A look at a horse, an owner, a trainer and a rider of interest in the coming weekend at Del Mar:

HORSE – AZUL LEON

Notable: Undefeated (2-for-2) and a four-length winner of the Hollywood Juvenile Championship in his most recent outing has No. 9 post in field of 10 for Sunday's Grade II, $150,000 Best Pal Stakes . . . From first crop of young sire Lion Heart, name translates from Spanish as “Blue Lion” . . . Two wins have come from off the pace, overcoming a bobble at the start of the Hollywood Juvenile . . . Trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Rafael Bejarano for owner/breeder Joseph Lacombe . . . Win would ensure early favoritism for season-ending, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity.

Quote of note: “He's kind of a Stevie Wonderboyish horse. He's just very professional. A horse like this you just make sure he eats well and goes to the track every day and figure out a game plan with the owners.”

– O'Neill, following the Hollywood Juvenile. O'Neill trained Stevie Wonderboy to win the 2005 Del Mar Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile

OWNER – DIAMOND A RACING

Notable: Nom de course for Gerald Ford of Dallas, who branched out from investment banking business in 1995 to form a racing enterprise that now encompasses 815-acre Diamond A Farm near Versailles, Ky. . . . Top horse to date is Pleasantly Perfect, 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2004 Pacific Classic winner . . . Will send out homebred Tiz West, trained by Richard Mandella and to be ridden by Victor Espinoza, in tomorrow's $150,000, GII La Jolla Handicap . . . Tiz West, a 3-year-old son of Gone West-Tizso, is 3-for-7 lifetime and won the June 21 Cinema Handicap at Hollywood Park in his most recent outing.

TRAINER – JASON ORMAN

Notable: Original trainer of 2004-05 standout Rock Hard Ten sends out 3-year-old colt Nownownow in tomorrow's La Jolla Handicap . . . Nownownow won the inaugural $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last fall for Francois Parisel, who had taken over for trainer Patrick Biancone, who was about to serve a six-month suspension over a medication issue . . . Biancone, now off suspension, sent Nownownow and some other horses he manages to Orman, 39, for West Coast campaigning . . . Nownownow has one start since the BC Juvenile Turf, a fifth in the Grade I Irish 2000 Guineas in May.

Quote of note: “I think he'll run well. He's been off for awhile and sometimes they need a race, but he's been training pretty good . . . I think he has potential to get back to the Breeders' Cup. He's been training like it.”

– Orman on Nownownow

RIDER – VICTOR ESPINOZA

Notable: Three-time Del Mar riding champion will be looking for his second stakes win of the meeting with Tiz West in the La Jolla and has Kelly Leak a day later in the Best Pal. Espinoza, 36, a native of Mexico City, had one win yesterday to maintain No. 5 spot in the rider standings with nine, three behind fourth-place Garrett Gomez . . . Current No. 21 in nation for purse wins by mounts with more than $4.4 million.

– HANK WESCH