San Diego, CA

Jockeys Umberto Rispoli, Hector Berrios shine on Del Mar’s opening day

Published

2 years ago

July 20, 2024

Press Room

Jockeys Umberto Rispoli, Hector Berrios shine on Del Mar’s opening day

Jockeys Umberto Rispoli and Hector Berrios have at least several things in common.

One, they are formidable forces on the turf.

Two, they each won one of the opening day features with strong stretch rides in one-mile turf tests as Del Mar commenced its 85th season Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 22,284. Defending jockey champion Juan Hernandez finished second in both races after winning three races earlier.

But the biggest news of the day for bettors was a single winning ticket in the Pick Six worth $254,450.80. Although favorites won seven of the 11 races, two long shots in the Pick Six — Schwarzmeier ($68.40 in the eighth) and Atitian ($72.20 in the 11th) — eliminated all but one winning bet.

“We had a terrific opening day,” said Del Mar president and chief operating officer Josh Rubinstein. “The racing was superb. Overall, what a great start. great start. I’m proud of our team working around the clock to get the facility into incredible shape.”

The handle of $23.9 million was up 10 percent over a year ago.

As for Berrios and Rispoli, each won two turf races Saturday with Berrios also taking the finale with Atitian.

Berrios and Iscreamuscream held off Zona Verde in a stretch duel to win the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap. Two races earlier, Rispoli rallied Formidable Man from eighth to victory over the final quarter mile to pick up his second turf win of the day in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes.

Favorite Iscreamuscream trailed only briefly on the backstretch in the San Clemente, then out-finished Zona Verde and the charging Medoro in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.

Juan Hernandez riding Zona Verde, left, and Hector Berrios riding Iscreamuscream, right, head towards the finish line during the ninth race of Opening Day at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Saturday, July 20, 2024 in Del Mar, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“When she felt the other fillies, her speed kicked in,” Berrios said of Iscreamuscream.

Said trainer Phil D’Amato: “I thought she might be stalking, but she ended up on the lead and showed her class. I think she will take a step forward off this two-turn race.”

Early Saturday morning, Rispoli was seen walking the Del Mar track. The reconnaissance served him well: he moved Formidable Man five-wide on the far turn before pulling away down the stretch to a 1½-length win over Guy Named Joe. Favored King of Gosford was third entering the stretch but finished sixth in the field of 11.

It was Rispoli’s third win in the Oceanside Stakes.

“It went good today,” said Rispoli. “I’ve done well in this race before and things went well today. He broke well. We got squeezed a little after that, but not too bad. Then he went outside and he had room to run. It was all good after that.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy didn’t have the same confidence as the field entered the far turn.

“He was a little bit farther back than I thought he would be,” said McCarthy. “But he was rolling there in the last quarter mile. I wasn’t crazy with what went on in the first half mile. Obviously, he was excited.”

Umberto Rispoli, atop Formidable Man, reacts after winning the seventh race during Opening Day at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Saturday, July 20, 2024 in Del Mar, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

McCarthy said Formidable Man could be headed to the Del Mar Derby.

Day No. 2

Sunday’s 11-race card will feature two, $100,000 stakes races on the turf and the return of three-time trainer champion Richard Baltas to the entry box.

Baltas, who last fielded horses at Del Mar in 2021 will have morning-line favorite Ag Bullett in the Osunitas Stakes for older fillies and mares at one-mile on the turf.

Baltas, who had one starter on Saturday in a claiming race, shared the 2017 summer meeting trainer title with D’Amato then won back-to-back fall meeting titles in 2019 and 2020. Baltas, 63, hadn’t fielded a horse in California since May of 2022 when he returned to Santa Anita last December.

Baltas is excited to be back at Del Mar.

“Everybody gets excited here,” he said. “They’re all in a better mood. There are more fans, which is great for the sport. There’s great turf racing here. And it’s fun.”

Ag Bullet hasn’t raced since finishing ninth in a Grade II stakes race at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend. Before that race, the 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy had won four of her five previous starts with the last two under Rispoli, who will be aboard Sunday.

Joining Ag Bullet in the nine-filly Osunitas field are two other strong 4-year-olds — Bob Baffert’s Chilean import Richi (Hernandez) and the John Shirreffs’ trained Justique (Mike Smith), who won the 2022 Desi Arnaz Stakes during Del Mar’s fall meeting.

Smith will also be aboard First Peace, the morning-line favorite of the Wickerr, a one-mile test for older Cal-breds. It will be Smith’s 12th straight ride (three wins, five seconds, two thirds and a fourth so far) on the 4-year-old son of Funtastic. Antonio Fresu will ride expected second-favorite Almendares. The pair teams to place second in the graded Del Mar Derby last Sept. 3.

Notable

Newcomer jockey Reylu Gutierrez scored his first Del Mar win with the John Sadler-trained Schwarzmeier in a stretch duel with favorite Mirahmadi.

• Favorites won seven of the 11 races: 1. Atomic Drop (Antonio Fresu, $4.80); 2. Getaway Car (Hernandez, $4.60); 4. De’ Medici (Hernandez, $5.00); 5. In Theory (Hernandez, $7.40); 6. Cayucos (Kyle Frey, $3.20); 9. Formidable Man and 10. Thorne House (Tiago Pereira, $5.60).

• Trainer Mark Glatt had three wins Saturday (Atomic Drop, Tigerhon in the third and Thorne House). Baffert and McCarthy each had two winners apiece.

Originally Published: July 20, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.

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San Diego, CA

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

Published

3 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

When we think of May, we think of Mother’s Day, blooming flowers, sunny skies, and lots of fun, seasonal events in the city. This month, locals can dine on the creations of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs at Rancho Bernardo Inn, or take advantage of berry season at the annual Vista Strawberry Festival. Theatre lovers can enjoy a showing of Kim’s Convenience at The Old Globe, while the San Diego Natural History Museum invites art enthusiasts to view its latest marine-themed exhibit. Grab your tickets and crack open that planner. Here are all the best things to do in San Diego this month:

Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

29

Louisiana legend Juvenile, enhances by the live instrumentation of The 400 Degreez Band, will perform career hits and his newest album, Boiling Point, at House of Blues San Diego.

Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

5/5–6/1

Turning the spotlight on contemporary LGBTQ artists, the inaugural ArtSpectrum 2026 will showcase both the grand and intimate scale of contemporary painters, photographers, and mixed media artists at Village Arts Outreach in Balboa Park.

12–24

The only ordinary element of the San Diego International Fringe Festival is the constant thrill of the extraordinary. Discover a plethora of innovative performances at venues from Pacific Beach to Baja.

5/15–6/14

A Korean-Canadian family balances tradition and assimilation from their Toronto storefront in Ins Choi’s comforting satire Kim’s Convenience, making its local premier at The Old Globe.

5/22–2/2027

Ocean debris will receive a new beginning at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Using repurposed pollution, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea depicts creatively sculpted marine life.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

4/30–5/3

Enjoy fine dining at its finest from a lineup of gastronomic titans during 54 Hours with James Beard Award-Winning Chefs. Savor elegant meals, masterclasses, tastings, and more at Rancho Bernardo Inn.

2

Unlimited bites, regional craft beers, and animal observations are on the menu for San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew (with live music), a culinary evening in support of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance.

7

Spend An Evening with David Sedaris, humorist, essayist, and best-selling author. Never afraid to point the pen at himself, Sedaris will share old favorites and works in progress in the classic satirical style he’s known for at Jacobs Music Center.

15–17

Say cheese! And toast to the Cheese & Libation Expo. Explore three days of all-you-can eat and drink fare at BRICK, along with boutique shopping and bountiful pairings.

PARTNER CONTENT

10 Years In, Puffer and Malarkey Are Just Getting Started

Elevating an Icon: Inside the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Clu…

16

Stroll the private grounds of several luxurious homes, accompanied by live music, tabletop designs, and outdoor artistry, during the Secret Garden Tour, La Jolla Historical Society‘s flora and fauna fundraiser.

24

Vista recalls its days as a strawberry-producing superpower through its free Strawberry Festival. Wear your berry best fit, watch film screenings, and enter contests for shortcake, pie, and sundae indulging.

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San Diego, CA

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Published

16 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Located on 17^th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.

“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.

Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.

“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.

Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.

But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.

“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.

In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”

Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.

However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.

“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.

Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.

He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.

“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.

The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.

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