Berrios Shines on Del Mar Opening Day as Game Warrior Takes the Oceanside

Chilean Jockey Berrios Shines With Opening-Day Double at Del Mar, Including Oceanside Stakes

Game Warrior and Hector Berrios Impress on Del Mar Opening Day / BENOIT PHOTO

DEL MAR, California (Special for Turf Diario).-  The always vibrant Opening Day of Del Mar’s summer meet had a distinct Chilean accent this year. With a masterful, precision ride, Hector Berrios guided Game Warrior to victory in the Oceanside Stakes (Listed, 1600mT, $102,500), marking the biggest win yet for the son of Game Winner, the champion by Candy Ride who will begin stud duty in Brazil this year. It wasn’t the only highlight for Berrios, who posted a double on the card, further cementing his strong form in the US and his affinity for the seaside track.

Racing over firm turf before a capped crowd of 21,209, Game Warrior earned his first stakes success in his 11th career start. Breaking from post seven, Berrios angled him smoothly to the rail and engineered a flawless trip. When needed, he found a seam, drove through traffic, and withstood contact in deep stretch to prevail by a determined half-length.

“He ran a really good race. He was relaxed the whole way, and when I asked him, he responded strongly. We had some trouble in the stretch, got bumped a bit, but nothing serious,” said the Chilean rider, celebrating his 20th stakes win at Del Mar and his first in the Oceanside.

The victory was also significant for trainer Peter Miller, among Del Mar’s most successful horsemen, who captured his second Oceanside (having won in 2016 with Monster Bea) and pushed his stakes tally at the track to an impressive 49. “I didn’t recognize him at first in the stretch. I said, ‘The horse splitting horses looks like a winner,’ and my son said, ‘That’s Game, that’s Game!’ When I saw the orange saddlecloth, I knew it. Hector gave him a fantastic ride. From post seven, he got him to the rail before the first turn, saved ground all the way, and found the hole at the right time,” Miller explained.

Racing for Jethorse, the stable of Eve Reger from Billings, Montana, Game Warrior held off the late charge of favored Iron Man Cal (Collected) by half a length, after that rival stumbled at the break and made up significant ground along the rail. Just a neck back in third was Lyle the Crocodile (Inns of Court).

The Oceanside fractions were 23.48, 48.21, 1:12.65, and 1:24.68, with a final time of 1:36.32.

Beyond his featured success, Berrios shone brightly throughout the afternoon, starting the meet with a win aboard Ready to Pounce (More Than Ready) in a claiming event that opened the card, showcasing his tactical versatility. The double stamped him as one of the standout riders in Del Mar’s strong Latin colony and a jockey to watch closely this summer.