Down at Old Del Mar

No complaints about this view of the races! Thanks to Bob Feld for the margarita.

The worst thing about going to Del Mar, is leaving Del Mar. Ten minutes before I left for the airport to return home, I was in a hammock enjoying a cool ocean breeze and this view, so you can just imagine the willpower it took to get up:

View from a  barn hammock, snapped with my iPhone. Forty minutes later, I was standing in my socks waiting with a few hundred people to go through airport security.

But as always, it was wonderful to be there, even for a whistle-stop tour that allowed for just one day of racing. And after my “work” was done, I had a few free hours to spend with friends on the backside the morning I left, which made the aggravation of one missed connection and one nearly missed connection -- we pulled in at the gate with ten minutes for me to change terminals -- in three days’ time, and the misery of getting sick (which I’m really feeling today) in the process, worthwhile.

It was overcast on both mornings at Del Mar so I missed getting pictures of some good horses and deleted blurry photos of others, but here are some:

My first stop off the plane was to see old friends, equine and human. Here are two of them: Grade 1 winner Harmonious with her groom Mario behind her. Look at those great dapples!

Grade 2 winner The Factor schooling in the paddock ahead of Sunday's Pat O'Brien S.-G1.

Grade 1 winner and Pacific Classic contender Game On Dude schooling.

Grade 2 winner Banned, trained by Tom Proctor. iPhone picture.

Unraced two-year-old El Corredor filly Zella (Jacqueline up) accompanied by John Shirreffs on the pony.

Del Mar Mile-G2 entrant Mr. Commons on the track.

Mr. Commons (Max up).

Mr. Commons cooling off...

...and hamming it up.

Harmonious and Max heading to the track on Thursday morning.

Eblouissante (held by Bruce) about to get her feet trimmed by Tom Halpenny (behind).

Another of Eblouissante, Zenyatta's two-year-old half-sister by Bernardini.

Grade 1 winner Nereid.

Tiz Golden, a Tiznow in today for Ron Ellis. I love his markings.

Ultimate Decision, a Rock Hard Ten three-year-old running in a maiden special weight today for Ron Ellis.

Grade 1 winner Stately Victor about to leave for a pre-Pacific Classic workout.

Recent maiden special weight winner Drill, a son of Lawyer Ron trained by Bob Baffert.

Roger Attfield's Grade 3 winner Don Cavallo, another Pacific Classic horse.

Harmonious at Keeneland for the QE II

Marty, Pam, and Emily Wygod’s Harmonious shipped in to Keeneland from her base of Hollywood Park in California to run in the Grade 1, Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes for three-year-old fillies on Saturday, October 16.

These are some (of many, many) photos from the days preceding the race and of raceday itself. Click on the pictures for a better look.

Schooling with Frank between the races on Thursday:

Pre-gallop entertainment at the barn on Friday morning:

Walking before heading out to the track:

Four other QE II fillies were in the same barn or directly across, including Evening Jewel and Zagora (Fr), who finished third and second, respectively, seen here cooling out after their morning exercise on Friday:

Harmonious in the paddock on the way to the track...under her regular rider Frankie, she couldn’t wait to go out:

Back at the barn, posing for the camera:

The crowd-pleasing daughter of Dynaformer paused to nibble on the hedge during her Friday afternoon schooling session:

Saturday A.M., she was walked in the paddock by Frank and Frankie under the eye of her trainer, John Shirreffs:

And here she is getting kitted up at the barn right before race time:

Entering the paddock and getting saddled:

John doing his thing, signing autographs before the start:

And Harmonious is an impressive winner under jockey Joel Rosario:

Crossing over to the grass course for the win photo and trophy presentation:

At the test barn:

And finally back to her barn:

...where this awaited her: