Grassy's last win came nearly a year ago in the Bowling Green Handicap (Grade II) at Belmont Park.
A pair of head-scratching 40-to-1 shots that scored yesterday leads us to yet another Pick-6 carryover, this time $93,491 already in the pool on a card were nine races are scheduled on a Thursday for the first time in a while in California.
Well-matched allowance optional claimers travel 1 1/16-miles on turf in the feature where none of the seven runners are in for the $100,000 tag and Lucky Primo is the tepid 3-to-1 favorite looking for consecutive wins after defeating second-level allowance runners by over two lengths at Hollywood Park on July 14. The California-bred son of Attics has followed up each of his five career wins with a defeat, but appears to be faster than ever in his 6-year-old season.
Lucky Primo is likely to get pace pressure early from 4-to-1 co-third choice Red Sun, another 6-year-old California-bred that makes his first start in over a year for Carla Gaines. The son of Redattore was last seen missing by less than a length in the Harry F. Brubaker over this turf course and owns five wins from just eight starts over a four-year career.
Multiple Grade II winner Grassy drops out of stakes competition in his California debut for Marty Jones as the other 4-to-1 choice and Polytechnicien is the 7-to-2 second choice making his U.S .debut for Richard Mandella after winning six races in France including a Group III event last year.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 6 (3,5,7,9) – No. 3 Mine Fever is the most likely winner on the front end at short odds having been gelded since being claimed by Peter Miller.
We’ll look for value by spreading with No. 5 Talk the Walk, No. 7 Our Trooper and No. 9 Silver Lightning.
Leg 2 – Race 7 (1,2,3,5,9) – Some good value here with non-winners of two lifetime and a bad favorite in No. 6 Panettone, soundly defeated as even money in his last two and doubtful to like the two-turn game.
Instead, use No. 1 Lewdawg N Paradise, No. 2 Broken Glass, No. 3 Sidepocket Kid, No. 5 K Js Maddog andNo. 9 Meadow Road.
Leg 3 – Race 8 (1,2,6,7) – Use the four discussed above with No. 1 Lucky Primo, No. 2 Grassy, No. 6 Polytechnicien and No. 7 Red Sun.
Leg 4 – Race 9 (1,2,6,9) – No. 1 Sedona Ridge would have been great for us last time at 18-to-1 and although we get nowhere near that today, he has a good look for low-percentage connections.
Add the trio of No. 2 Warren’s Cole, No. 6 Buds Pal and No. 9 Outta Splash.
Recap – (3,5,7,9) w (1,2,3,5,9) w (1,2,6,7) w (1,2,6,9) – Total cost of ticket = $160
Yesterday’s Result – (-$187.50)
Total for current Del Mar meet – (-$703.20)
Total from 12/26/10 – 7/15/12 – (-$1,571.15)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (3,4,5,6,7) – All but one because No. 2 Dream Caught hasn’t run a step in two tries at the meet.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (2,3,5,6,7,8) – We’ll hope lightning strikes on consecutive days for Art Sherman and first-time starters as he sends No. 6 Keno George, who we’ll use along with No. 2 Calculated Chaos, No. 3 One Firm Cat, No. 5 Monterey Tale, No. 7 Londinium and No. 8 Bubba Fizz.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (6) – No. 4 Pink Blanket is sure to get lots of attention off a huge maiden breaker over this strip, but she’s likely to face some pace pressure early which should set things up for No. 6 Lanida from off the pace. Lanida has been consistent in her four-race career and faced much better.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (4,11,13) – No. 13 Jammin Lady Louli draws in to give Mike Puype a pair of contenders along with the debuting No. 11 Barely Been Kissed.
No. 4 Comic Kitty has by far the best form over this track after a runner-up effort on August 4, but shows no works since for extremely low-percentage connections.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (1,2,5,6,8) – We’re partial to No. 5 Zanbo with Egyptian Femme being her full little siser, but this is a tough heat so we’ll spread with No. 1 Miss Speed Dating, No. 2 This Means War, No. 6 Distant Image and No. 8 Roses for Joni.
Recap – (3,4,5,6,7) w (2,3,5,6,7,8) w (6) w (4,11,13) w (1,2,5,6,8) – Total cost of ticket = $225
Yesterday’s Result – (-$202.50)
Total for current Del Mar meet – (+$16,455.10)
Total from 7/20/11 – 7/15/12 – (+$1,874.55)
Best Bet of the Day – Can now be found in the free analysis section at www.theracingedition.com along with an early Pick-4 ticket and a consensus box for the entire card.
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Good luck!
