Liberian Freighter won an ungraded stakes over this turf course two summers ago and should be tough on the move back into allowance company.
The second to last day of the meet sans stakes action sees a pair of second-level $62,500 allowance optional claiming events on turf with purses of $73,000 that are part of a difficult sequence where there is another Pick-6 carryover of $89,785.
The fourth race is a five-furlong sprint where a case can be made for all eight of the older female runners and Missdealornodeal is the lukewarm 3-to-1 favorite making her second start for Neil French after missing by just half a length in the Daisycutter two weeks ago. The 6-year-old daughter of Benchmark rattled off four wins earlier in the year with an apparent price tag on her in races where she was much the best, so there may be a regression on tap in the near future.
Sean S is the 7-to-2 second choice after coming up a nose short of winning her fifth straight race on the day after opening day and has drilled steadily since. The 4-year-old daughter of Ministers Wild Cat became a new horse after moving to the barn of Josh Litt, who has flown under the radar while winning with 30% of his 27 starters this year.
Favored in 4-of-5 career starts while never being higher than 2-to-1, Orientatious is 8-to-1 on the morning line making her turf debut after getting distanced in her last two on the main track at Hollywood Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Orientate defeated what turned out to be stakes quality runners in her only local try on the main track last summer and worked a four-furlong bullet on this turf course on August 5.
Seven older males go a mile in the seventh, with Causeithertz the 5-to-2 favorite for the potent combination of Bob Baffert and Rafael Bejarano. It’s taken until his 5-year-old season with the move to one of the top barns in the land for the regally-bred son of Giant’s Causeway and Megahertz to fulfill on his promise and stakes action could be next if he’s able to win for the third time in his last four starts.
Liberian Freighter is going the other way, dropping out of stakes action for the first time in 12 starts as the 3-to-1 second choice. The quirky 7-year-old son of Bertrando began his 2012 campaign with a solid third-place effort in the American (Grade II) at Hollywood Park, but finished off the board in his two subsequent starts.
Major Art has not been able to translate sharp a.m. activity to the afternoon, but did post an improved effort in his last and could be a live long shot at 10-to-1 with Garrett Gomez taking over for the first time. The 4-year-old British-bred colt by Compton Place closed out his 2011 season with a runner-up effort behind Surrey Star in the La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita. Both runners are owned by Class Racing Stable.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 5 (2,4,6,7) – A four-pack of $10,000 claimers in the connector leg with No. 2 Aqua Fever, No. 4 Arabian Storm, No. 6 Eye for an Eye and No. 7 Celestic Night.
Leg 2 – Race 6 (2,3,5) – No. 2 Glo’s Spirit and No. 5 No Commitments are the only experienced runners both with a spin over this track and No. 3 Likealovesong is an Oklahoma-bred that fetched $60,000 at Barrett’s earlier this year and debuts for the same high-percentage connections that send Causeithertz.
Leg 3 – Race 7 (3,4,5,7) – Along with the trio of No. 4 Major Art, No. 5 Causeithertz and No. 7 Liberian Freighter discussed above, use No. 3 Seattle Ruler, who has fired a pair of sharp efforts off an extended layoff and retains the services of Martin Garcia despite him having been the regular rider for Liberian Freighter.
Leg 4 – Race 8 (4,5,8,9,10,11,12) – No. 12 Bev N Bud has run by far the best races, but he’s developing a case of seconditis and could be compromised breaking from the far outside.
If it’s not him it could be a slew of others so we’ll spread with No. 4 Tribal Legend, No. 5 Quick Save, No. 8 Omar, No. 9 In High Regards, No. 10 Turn On the Brites andNo. 11 Bellagio Road.
Recap – (2,4,6,7) w (2,3,5) w (3,4,5,7) w (4,5,8,9,10,11,12) – Total cost of ticket = $168
Yesterday’s Result – (-$180)
Total for current Del Mar meet – (+$18.30)
Total from 12/26/10 – 7/15/12 – (-$1,571.15)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (1,2,7) – No. 7 Miss Reditore was our single last time and would have won if not having nowhere to run through the stretch. She’s consistently improved in her second start of a form cycle and now moves to a top barn and the meet’s 2nd leading pilot.
No. 2 Lindz Winz has been our nemesis on multiple occasions so we’ll include her along with No. 1 Miss Becca, who has run well in a pair of turf sprints and moves back to Bejarano.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (2) – No. 2 Big Business ran huge sprinting in his comeback race after a bad start and now gets back to his preferred route game while moving to the meet’s top barn. Gomez looks to sweep the early double.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (4,5,6,8) – No. 4 Rhodium showed speed in his debut before tiring, but should get heat early again today from his inside so we’ll add No. 5 Zippingaroundtown, No. 6 El Sabios and No. 8 Doulbedeesonthetee.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (ALL) – As stated above, a case can be made for each of these runners, so we’ll use them all.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,4,6,7) – Same four as the Pick-4.
Recap – (1,2,7) w (2) w (4,5,6,8) w (ALL) w (2,4,6,7) – Total cost of ticket = $192
Yesterday’s Result – (-$216)
Total for current Del Mar meet – (+$16,931.30)
Total from 7/20/11 – 7/15/12 – (+$1,874.55)
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Good luck!
