(Eunomia wins G1 Hirsch at Del Mar on Saturday / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of the Del Mar Turf Club)

From the Del Mar Turf Club Media Team / Jim Charvat:

Eunomia Captures Gr. I Hirsch at Del Mar; “Whim” Also Scores

St. Elias Stables and WSS Racing’s Eunomia, shipped in to Del Mar from the east to take a run at the $400,000, Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Saturday, pulled off the caper in fine fashion as she ran the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:44.10 and came home a half-length best on a glorious afternoon at the shore.

The 4-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law from an American Pharoah mare, registered the fifth victory of her career in her 16th start and picked up a check for $240,000 to push her bankroll to $566,193. She returned her backers $26.80 for $2.

The score was the first ever in his first mount at Del Mar for rider Micah Husbands, while it was the second Del Mar stakes score for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Finishing second in the headliner was a fast-closing Om N Joy, owned by Baker Stables and partners. Running third, another length behind, was Grantley Acres and partners’ Simply Joking.

This was the 56th edition of the Hirsch, named after the man who was both one of the founders of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, as well as the Oak Tree Racing Association, which was a partner with Del Mar in putting on this special day.

Earlier on the card, Harris Farms’ homebred On the Whim proved a head best in a three-horse photo in the 21st edition of the California Dreamin’ Stakes for Cal-breds on the turf.

The winner, handled by Tiago Pereira and trained by Dean Pederson, covered the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:40.77 and returned $6.80 to his backers in the Saturday crowd. It was the fourth score in the stakes for Pederson in the past five years, including a tally by On the Whim in the race in 2023. It was also the second Cal-bred stakes score at the session for a horse bred and owned by the late John Harris. They had captured Friday’s Real Good Deal Stakes with He’s a Knockout.

Finishing second in the “Dreamin’” was Blinkers On Racing and partners’ Old Pal, who had a nose on the show horse, Les Blake’s None Above the Law.

On the Whim is now a 6-year-old by Acclamation our of a Maria’s Mon mare. His is a five-time winner who picked up a check today for $85,500 and now sports earnings of $400,508.

Racing will return to Del Mar Sunday with a first post of 2 p.m. on a 10-race card.

MICAH HUSBANDS (Eunomia, winner) – “I didn’t have any special instruction on how to ride her. Saffie (trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.) just told me to find a good spot and make her comfortable. She did just that. I could tell they weren’t going that fast for these type horses, so I was comfortable with her all the way around. She gave me a good kick and we got it done. My first ride at Del Mar and it was a good one.”

SAFFIE JOSEPH, JR. (Eunomia, winner) – “Ideally I wanted her to sit just behind the front runners but the filly was a bit keen. I had told Micah (Husbands) she doesn’t like to fight you so he didn’t do that and instead got into a good rhythm where she got comfortable and we got first run on them. Obviously, the horse on the inside was battling and I was just hoping our filly would find a little bit more and she did. Thankfully she held them off.”

FRACTIONS:  :23.20  :46.81  1:10.99  1:37.03  1:44.10

The stakes win was the first at Del Mar for rider Husbands and the second for trainer Joseph, Jr.

The mount was the first at Del Mar for rider Husbands.

The stakes score for Joseph, Jr. follows a 2024 tally in the BC Filly & Mare Sprint with Soul of an Angel.

The winning owner is St. Elias Stables and WSS Racing.