2025 Del Mar Futurity Preview

Key takeaways:

• Litmus Test offers value as the “other Baffert,” with a stalking style and outside draw that could set up perfectly in a speed-heavy race.
• Brant, the $3 million purchase, has the pedigree, debut win, and Flavien Prat’s loyalty that make him a major player.
• Desert Gate is the only stakes winner and the likely favorite, but faces tougher pace pressure this time.

The Del Mar meet closes on Sunday, September 7, but not before one more Grade 1 event: the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity. A field of six has drawn in to contest the seven-furlong dirt race. The leader of the field is Best Pal Stakes (G3) winner Desert Gate, though several impressive maiden winners, including Brant and Balboa, line up to try and chase him down.

The race does not offer an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but it will likely have Breeders’ Cup implications since it is a Grade 1 race over the course where that race will be contested on October 31. The race can also be a good prep for Breeders’ Cup qualifier races coming up in early autumn, including the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita on October 4.

Five horses have swept the Del Mar Futurity and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile: Game Winner (2018), Nyquist (2015), Midshipman (2008), Stevie Wonderboy (2005), and Tasso (1985). Other important Del Mar Futurity winners include Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2014) as well as Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist (2015), Silver Charm (1996), Gato del Sol (1981), and Tomy Lee (1958).

Del Mar Futurity Information

• Race Date: Sunday, September 7
• Track: Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California
• Post Time: 3:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
• Distance: seven furlongs on the dirt
• Age/Sex: two-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2025 Del Mar Futurity Draw and Odds

This is the six-horse field for the Del Mar Futurity, including post positions, trainers, and jockeys. Morning-line odds have not been released, but we will update when that information is available.

Del Mar Futurity Prep Race Results

The six horses come out of four different last-out races, all on the dirt at Del Mar. All four Bob Baffert trainees in the field come out of wins, while both Doug O’Neill trainees are looking for their first career win.

Two horses come out of the Best Pal, a six-furlong sprint stakes on August 9. Desert Gate, sent off the 1-5 favorite in that race, disputed the early pace and drew off to win by 8 ¾ lengths. The only other horse coming out of that previous local stakes is Brigante, who crossed the wire 9 ¾ lengths behind Desert Gate in third.

The much-hyped Brant, a $3 million purchase at OBS March this year, comes into the Del Mar Futurity off of a winning debut on July 26, in which he stalked the pace and drew off to win by 5 ¼ lengths over Civil Liberty, who disputed the pace but proved no match in the lane. Civil Liberty re-opposes here. Balboa, also entered in this race, was third in that group—but returned August 10 to romp in a 6 ½-furlong maiden race over the local course, winning by 7 ¾ lengths in the longest race that any horse in the field had contested to date.

Litmus Test comes out of a winning debut in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight sprint at Del Mar on August 16. He stalked the pace, led in upper stretch, and dug in to hold by three-quarters of a length.

2025 Del Mar Futurity Contenders

These are the six horses entered in the race, organized by post position:

1. Brigante: One of two maidens in the field for trainer Doug O’Neill, he has two races worth of experience already, which ties him for most starts in the field. However, he has yet to hit the line first—next-out stakes winner Hey Nay Nay held him at bay in his turf sprint debut, and then he was no threat to Desert Gate in the Best Pal on August 9. Though his pedigree could go either way, his start on the turf was better, and that debut race was live for turf horses—not only did Hey Nay Nay come back to win on the grass, third-place Win for Lou also won a maiden special weight turf mile next out. The extra bit of distance should suit Brigante, but in the balance, it makes sense to wait for a return to the lawn.
2. Brant: Expectations were high for this Bob Baffert-trained son of Gun Runner after that $3 million price tag at OBS March this year. He was bet to odds-on for his unveiling in July, and he ran to that money, leaving both Civil Liberty and Balboa flailing in his dust. Balboa has already returned to win for fun, suggesting some quality. It is also a point in Brant’s favor that he didn’t just need to lead at every call—he graduated in stalk-and-pounce fashion, meaning Flavien Prat doesn’t have to gun him with the likes of Balboa, Civil Liberty, and Desert Gate all drawn in against him, because he knows Brant can pass horses.
3. Balboa: He was no match for Brant or even Civil Liberty on debut after getting burned up in a pace battle. However, he came back fitter next out, surviving a contested early pace and drawing off to win by 7 ¾ lengths on August 10. It was a nice step forward, and the 6 ½-furlong distance of that race is the longest any of these horses has ever gone. The drawback is, he will probably have to either prove he can do the dirty work against other speed and keep going against a much better field than in his maiden-breaker (including both Brant and Civil Liberty, plus Desert Gate and others), or he’ll have to prove he can rate on the biggest stage to date.
4. Civil Liberty: He was part of a pace battle with Balboa in his 5 ½-furlong debut July 26—and though he won the battle against Balboa, he lost the war to Brant. The Doug O’Neill trainee has freshened up for this outing, where he’ll face those same two foes, plus two more from the Baffert barn who appear to be good ones. He has room to move forward in his second start and should improve at the longer distance, and though he will need to improve significantly if some of his foes move forward, he has shown more than his rail-drawn stablemate on the track and seems the more likely of the two O’Neill horses to crash the Baffert party.
5. Desert Gate: The question Desert Gate will have to answer as the likely favorite is whether he is the best horse in the race, or merely the most precocious. He is the only two-time winner in the field, and he won his unveiling at Santa Anita as well as the Best Pal in similar ways: disputing the pace in a short field before drawing off. Now he faces a field of seven, not a large field but still larger than either of the fields he has beat. He will also have speed to battle with, both from the O’Neill trained Civil Liberty as well as Baffert barnmate Balboa. The fact that jockey Juan Hernandez sticks with him despite also having ridden Balboa and Litmus Test bodes well for his chances, but in a race likely to come down to trip, the trip won’t be great at the short price.
6. Litmus Test: Unlike his three stablemates in this race, all of whom broke their maidens by gaping margins, Litmus Test had to work for his victory on August 16 at Del Mar, stalking the pace and battling to win by three-quarters of a length. The top two were well clear of the rest, though, suggesting that he (and second-place Falcon Jet) may have some quality. He drew better this time, to the outside of a short field instead of toward the inside, meaning it could be easier for him than anyone to work a clean stalking trip in this race. And, everything about his pedigree suggests that some extra distance will do him good.

Del Mar Futurity: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the Del Mar Futurity:

1. Litmus Test (6-1)

Likely the third-stringer on the tote board among four from the Bob Baffert barn, Litmus Test came out of a maiden win where he proved he could rate, and also proved he could battle on if a horse tried to keep him honest down the lane. In a race where so many of the major contenders just broke their maidens for fun, the fact that Litmus Test has had … a litmus test, if you will, makes him appealing.

Furthermore, in a race that could come down to trip, Litmus Test can work the best one of all. There is no shortage of early speed in this race between Balboa, Civil Liberty, and Desert Gate. Litmus Test is drawn outside that bunch, giving him a good chance to start cleanly, find a stalking spot, and make his run down the lane. Especially with upside to improve in just his second career start, that is a lot to like about a horse who stands to go off at a price … especially since, even though Bob Baffert wins this race like clockwork, those “Other Bafferts” often carry the day.

2. Brant (1-1)

Between the two shorter-priced Baffert horses in the race, consider Brant and fade Desert Gate. Though Desert Gate is the one with more experience, he has done the same thing both times: fight on the lead. In this race, the fight will be even more tooth-and-nail. On the other hand, Brant beat a field including several of his foes here in stalk-and-pounce fashion on debut.

The draw toward the inside gives him a little more possibility to get snarled up early compared to his outside-drawn stablemate Litmus Test. But, his debut was impressive, he has the pedigree for more distance, and the fact that Flavien Prat gives up a huge-money day at Kentucky Downs to ride this horse reads as a vote of confidence. If Brant finds a good spot early, he could very well run to the money.

3. Civil Liberty (9-2)

Two horses in the field are not trained by Bob Baffert—both are trained by Doug O’Neill. Rail-drawn Brigante would need to move forward significantly, and may have more of a future on the lawn. However, Civil Liberty has some appeal. The pace won’t be easy—he got looped into a speed duel on debut, and that could very well happen again this time around. However, it is a point in his favor that he fared better out of the speed duel than Balboa, even if Brant mowed him down eventually. He may not be able to improve enough (or get a good enough trip) to win, but if a horse invades the Bafferts in the exotics, it will most likely be Civil Liberty.

2025 Del Mar Futurity FAQ

Q: When and where is the Del Mar Futurity?

A: The race happens on Sunday, September 7, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. It is the fourth of 11 races on the closing-day card at Del Mar.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Del Mar Futurity?

A: Bob Baffert has owned this race over the last 30 years. From 1996 through 2024, he has won 18 runnings of the race, most recently with Gaming in 2024. Four of the six horses in the race can extend his record to 19: Balboa, Brant, Desert Gate, or Litmus Test.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Del Mar Futurity?

A: The morning line for the Del Mar Futurity has not been released yet. However, the betting choice will likely be either Desert Gate or Brant. Desert Gate is the only two-time winner in the field, including an 8 ¾-length victory in the Best Pal, making him the only stakes winner. He also keeps Juan Hernandez in the irons, which reads as a vote of confidence. Brant keeps Flavien Prat from his maiden-breaker, showed tactical speed on debut, and shoulders the expectations (and attention) of a $3 million auction price tag.

Q: Who is the best Del Mar Futurity jockey?

A: Jockey Bill Shoemaker won this race six times between 1954 and 1974, including four straight between 1971 and 1974. Among the riders entered in this race in 2025, Flavien Prat leads with three wins: Dr. Schivel in 2020, Prince of Monaco in 2023, and Gaming in 2024. He can extend that mark if he guides Brant to victory in 2025.

Q: Who won the Del Mar Futurity in 2024?

A: Gaming won the 2024 Del Mar Futurity for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat, who reunite with Brant in 2025. Baffert also sends out Balboa with Kazushi Kimura riding, Desert Gate with Juan Hernandez in the irons, and Litmus Test with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle.

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