3) over this course, Will Then rolled from well off the pace to blow past Casalu and a troubled Resolve.

Note that Firenze Flavor and Miso Phansy are the only two entrants with experience at this 1 1/8-mile distance. Two starts back, they served up a photo-finish exacta in the Honeymoon (G3), with Paddy Gallagher’s Firenze Flavor just edging Miso Phansy.

The added ground is perhaps the biggest question for Thought Process, who has yet to race beyond a mile. The Collected filly is bred to handle the trip, if she can ration her speed effectively with Umberto Rispoli.

The Brendan Walsh-trained Lush Lips brings a high level of form. Earlier this season, the European import was second in both the Edgewood (G2) and Florida Oaks (G3) to the exciting Nitrogen, who goes turf-to-dirt in Saturday’s Alabama (G1) at Saratoga. Once she got away from Nitrogen, Lush Lips bolted up in the Tepin S. back at Churchill Downs. 

The Edgewood gives some insight into how Lush Lips might stack up with Thought Process. The Edgewood fifth was none other than Will Then, the subsequent third to Thought Process in the San Clemente. Lush Lips is also drawn better in post 5 with Tyler Gaffalione than Thought Process (post 10). 

Take A Breath looms as a wildcard in her U.S. debut for Mark Glatt. Although she was competing in handicap company in Great Britain, not rising to the black-type level, her pedigree sends a strong signal for stateside success. Take A Breath is a full sister to 2019 Wilshire (G3) heroine Simply Breathless and to multiple Grade 3-placed stakes scorer Breath Away. Hector Berrios picks up the mount. 

Other contenders include Michael McCarthy’s Velocity, a recent allowance winner in her two-turn debut; Slick, D’Amato’s second-stringer who exits a third in the same allowance; and last-out maiden winner Edge of Mali. Rounding out the 12-filly field is the also-eligible maiden Striver.