The $400,000 Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar will feature accomplished fillies and mares on Saturday. Five graded stakes winners were among the seven racehorses for the one 1/16-mile event. 

The Hirsch also offers a "Win, and You're In" entry to the 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. The substantial prize and Grade 1 status are incentives.

Who will add their name to the list of previous Clement L. Hirsch champions, which includes horses like Princess Rooney, Princess Rooney, Pasadena, Azeri, Zenyatta, and Beholder, to name a few? Though she wouldn't be joining the roster as she is already on it after winning the Hirsch in 2021, it might be #6 Shedaresthedevil.

Shedaresthedevil, who used pace-tracking strategies before bursting to a three 1/4-length victory last year, was, in fact, far and away the best in this race. Shedaresthedevil also won the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes presented by Twinspires.com, the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes, and the Grade 3 Locust Grove Stakes during this exceptionally successful campaign.

Shedaresthedevil started slowly in 2022, placing second in the Grade 1 La Troienne and third in the Grade 2 Azeri. Shedaresthedevil had a turnaround in her third run of the season when she shifted from pacesetting to tracking strategies and won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs with a promising 101 Brisnet Speed rating.

In the Hirsch, Shedarestthedevil should be able to use the same approach. The sixth-place finisher in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes sprint at Los Alamitos last month, Samurai Charm, has set the pace in her four route races and is expected to move quickly after the gun. Shedaresthedevil should race #4 Private Mission prominently so that he may set up a good stalking position. Shedaresthedevil should have a solid opportunity to win the Hirsch again and add the fourth Grade 1 victory to her impressive resume.

Private Mission is a clear candidate for second place. She dominated the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes competition at Del Mar as a 3-year-old in 2021 by 6 1/2 lengths. She subsequently faced off against older opposition in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita and triumphed by 2 1/4 lengths.

After establishing a fast pace in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Private Mission slipped to last place and lost twice more when sprinting at Santa Anita in the winter. Although Private Mission tracked the early pace before holding off Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes winner #7 Blue Stripe to win the one 1/16-mile race by three-quarters of a length, expanding out in the distance for the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes on June 18 proved most appropriate.

Blue Stripe, a skilled midfield closer with rising Brisnet Speed ratings, comes to mind. The Argentine-bred mare has a chance to recover and place in the top three if the Hirsch pace picks up steam.

#3 Desert Dawn is a 3-year-old filly facing older rivals for the first time. She failed to register after making a grave mistake at the start of the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks, her most recent outing. Still, she had received favourable Brisnet Speed ratings in the past after pulling off an unexpected victory in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks and placing third in Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks. She cannot be disregarded as a possibility.

The number one Soothsay is the wild card in the Hirsch field. The 4-year-old Richard Mandella trainee hasn't raced since winning the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks 13 months ago, but her 3-for-4 lifetime record is promising, and she's recorded quick workouts in anticipation of her comeback. If Soothsay outperforms expectations following the layoff, don't be shocked.

The second-placed Lisette, who placed sixth behind Blue Stripe in the Santa Margarita, completes the lineup. She easily won an allowance-optional claiming race at Santa Anita two months ago. Still, if she wants to compete against stiffer opposition, she needs to progress regarding speed figures.

So how can we place a wager on Clement L. Hirsch?

In addition to the trifecta and superfecta tickets, we'll also play Shedaresthedevil. In the section below, we'll focus on Private Mission and Blue Stripe while including Desert Dawn and Soothsay for third and fourth, respectively.