Del Mar H. Presented by The Japan Racing Association

Michael House’s Irish-bred Hunt, victorious in the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes a month ago, confirmed his quality on Aug. 19 in the $250,000, Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association at Del Mar.

Perfectly placed by jockey Flavien Prat in fourth as longshot Mr. Roary showed the field of 13 through the early stages of the 1 3/8-mile turf contest, Hunt tracked slow quarter-mile fractions of :24.40, :49.40, 1:14.88, and 1:39.09 for a mile before he darted between horses in upper stretch to take command.

“The slow pace helped us; he liked that, coming from the shorter race,” Prat said. “We were close up, too. He likes to be among horses; covered up. I followed Gary [Stevens on co-second choice Ashleyluvssugar] through the hole [at the top of the stretch], then dropped down. He had it from there.”

“It was a masterful ride,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “Flavien just bided his time, let the race develop a little, found a seam on the inside, and turned him loose. He got it done.”

Hunt was all-out to resist the late challenge of 5-2 favorite Itsinthepost and jockey Tyler Baze by three-quarters of a length, while 18-1 longshot Flamboyant finished third, a head back.

“He was way the best horse; way the best,” Baze said of Itsinthepost’s narrow loss. “I had to wait, wait, wait on the turn. If I could have gotten him out, we would have come running.”

The Del Mar Handicap is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” race for the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and the victory guaranteed 5-year-old Hunt an automatic berth in the Nov. 4 race at Del Mar.

Hunt finished the Del Mar Handicap distance in 2:14.93 and returned $8.80, $4.60, and $3.60 across the board.