We’ve got a writeup at Del Mar. That’s right I’ll cover a couple Saturdays and maybe more but here’s day 2 at Del Mar. Day 1 played pretty fairly on the dirt surface as there were horses who won on the front end but also off the speed. Turf favored runners from off the pace. Jockey Umberto Rispoli picked up 3 wins on opening day while Ruben Fuentes also picked up 2 wins on the turf. As far as trainers 10 different ones picked up wins. Here’s my thoughts on today’s card at Del Mar.
Race 1: 5.5 Furlongs Dirt $20,000 Claiming 3 year olds (2-6-5)
2 Hydrogen drops in for the lowest claiming tag he’s ever been in for today. His two wins were out East at Turfway Park and Mahoning Valley. He has two tries over this surface as a 2 year old and they weren’t bad. I ignore his last turf race and look at this third start off the break as a big breakthrough opportunity for him.
6 Malakai Moxie enters off the lightbulb angle. He broke the maiden against Cal breds for 50. All the way down for 20 today. He also gets to face restricted 3 year olds as he’s gone up against older of late.
5 Foreign Protocol has the most wins in this field. He comes in off a win at Pleasanton for 12.5. Two back he was in a common event with our top pick and finished 5th. Rare to see Quinn Howey bring this horse down South considering he could’ve run at Pleasanton so this horse might be sitting on another good race.
Race 2: 5 Furlongs Turf (12 feet) $50,000 Claiming 3 year olds (5-2)
5 Shootin Money is a contender at a nice price. He exits a common race as our top pick in the opener. At this condition last time he finished 3rd beaten less than two lengths. There’s a ton of speed in this race. If he can rate in the second flight off the leaders he has a shot. He has a win on turf back in late January. Hoping the 10/1 price will last.
2 Go Time is one of two entered for trainer Peter Miller. This gelding broke his maiden last summer at Gulfstream Park for 50. He came out West to run in a stake and didn’t fire. His last start off a layoff wasn’t great but he lost his shot stumbling out of the gate. Blinkers go on today and hoping for a cleaner break today.
6 Final Final makes his first start off a 4 month break and ships South for Bill McLean. He does have a win and a second in two runs on turf. He will appreciate going longer and probably is using this race as a prep. Expect this horse to be coming from well out of it hoping to get a piece underneath.
Race 3: 7 Furlongs Dirt $20,000 Maiden Claiming 3 year olds & up (2-5)
Bottom level claimers often are quite straightforward. Speed, class, or favorite and I think it’s exactly that. Two horses which can get you through if you’re playing any pick 5/4/3s.
2 Da Kine drops in class from a maiden 40. The winner of that race came back opening day yesterday and won against tougher starter allowance runners. This will also be his second start off a 4.5 month break. Richard Baltas can win with horses first off a break but also second off the break.
5 Trojan Magic is one of the speeds in the race. He was last seen running against maiden 40s at the daytime Los Alamitos meet. He set the speed and tired in his first start off a 4 month break. He drops in his second start off the break and surely can improve cutting back to 7/8ths.
3 Prince Ricky is a speed contender to maybe hang around late. He has never hit the board in his career and cuts back in distance today.
6 Pour On the Cole take the blinkers off and cuts back in distance today. He is dropping down the claim price slightly. I don’t think he’ll win but is a horse to use underneath.
Race 4: 1 Mile Turf (12 feet) $50,000 Maiden Claiming F & M 3 & up (3-1-10-2)
3 Lemon Drop Tini finished 4th last time in her first start out West. That was also off a 4+ month break. She drops in class slightly and should get a good pace setup. At this level she has finished a good second at Gulfstream Park. She will have to get by a common foe in the 1.
1 Sapori Girl is 0 for 11 but she has finished up well of late with Umberto Rispoli aboard. She should get a rail saving trip and after yesterday I don’t think anybody else is as good as Rispoli, especially on turf.
10 Olive You More draws the far outside post. She will have to make her way towards the rail early as she won’t be on the lead it seems. She likes to rate instead of hanging on the front end. She could get a pace to chase and be on the lookout for a replacement jockey on her.
2 Star of Africa has only 3 starts but she has not gotten away well from the gate twice. She has a good closing kick but she needs to improve early from the gate. She will also need to improve and get by a couple foes she has finished behind.
7 Rowangoeshollywood and 8 Constantia both horses figure to be part of the pace. The 7 is by Bayern and is going from a sprint to a route. The 8 routes for her second try. Both if given an easy lead could be dangerous.
Race 5: 5 Furlongs Dirt Maiden Special Weight 2 year olds (2-5-4-6)
2 Hot Rod Charlie is a son of Oxbow that cost $110k. Apparently a sibling to Mitole who is one heck of a horse. Abel Cedillo gets the call here for Doug O’Neill.
5 Tripple Shake is a firster for trainer Luis Mendez. Mendez is terrific with 2 year olds as well as first time starters. Interesting Aaron Gryder is aboard instead of Ruben Fuentes who usually teams up for the barn.
4 Raisebeforetheflop is a son Liam’s Map. Purchased for $95k as a yearling he gets Ruben Fuentes to ride. Trainer Peter Miller is 25% with 2 year olds.
6 Mandrew is a horse with experience. He ran well on debut despite breaking slow and this was at Lone Star. Trainer Molly Pearson brings this one in with a shot.
3 Girther and 1 Cross Indian exit a common event on debut finishing 5th and 6th. Experience factor could improve them but nothing stood out on debut.
Race 6: 5 Furlongs Turf (12 feet) $40,000 Allowance Optional Claiming 3 year olds & up (8-11-4-6)
8 Psycho Dar finished 5th at this level going 5.5 last time out. He is a horse that has run well second off the break after an okay race first time back out. There appears to be a ton of speed in here and this horse can be tactical. He is one of a few horses with a win sprinting on turf.
11 Torosay is a talented runner from the Doug O’Neill barn. This horse was sent to Dubai for a couple starts in March. This horse has run into Big Runnuer his last couple tries. He exits a stake race and comes back to an allowance event here. This horse broke the maiden going wire to wire at 5.5 on turf.
4 Duplicity is a $350k son of Into Mischief. He broke his maiden at Churchill last time out. He has speed to go to the front and comes in off a bullet work at Los Alamitos. He has run well in both of his career starts.
6 Speedy Justice was last seen as a rookie sprinting at this distance on this track. He has speed and will be asked to try and go wire to wire once again. He has worked well leading up to today. Drayden Van Dyke gets the call for Bob Baffert.
Race 7: 6.5 Furlongs Dirt $16,000 Claiming 3 year olds & up (8-4-1)
This race starts the late pick 4 that always pays well at Del Mar with a good size pool always expected.
8 All I Can Say is quite lightly raced for a 6 year old. He will be making his third start of the year off a 15 month break. He has rallied into second and third and today cuts back in distance. He draws a nice post position and will get Juan Hernandez who rode well at Los Alamitos.
4 Lil Sydney skipped a condition last time out going for n3L and today gets back to his condition of n2L. Abel Cedillo will get the call. I think he can sit in the second flight right off the speed looking to make a run turning for home.
1 Rogallo makes his first start off the claim for trainer Andrew Lerner. An interesting note is this horse was claimed for 25 and he drops for 16. Unfortunately draws the inside post but could sit off the pace. He is also cutting back in distance. Common foes who finished in front of him last time came back opening day against tougher and didn’t do much.
6 Taco Waco exits a common race to Rogallo but appears to have more speed than that runner. One of a few horses who could go gate to wire if given soft lead.
Race 8: 1 Mile Turf (12 feet) $65,000 Wickerr Stakes 3 year olds & up (3-9-7)
This stake race appears to be loaded with a ton of early speed and I think can setup for some of the closers.
3 Jasikan is making his first start of the year. As a 3 year old he won the Oceanside Stakes last year and finished 3rd in the grade III La Jolla Stakes. He has a knack for breaking slowly but the speed and pace up front should let him recover. This is a really nice 8/1 price for a horse who was nearly a grade 3 winner. The only concern is the break but this horse has run well off a layoff in the past. Jockey Umberto Rispoli looking to take the first two stakes of the meet.
9 Big Score returns to the races as a 6 year old. He was lightly raced at 5 with a win in two starts. He ran well in the grade II City of Hope Mile of a 9 month break. This is a similar layoff and an easier spot in terms of horse caliber wise. Worth a big shot despite the outside post. Was actually 4th in this race two years ago.
7 Souter ran a huge race last time at 72/1. He made up ground and ran into the trifecta. He ran in last year’s race and was 4th. This is his second start off the layoff and could run another huge race at a nice price.
8 Murad Khan was never involved last time out. He was too far behind in the grade III San Francisco Mile. Expect him to sit off the speed but not too far back. He’s 2 for 3 over this Del Mar turf course and could have a shot at a nice price.
1 Kiwi’s Dream, 4 Voodoo Song, 6 Bolo, and 5 Bob and Jackie appear to be the speed contenders. I would be interested if anyone elects to rate specifically the 1 and 5. The 1 has had tough beats in his last two tries whereas the 5 could sit right off the speed like he did in the Let it Ride Stakes in November.
Race 9: 1 Mile Dirt $50,000 Starter Allowance F & M 3 & up (3-8-4)
3 Diva in Charge is looking for her third straight win here. This $105k daughter of Will Take Charge appears to be the horse to rate in the second flight of runners. Might be an easier spot than her last race here. Edwin Maldonado rides for Peter Eurton who won the first race of the meet yesterday.
8 Sabinos Pride makes her first start off the claim for trainer Jorge Periban. She is a perfect 1 for 1 at this mile trip in fact going gate to wire. The daughter of Liam’s Map could be on the engine early from the outside post.
4 Kristi’s Tiger exits a tough Melair Stakes. Two starts back she ran third. Her third start in the form cycle and she gets a slightly softer group here.
2 White Velvet gets back to the dirt in her second start off the break. She is 1 for 1 at the mile trip and could be interesting underneath at a price.
Race 10: 1 Mile Turf (12 feet) Maiden Special Weight F & M 3 & up (5-6-12)
5 Nurse Goodbye ran a good race in her first time routing last out. She should sit in the second flight off the speed looking to pounce. She can improve in her second start off the break. Rispoli aboard.
6 Resarcio has run a couple good thirds since becoming a sophomore. She was only a nose behind our top pick in a common event last out and has a similar pattern in terms of second start off the break. Coming in off a nice workout. Brice Blanc rides here for John Shirreffs.
12 Sweet Devil gets back onto the turf course. Her last race was on dirt and I put a line through it. That was her first start off the break. Her two back race she had the lead before losing in mid stretch. Only negative is the outside draw.
1 Vegas Palm and 2 Fabiolla exit a common turf sprint both with a good late kick. The 2 has never routed whereas the 1 has managed to hit the board in 5 of 8 tries.
9 Convincingly makes her second start of the year of a break. She could get a good stalking trip and try to rally into the exotics. Does need to go by some common foes.
There we have it for day 2 at Del Mar. As always there’s opportunities to make some money as I like a few price horses. Hopefully they hold up on the tote board. Good luck!