The FanDuel Racing Fall Turf Festival at Del Mar begins on Friday with the 43rd running of the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup, a challenging mile-and-a-half race on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. This event carries a storied legacy dating back to its roots at Hollywood Park, boasting an impressive roster of past champions like John Henry, The Great Communicator, Bien Bien, Itzalgriktorm, and Fries.
The Turf Cup has been hosted in Del Mar 11 times, with notable winners including Finnegans Wake, The Pizza Man, and Arklow. This year, nine horses are slated to compete, led by last year’s champion Truly Quality, a 5-year-old Quality Road offspring who has not raced since placing fourth behind Gold Phoenix in the summer’s G2 Del Mar Handicap. Trainer Jonathan Thomas noted that Truly Quality experienced minor setbacks and required a slower pace for recovery. Though well-prepared, Thomas remains cautiously optimistic, pointing out that horses returning from a long break at this distance can be unpredictable, yet Truly Quality has strong fitness.
Last year, Truly Quality triumphed over Barnikov and Nine-Eleven Turbo, both of whom return aiming to reclaim the title. Nine-Eleven Turbo, an 8-year-old son of More Than Lady, recently traveled to Kentucky for three races—two at Kentucky Downs and one at Keeneland. He usually competes in Allowance Company but has experience in high-stakes races. Barnikov comes to the Turf Cup fresh off an allowance victory at Del Mar’s opening weekend, marking his first win since the G3 Dinner Party at Pimlico in May 2024 and his first non-stakes win since joining the U.S. circuit in early 2022. Trainer Phil D’Amato attributes Barnikov’s success to the confidence boost from competing at an easier level and his affinity for the grass course.
The horses placing second and third behind Barnikov in the Santa Anita allowance race, Frasiest and Reiquist, will also participate in the Hollywood Turf Cup. Frasiest has been running in allowance races since late last year, while Reiquist recently finished ninth in the G2 Sycamore at Keeneland but otherwise races in allowances on the West Coast. British-bred gelding Mondego, bred by Michael McCarthy Farm, has competed in the last two G2 races, finishing fifth in the Del Mar Handicap by just 1 1/4 lengths and fourth in the G2 John Henry at Santa Anita last September.
The G2 Hollywood Turf Cup is the opening race of seven stakes that make up the FanDuel Racing Fall Turf Festival and is the seventh race on Friday’s nine-race card, with an estimated post time of 3:30 p.m. The lineup for the Rail Out features: Balladeer (Edwin Maldonado), The Flashest (Armando Ayuso), Rastaman Atmosphere (Juan Hernandez), Nenelenturbo (Antonio Fres), Grogu (Diego Herrera), Reiquist (Héctor I. Bellis), Truly Quality (Marco DeMuro), Barnikov (Humberto Rispoon), and Mondego (Kazushi Kimura).
This story was first published by Paulick Report on November 24, 2025, under the News section.
Fan Take: The Hollywood Turf Cup remains a cornerstone event showcasing premier grass marathon talent, making it a must-watch for horse racing enthusiasts. This race not only honors a rich tradition but also signals emerging competitive narratives that could shape the future dynamics of turf racing.
