Clement L. Hirsch Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Del Mar Race Track in the great state of California will play host to the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Saturday, August 2. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be featured as they go 1 1/16 miles on Del Mar's All Weather Track searching for the winner's share of the $300,000 purse and an automatic bid into the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

A field of seven older females will line up in the Clement L. Hirsch - race 8 on Del Mar's Saturday card. Post time is 5:30 PM. Let's take a glance into the past performances of all seven entries for this Grade 1 stakes - all of which come from the tutelage of just three trainers.

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2014 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Iotapa - John Sadler trainee is coming off an incredible 10 1/4 length win in the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita June 14 after an uncharacteristic sixth in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff and a good second behind Let Faith Arise as 7-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes March 15. Before that was a terrific gate-to-wire win over Let Faith Arise and Stanwyck in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes with a career best 99 Beyer figure here February 15. She also had a good second in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes to start 2014 January 15 after an OK third in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes here way back on July 21. Other results include a very respectable second behind Beholder 2 3/4 lengths back in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and a win the minor Railbird Stakes as 7-5 favorite over Fiftyshadesofhay May 19. Iotapa has five wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts and will be looking to build on a terrific effort last time out. Joe Talamo rides the likely heavy favorite and 123 pound highweight from post 2 Saturday.

Fiftyshadesofhay - Bob Baffert trained multiple graded stakes winner has been coming on lately. She had three nice graded stakes wins in 2013 - the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel by 5 3/4 lengths last January 26, the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 17 and in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks June 29 and also had a very nice second behind Beholder in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes last March 2. She also third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks April 6 last year behind Beholder. Fiftyshadesofhay was OK in her first two starts this year but has looked better of late - a third last time out in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap followed a good win in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes in May. Overall Fiftyshadesofhay has five wins, four seconds and four thirds in 17 career starts and looks to be Iotapa's biggest challenge Saturday. Martin Garcia rides from the inside post looking for Fiftyshadesofhay's first Grade 1 score.

Clement L. Hirsch Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Parranda - won the Millions Filly and Mare Turf Preview Stakes at Gulfstream in November and the Florida Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf January 18 and went on to another win - in the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes in gate-to-wire fashion February 8 with a fourth in the Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap in December sandwiched in there. Last time out was yet another win in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes June 28 after an OK third as 2-1 favorite in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes May 26, a victory in the Grade 3 Wilshire April 27 and a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream March 15. Parranda has won four of her last six starts (all stakes races) with some minor stumbles along the way but looks good ahead of this weekend. Elvis Trujillo has the mount from post 6 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in Parranda's synthetic debut.

Doinghardtimeagain - Jerry Hollendorfer pupil entered the 2013 Del Mar Oaks having won three of four starts with a fourth in the minor Fleet Treat Stakes July 27 ending a three race streak. Those victories included a terrific win in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks, a nice win in the Melair Stakes April 27 and a win in the Evening Jewel Stakes March 30. Doinghardtimeagain finished an ugly ninth in the Del Mar Oak and was forced to the sideline for 10 months. She returned to action June 15 and finished last of five in the minor Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita but most recently bounced back with a terrific win in the Great Lady M Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos July 12. She now has six wins and three second place finishes in 13 career starts and was as good as ever last time out. Mike Smith will ride from post 4 Saturday.

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More Chocolate - John Sadler trainee makes her first start since November Saturday - the last time she was seen was a seventh in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes in November and a fifth in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in September. She made her stakes debut and finished a very pleasant third in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes December 30, 2012 and followed that with a very nice win in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes by two lengths January 20, 2013 and a second in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes March 16. Last summer she placed second in two straight graded stakes races - in the 2013 Clement L. Hirsch August 3 and to Byrama in the competitive Grade 1 Vanity Handicap - all followed a tepid fifth in the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs May 3. More Chocolate now has three wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 14 career starts and will look to place for the first time in nearly a year. Victor Espinoza gets the mount post 5 in More Chocolate's first start since November.

Broken Sword - Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has just one start in 2014 - a fifth in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes In January after a terrific end to her 2013 campaign - a win by 4 1/4 lengths with a career best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at 8-1 odds at Hollywood Park December 7 followed and Allowance Optional Claiming score at Golden Gate November 10. This after alternating fifths and thirds in her previous five starts. She has three wins and three seconds in eight career starts and enters in terrific form. Rafael Bejarano gets the call Saturday in Broken Sword's first start since January looking to bounce back from a disappointment in the La Canada.

Legacy - John Sadler trained filly is coming off her first stakes win - the minor Cypress Stakes at Los Alamitos July 6 after a sixth in the Grade 2 Adoration Stakes in May, an OK second behind the terrific Beholder in the minor Santa Lucia Stakes here April 20 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score also on this track March 23. She has three wins, a second and two third place finishes in 12 career starts and will have Tyler Baze in the saddle from the outside post.