Read Stakes -GII
$250.00 For Three Year Olds And Upwards
1 1/8 Miles – Turf
Del Mar – July 26, 2026

The Read Stakes has been run at Del Mar twenty-two previous times. It was once a grade one event but like a lot of races in CA it has found itself moved down the graded scale and it is a grade two again this year as it has been in its last ten editions. Grade two is still not too shabby and six horses had their owners pass their names (along with the hefty entrance fee) through the entry box hoping to take the win, the black type, the points and the purse. 

1. Malediction (Nakamura Stables/R. Santana Jr.) The winner of last year’s Super Derby made his grass debut two races back and it resulted in a two length win at Woodbine. The race was impressive enough that he tried the G2 Wise Dan where he finished seventh. Although the placing was not impressive he was closing in the stretch and he gets a little bit more distance to work with today. That was not a bad effort and he draws post one today vs. his post ten draw in the Wise Dan. 

2. Sioux Arrival (High Voltage/J. Lezcano) Set the pace in the G2 Wise Dan before fading late falling all the way down to seventh place. Unlike Malediction to his inside the extra distance wouldn’t seem to be a thing to add to his “pros” column but he did win the G3 San Gabriel last year at the Read distance. Before the Wise Dan he missed winning the G1 Shoemaker Mile by a neck and posted his career high SRF speed figure of 103 which seems more representative of his talent as a winner of more than $2,300.00 lifetime. 

3. Port Gibson (The Sidley Stud/P. Lopez) This seven year old is not as accomplished as his stablemate to his inside but he has posted a 102 SRF in two of his last three races. Since being claimed for $4.00 last October he has raced in six straight stakes races winning the Gendelman Memorial Stakes and placing in two graded stakes races on the grass. His last race was a fifth in the G3 Kelso losing by less than a length, closing like the great Kelso himself. Ignore at your own risk. 

4. Chagrin Falls (Mo Mentum Farm/V. Expinoza) Returns to Del Mar for the first time since winning the G1 Breeders Cup Turf. Since that win, he has raced three times in 2026 exclusively in G1 company. He started the year by winning The Pegasus World Cup Turf then ran sixth in the G1 Forester Turf Classic before rebounding with a near miss second in the G1 Manhattan so he is still sharp and to be feared. The eight year old comes into the race boasting a five race streak of triple digit speed figures.

5. Brit Style (Lemax Farms/A. Fresu) He is a graded stakes winner sprinting on the grass and has been seeking to add a route equivalent. He has come pretty close losing the G1 Shoemaker Mile by a half length and the G2 Wise Dan by three quarters of a length. Those were his most recent races and he earned 102 and 100 spread figures respectively in those. He has yet to hit the board in three races beyond a mile and a sixteenth but I wouldn’t say there is ample evidence of a distance limitation. Very capable based on recency.

6. McWicked (Mb Stables/J.R. Velasquez) The four year old is a multiple stakes winner including the G2 The National Museum of Racing and the G3 Commonwealth Turf last year as a three year old. He has been carefully handled this season only racing three times and opening up with two allowance starts to sharpen him. After his allowance win at Keeneland in April he stepped back into stakes company and ran a solid third in the G3 Arlington Stakes. You get the feeling he is rounding into best form and maybe his serious season is just starting,

It is hard to go against Chagrin Falls in this spot so he will be the top choice. You can make a case for just about all but Brit Style has been sharp and consistent for an extended period of time so place him second followed by Port Gibson and McWicked.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES