Berg Bahn has settled in at trainer Patrick Gallagher's barn to make
final preparations for next Saturday's 54th running of the Grade I, $300,000
Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf
Course.
Berg Bahn, trained by Gerard M. Lyons and in the
hands of traveling lad Shane Lyons, the trainer's brother, arrived Friday
afternoon after clearing quarantine at Hollywood Park.
The Irish-bred daughter of Big Bad Bob won the Group III Brownstown Stakes in Ireland in her
most recent outing on June 30.
She went to the track this morning for the first
time.
The other European for the race, Distinctive, is
expected next week, Gallagher said this morning. Distinctive is trained by
Bryan Smart and won the Group I Firth of Clyde as a 2-year-old and was fourth
in the Brownstown Stakes last out.
Another shipper expected for the race, but not from
such a distance, is the Canada-based Perfect Shirl, trained by Roger Attfield
for owner Charles E. Fipke. Chantal Sutherland will ride. Perfect Shirl is on a
three-race win streak, including the Grade II Lake George Stakes at Saratoga on July 28.
From home base at Del Mar will come the Jim
Cassidy-trained multiple graded stakes winner Evening Jewel with Victor
Espinoza; Grade I winner Crisp, trained by John Sadler with Rafael Bejarano in
the irons; Harmonious, winner of the Grade I American Oaks for trainer John
Shirreffs, who will be ridden by Mike Smith, and It Tiz, the only non-graded
winner of the early prospects, who is trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by David
Flores.
Entry time is Wednesday and 10 fillies will go to the
gate, with first preference going to winners of Group or Grade I races and
second preference for fillies that have finished second or third in such races.