2022 Clement Hirsch Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview
The race drew a field of seven horses headlined by 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil, who comes in out of a victory in the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs on July 2. The field also features Argentinian G1 winner (and American G2 winner) Blue Stripe, multiple G2 winner Private Mission, and G2 winner Soothsay, who makes her first start since winning the Indiana Oaks (G3) last year. It also features Desert Dawn, third in the Kentucky Oaks this year, who faces older mares for the first time ever.
Read on to meet the Clement Hirsch Stakes contenders, learn some historical trends about the race, and find out when and where to bet the race online!
Clement Hirsch Stakes 2022 Information
Race Date: Saturday, August 6, 2022
Track: Del Mar
Post Time: 6:00 p.m. PST
Distance: 1 1/16 miles on dirt
Age/Sex: 3-year-olds and up
Where to Watch: TVG
Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing
Clement Hirsch Stakes Odds
On Wednesday, August 3, Del Mar drew the field for the 2022 Clement Hirsch Stakes, and the track released morning lines on Thursday. The true odds will fluctuate all the way through post time since they are based on the amount of money bet on each horse in the field.
Even so, the morning-line odds are a good place to start because they give a good idea of how betting action will swing on each horse.
This is the Clement Hirsch Stakes field including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soothsay | Richard Mandella | Mike Smith | 5-1 |
| 2 | Lisette | Patrick Gallagher | Victor Espinoza | 30-1 |
| 3 | Desert Dawn | Phil D'Amato | Umberto Rispoli | 5-1 |
| 4 | Private Mission | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 5-2 |
| 5 | Shedaresthedevil | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 8-5 |
| 6 | Samurai Charm | Peter Miller | Ramon Vazquez | 12-1 |
| 7 | Blue Stripe | Marcelo Polanco | Hector Berrios | 4-1 |
As the race draws closer, make sure to watch the odds on TVG or TVG.com because they can give you good betting clues. You can determine whether you are likely to get an overlay -- a better price on the tote board than a horse’s actual chance of winning.
They can also allow you to do what is called “playing the board”. If a horse’s odds are significantly shorter than expected, it means there may be a reason that a horse is live or something the morning line writer may have missed. On the other hand, if a horse is a much longer price than expected, it means they are “cold on the board” and there may be some reason they may not run as well as their form otherwise suggests.
Clement Hirsch Stakes Prep Results
As is common for major races during top summer meets, horses are coming into the Clement Hirsch from many different races. The only race that sends more than one horse into the Clement Hirsch is the Santa Maria (G2), contested at Santa Anita on June 18. The top two finishers, Private Mission and Blue Stripe, return for the Clement Hirsch.
Other than Private Mission, two horses in the field were last seen winning graded races. Shedaresthedevil won the Fleur de Lis last month, and Soothsay won the Indiana Oaks about 13 months ago. Lisette also comes into the race off of a win, though her victory came in a first-level allowance at Santa Anita on June 10. The other two entrants were most recently graded stakes placed: Samurai Charm was second to Becca Taylor in the Great Lady M. (G2) on July 4 as Los Alamitos, and Desert Dawn was a well-beaten third in the Summertime Oaks (G2) after stumbling at the start.
Clement Hirsch Stakes Contenders
Soothsay: One of the most promising three-year-olds of last year, she was sidelined after winning the Indiana Oaks and has been on the shelf for 13 months. She has worked regularly since mid-June, however, and trainer Richard Mandella is strong with layoff horses. Make sure to demand a price, especially with the rail draw, but she has the versatility and class — not to mention, if it looks like an ambitious spot, Mandella usually has good reason for choosing it.
Lisette: She has class to prove; this is her first Grade 1 start, and he has finished off the board in both of the other graded races she has tried. She comes off of a victory in a first-level allowance at Santa Anita in June, but even that was against a three-horse field and the second-place horse was coming in from starter company. She has tactical speed, but needs to run the race of her life to figure in this.
Desert Dawn: The start cost her last out in the Summertime Oaks, but trainer Phil D’Amato must feel good about her if he is already putting her against older. She ran a good third at 50-1 in the Kentucky Oaks, running just half a length behind Nest, who is emerging as a real divisional leader. She needs a modest step up from her top to be a win candidate, but if she can run one of her better efforts against older she could capture a share.
Private Mission: One of the top distaffers of the west coast division last year and this year, she could carve out a good trip with her tactical speed. She also loves this distance, with two wins in two starts at it. She is the kind of horse who tends to stay good when she gets good, suggesting that the victory in the Santa Maria last out could be the beginning of a strong summer campaign for this daughter of Into Mischief.
Shedaresthedevil: After a string of three defeats from last fall into this spring, she found the winners’ circle again after a stalk-and-pounce trip in the Fleur de Lis. She raided west to win the Clement Hirsch last year, winning by 3 ¼ lengths over Venetian Harbor. The top end of this field looks a little tougher this year, especially in the sense of foes who want to go this long. But, her tactical speed and her ability to handle the Del Mar footing bode well for more success.
Samurai Charm: A fixture in starter and allowance company last year, this speedster won an ungraded stake as Los Alamitos last September but hasn’t made the grade yet. She has picked up a couple of placings in one-turn graded stakes this year, though she was well beaten by Private Mission when trying the Zenyatta (G2) at this distance last year and needs a major step forward to be more than just a pacesetter.
Blue Stripe: Though a move straight from Argentina to the Breeders’ Cup was too much last year, she has come inter her own in the United States this year with a win in the Santa Margarita (G2) and a close second in the Santa Maria to Private Mission. She still has to prove she can handle the Del Mar footing, but does not need a huge step up to be a win contender.
Clement Hirsch Stakes Past Winners Past Performances
Over the last 10 years, every Clement Hirsch winner finished in the top three of a graded stakes in her last start, and those races almost always happened at Santa Anita. Typically that race was the Vanity Mile (G1), now known as the Beholder Mile (G1), back when that race was run in June. That race is now in March and no one is coming into the Clement Hirsch out of it. However, Fighting Mad did win the Clement Hirsch off of a win in the Santa Maria, and this year Private Mission and Blue Stripe enter this race off of 1-2 finishes in the Santa Maria.
Last year, before she won, Shedaresthedevil came in off of a third-place finish in the Ogden Phipps (G3). She is the only winner in the last ten years not to have prepared in California, meaning it should not be a concern that she did not prepare outside the Golden State this year, either.
Clement Hirsch Stakes Undercard
The Clement Hirsch Stakes is the ninth race on an 11-race card that also features the California Dreamin’ Stakes for state-bred turf routers. The card also includes several maiden races, including an over-subscribed maiden special weight for promising two-year-old runners. The whole card will air on TVG and TVG.com, and we will be with you all day long with the latest news, information, and insights from Saturday at Del Mar.
Del Mar Race Track
Del Mar Race Track is located just north of San Diego and about two hours south of Los Angeles. As Bing Crosby’s famous song says, you can “take a plane, take a train, take a car.” After all, the rail line stops just yards away from the track entrance. Fans can see the ocean from up in the grandstand off past the head of the stretch.
There are several trackside restaurants available, including Red Star Café, Stretch Run Grill, Veranda Café, and 17 Hands. Horsemen and fans alike gather to dine overlooking the paddock or just above the finish line and enjoy both cuisine and racing action.
Del Mar Race Track has a one-mile oval with chutes for 7/8 and 1 1/4 mile races and a seven-eighths mile oval with a diagonal straight away chute for 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 mile horse races. The turf course is a combination of Common Bermuda and Hybrid Bermuda.
More recently, the Del Mar Race Track underwent a major renovation to modernize facilities. Thanks in part to those changes, as well as a widespread advertising campaign anchored by the slogan, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf,” the Del Mar Race Track continues to post records in handle and attendance while offering some of the greatest thoroughbred horse racing in America.
Clement Hirsch Stakes FAQ
Q: When is the Clement Hirsch Stakes?
A: Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Q: Where is the Clement Hirsch Stakes?
A: It takes place at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California.
Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Clement Hirsch Stakes?
A: Trainer John Sadler has won the most editions of the Clement Hirsch Stakes. He has won five times, most recently with Ollie’s Candy in 2019. He does not have a starter in this year’s edition.
Q: Who is the favorite for the Clement Hirsch Stakes?
A: At 8-5 on the morning line, Shedaresthedevil is the likely favorite in the 2022 Clement Hirsch Stakes. Private Mission is the morning-line second choice at 5-2, and barring a surprise in the betting action should be a well-defined second choice on race day as well.
Q: Who is the best Clement Hirsch Stakes jockey?
A: All-time, Chris McCarron is the leading rider in this race with an astounding seven wins, most recently with Riboletta in 2000. Among active riders, Mike Smith leads with six victories, most recently with Unique Bella in 2018. Smith has a chance to tie McCarron’s record this year, as he rides Soothsay.
Q: Who won the Clement Hirsch Stakes in 2021?
A: Shedaresthedevil, for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux, won the Clement Hirsch in 2021. Shedaresthedevil returns with Cox and Geroux behind her for a 2022 repeat bid.
