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.

“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.”

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.

Sez Me …

Baseball was founded on two things: Failure and rumor.

Gossip is much more fun, although in this era of Unsocial Media, the grapes from the vine can be stupid-bitter and much more toxic than anything Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper came up with during Hollywood’s golden age.

Anyway, as the second half of the MLB season begins, one has caught my eye, the snowballing rumor that Padres GM A.J. Preller’s seat is white-hot, that he will be out if his team doesn’t make the playoffs (a distinct possibility) and spend his time scouting Latin America, where he can find players to trade away.

It’s not surprising. But I’ve heard this all before, and I remain hard to convince.

It’s not a Manhattan Project secret that I’m not a fan of Preller, nor him of me. That’s fine. I have managed to get by without his bon mots during his time in charge, and somehow — thanks largely to late owner Peter Seidler’s loyalty to his GM — so has he.

He’s working on his fourth manager (Mike “Rose Colored Glasses” Shildt), and has yet to do much of anything more than spend hundreds of millions of Seidler’s money. His record is almost 100 games below .500. I can think of no GM — outside of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — who could get away with losing for so long.

But, I have been thinking this team may be Preller’s best work. As it is at this moment, it isn’t even a good club, terribly uneven, with awful elevator moments of good, just enough, and zilch.

While I’m certain the current ineptitude of the game as a whole has helped them remain hovering at .500, they have managed to remain in playoff contention despite their foibles.

Consider:

• The Pads’ top two starters — Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove — have been absent forever. Yu, citing personal issues, may be gone for the season. Joe could be back in a month. What Preller has done with the starting unit during their absence has provided enough buoyancy to keep their heads above the waves.

• Fernando Tatis Jr., their best player, the game’s best right fielder and up there among the most gifted athletes, has a stress reaction in his right femur and hasn’t played since June 21. There remains no timeline for his return.

• Manny Machado’s offseason elbow surgery damaged him at the plate for many weeks and he’s just now coming around to being a threat with the bat.

• Preller’s signing of left fielder Jurickson Profar prior to the season seemed like a $1-million afterthought to most (not me). He’s been their best player and his enthusiasm brings fun to the dreary.

• Expensive Xander Bogaerts hasn’t been near what he was in Boston, but he missed a lot of time with a busted shoulder and has just returned. Maybe he’s not as advertised, but there is threat there. He isn’t a stiff and you start because you’re better than your replacements.

• Robert Suarez has been a  find as the closer.

• Ha-Seong Kim is a fine fielding shortstop with a Gold Glove, and yet through most of the first half he was far too unreliable. He’s improved, but he’s been a run-saver in the past. Saving runs can mean wins.

• Preller drafted Jackson Merrill as a shortstop, and lacking a center fielder — so important in Petco — he put Jackson out there. Success. He’s a Rookie of the Year candidate and an All-Star.

• Preller made a trade with Miami for Luis Arraez, a batting champion in both leagues. He can hit a baseball with great regularity, although he isn’t very good at doing anything else. His production has dropped recently due to a jammed thumb, which makes me wonder why the hell he’s been playing with it.

I can just guess how much weight baseball managers carry. Shildt, who doesn’t seem to believe the media and fans have eyes, is a strong candidate for World Optimist Hall of Fame, who all too often sprays cologne on crap. But somehow he’s been a captain managing to throw enough lifesavers to keep his team afloat.

If Preller holds to form, he will buy, not sell, at the trade deadline — even if his team doesn’t appear playoff-worthy.

Alas, if the Padres play into October, the fishes will be sleeping alongside the rumors. …

Nerds say home plate umps blew nearly 17,000 ball-and-strike calls during the first half. So I don’t want to hear the blue men aren’t getting better. …

A Dodger won Home Run Derby. Now I like it even less. …

Derby TV ratings were the lowest since 2014. America (partially) wising up. …

Baseball’s All-Star Game is the only one of its kind that can do it. Players should wear their team uniforms. The ones they wore last week were designed by people who were asked by MLB fashion geniuses to come up with something swell after spending their entire lives in caves. …

Great news for the rest of the AFC East. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is dumping his other business interests to focus on the team. …

Billions of dollars are being spent on quarterbacks. And yet Patrick Mahomes is the only active NFL QB  under 35 who has won a Super Bowl.  …

Caleb Williams wanted more money from the Bears than he got in NIL at USC. Barely exceeded it — $39 million over four years. …

Baseball sign: “Nobody cares how hard you throw ball four.” …

San Diego sign on a car: “Dodging potholes. Not drunk.” We have so much to be proud of. …

RIP, brilliant Bob Newhart. When he arrived at Johnny Carson’s palatial Malibu home: “Where’s the front desk?” When asked why he never corrected his stammer: “What do you think got me my home in Beverly Hills?” …

RIP, Abner Haynes. There are backs in the Hall of Fame who weren’t Abner. …

RIP, Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten everything you taught me. …

RIP, Richard Simmons. I never tried to do anything you taught me. …

RIP, Joe Bryant. I liked Jelly a lot, a marvelous talent who, unlike son Kobe, couldn’t consistently put it to use. …

Princess Kate went to Wimbledon and a big deal was made of it. Just because she had to pay for tickets. …

Rafael Devers home-runned so hard it broke a seat in Fenway. Know what that means? Bad seat. …

Fans broke through security prior to the Copa America finale when they heard it was possible a goal might be scored. …

Ingrid Andress admits she was drunk during her All-Star  Game butchering of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” There’s never been a clear explanation as to why it’s sung prior to our sporting events. But, patriotic as I am, I have to say that, if it were not, anthem problems would be few. …

I don’t know how many people go into work anymore, but if you do, does the anthem play before you sit down at your desk? …

If you “almost” did something, you didn’t do something. …

I know enough about politics to believe that, if you’re passing the torch, you’d better be sure the person you’re passing it to can grab it.

Originally Published: July 20, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

The All Blacks’ impressive scrum effort, backed by a much tidier lineout display, was backed by a much tidier lineout display. They relished the chance to build their plays while also introducing six new players to Test match play.

The Fijians enjoyed their best moments in the middle of the second half, doing the All Blacks a favour as they introduced their substitutes en masse, ensuring those newcomers received a realistic introduction to Test play. That was most obvious for halfback Noah Hotham, whose start was made in the first half after an injury to starting halfback Cortez Ratima was injured.

Complementing the scrum performance was strong running consistently through the game by second five-eighths Anton Lienert-Brown, who took on the Fijians every time he touched the ball. He worked well with debut centre Billy Proctor, who also enjoyed an impressive display, marking the occasion with a try.

Another to score on debut was replacement hooker George Bell, who drove over for the last try of the game. 

The New Zealanders took full advantage of their 58 per cent first-half possession advantage to run the ball often, freed from the confines of England’s rush defence, to lead 26-5 at halftime. The Fijians’ accuracy did not help them, as they missed 26 first-half tackles compared to seven by the All Blacks.

While they improved in the second half, they were unable to complete the breakouts they achieved, several times losing the ball close to the All Blacks’ line.

The All Blacks settled into their routines, and it was a ninth-minute kick by first five-eighths Damian McKenzie to Sevu Reece on the right wing to create the first try. Reece passed inside to Proctor, who went to the ground. Quick ball saw McKenzie step through the line. He linked with fullback Beauden Barrett, and wing Caleb Clarke cut back against the grain for the try.

Three minutes later, from the first scrum, quick ball again saw second five-eighths Lienert-Brown make another break, and from the ruck Ratima, took a gap to score on starting debut.

Fiji struck back in the 17th minute, after a period in the All Blacks half. It was a cross-kick by first five-eighths Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula to wing Semi Redradra that opened their chance. In the tackle, the pass inside found fullback Vilimoni Botitu, who scored.

Proctor scorched onto the attack from the restart, and while points reward was not immediate, he was on hand from a 25th-minute scrum 15m out from the Fiji line when the All Blacks went right initially before moving back to the left, where Barrett fed Proctor through to score.

Fiji had no answer to the All Blacks’ scrum power, even on their ball, and from one scrum, the All Blacks pushed over the ball, won a penalty and kicked to the corner. Another penalty from the lineout play saw them opt for a tap penalty move. Hooker Asafo Aumua took the ball to the line, and it was No8 Ardie Savea, who was hard to stop whenever he had the ball in hand, running back across the ruck, who took the ball, propped and ducked through the defence to score.

Unfortunately, in the restart, Ratima was injured and forced to leave the field, giving Hotham his All Blacks debut.

In the follow-up play, Fiji attacked, and wing Jiuta Wainiqolo looked to have scored in McKenzie’s tackle, but a TMO check revealed he dropped the ball over the line.

Wing Sevu Reece was on the end of quick passing through the line to open the second half, scoring with his 17th Test match try three minutes after the start.

Clarke’s second try was denied in the 53rd minute after the TMO showed that the gap Reece took to create the movement was made possible because lock Scott Barrett took out Fijian replacement prop Haereiti Hetet off the ball.

But it was only a momentary setback as solid defence opened up more ball as the All Blacks flooded the field with their substitutes, who combined in the 58th minute when No8 Wallace Sititi ripped the ball free in a tackle. Hotham moved the ball to replacement prop Pasilio Tosi. He made ground before finding Sititi, who took the ball to the line, where replacement prop Ethan de Groot picked the ball up and charged over to score.

Sititi again featured with solid runs to set up the final try for Bell in the 76th minute.

Scorers: New Zealand 47 (Caleb Clarke, Cortez Ratima, Billy Proctor, Ardie Savea, Sevu Reece, Ethan de Groot, George Bell tries; Damian McKenzie 6 con) Fiji 5 (Vilimoni Botitu try). HT: 26-5.