Native Diver, DeMille Stakes Top Del Mar’s Sunday Program

DMTC News – From the Wire

DEL MAR, CA – NOVEMBER 03: Battle of Midway #9, ridden by Flavien Prat, wins the Breeders’ Cup Las Vegas Dirt Mile on Day 1 of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on November 3, 2017 in Del Mar, California. (Photo by Carson Dennis/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)

Battle of Midway © Benoit Photo

The $100,000 Native Diver Stakes for older Thoroughbreds and the $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes for two-year-olds will be the featured attractions Sunday at Del Mar.

Battle of Midway, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar two summers ago, is the early choice under jockey Flavien Prat versus five rivals in the mile and one-eighth Native Diver – Roman Rosso, Drayden Van Dyke; Gift Box, Tyler Baze; Kershaw, Heriberto Figueroa; Isotherm, Geovanni Franco, and Dabster, Joe Talamo.

Entered in the DeMille Stakes are Takeo Squared, Rafael Bejarano; Rijeka, Kent Desormeaux; Vantastic, Mike Smith; Irish Heatwave, Talamo; Sayin Grace, Van Dyke, and Flying Scotsman, Prat. The last-named juvenile is the early favorite for the one-mile contest over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

The Native Diver is scheduled as the third race on the program, with the DeMille occupying the sixth slot on a nine-race card beginning at 12:30 p.m.