8/23/15 Del Mar Pick Four - Preview

It's the day after Pacific Classic Day, and all the talk is still about Beholder and her huge win and her possibly competing against American Pharoah and man what a bad break for the fans that this is the year that the Breeders' Cup is not being held in California.  But all that is well into the future; meanwhile we've got races that we need to sort out today, as we take yet one more run at the Pick Four at the place where the turf meets the surf.

RACE 7 - (F) MSW - Six Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 3 Lily Pod (Morning Line 7-2)
# 10 Finest City (ML 3-1)

B's

None

C's

# 6 Ponder Lea (ML 4-1)
# 9 She'soverthemoon (ML 6-1)

Lily Pod has finished in the Trifecta in each of her first two career starts, both against non-claiming maidens.  Finest City took the Place in her debut last time out against Gloryzapper, the Morning Line Favorite in Race 9 below. 

Ponder Lea is a first time starter sired by More Than Ready, whose progeny win approximately 13% of their initial tries.  She'soverthemoon, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, had to go on the shelf after her debut effort back in February; but She'soverthemoon does show steady works leading into today's contest.

RACE 8 - The Del Mar Mile Handicap (Grade 2) - Eight Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 2 Talco (Fr) (ML 7-2)
# 10 Avanzare (ML 6-1)

B's

# 1 Pure Tactics (ML 8-1)
# 4 Bal a Bali (Brz) (ML 3-1)

C's

None

# 11 Obviously (Ire) is a program scratch.  Look for Obviously's next start to be north of the border.

Talco (Fr), winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile last time out, enters this contest with the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure in this field.  Avanzare, winner of the Grade 2 Arcadia last time out, has finished in the Trifecta in nine of his ten career grass starts.

Pure Tactics is taking a pretty big jump up the class ladder today, but Pure Tactics closed extremely well into incredibly soft fractions while winning The Wickerr in his last start.  Bal a Bali (Brz) defeated Talco in the Grade 3 American two starts back; the concern is that Bal a Bali failed to show anything in the drive in his last start.

RACE 9 - (F) OC 40k/N1X - Seven Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 8 Exposure (ML 3-1)

B’s

# 3 Sweetrayofsunshine (ML 7-2)

# 4 Gloryzapper (ML 5-2)

C's

# 2 Tatum's Gold (ML 4-1)

# 6 Josephine's Moment (ML 12-1)

Exposure enters this contest with a two race winning streak.  Exposure projects to be the speed of the speed in this event.

Sweetrayofsunshine shares the honor of best last out Beyer Speed Figure with Exposure.  Gloryzapper, trained by Phil D'Amato, faces winners for the first time after winning her debut last time out.  Josephine's Moment should appreciate the drop in class as well as the turn back in distance.

I mentioned that Exposure is entering this contest with a two race winning streak.  What I didn't mention is that Exposure's rider for those two wins, indeed, for her entire four race career, has been Martin Garcia.  But Garcia won't be riding the Bob Baffert trained Exposure today.  That honor instead will go to Rafael Bejarano.  Meanwhile Garcia will be taking the mount today on Tatum's Gold, trained by Steve Miyadi.  Today will be the first time in her eight race career that Tatum's Gold will have Garcia on her back.

Now I have no idea whose decision (jockey, trainer, or owner) it was for Garcia to not ride Exposure today.  But it does make me more than a little bit curious as to how Tatum's Gold will run today in this, her first effort in an open (non-state bread restricted) contest.

RACE 10 - (F) Clm $25k - Eight Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 3 With a Twist (ML 7-2)

# 4 An Unusual Group (ML 8-1)

# 6 Redressthebalance (Ire) (ML 8-1)

B’s

# 9 Aunty Pearl (ML 6-1)

C's

# 8 Zuzu's Petals (ML 10-1)

# 1 Love Blind (Arg) (No Line), # 12 Mailbaby (Ire) (NL), # 13 Wild Bella (NL), and # 14 Forever a Fan (NL) are all program scratches.

With a Twist took the Place at this class level last time out, albeit for different connections.  An Unusual Group was sired by Unusual Heat, whose progeny seem to do rather well on this turf course.  Redressthebalance (Ire) took the Show against more expensive stock two starts back.

Aunty Pearl could have things all her own way in the early going.  Zuzu's Petals is making her turf debut today.  Zuzu's Petals damsire, General Meeting, won the Grade 3 Volante Handicap on the Santa Anita grass back in 1991.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 3,10 with 2,10 with 8 with 3,4,6 $12.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 3,10 with 1,2,4,10 with 3,4,8 with 3,4,6,9 $48.00

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 6,9 with 2,10 with 8 with 3,4,6 $6.00

$0.50 P4: 3,10 with 2,10 with 2,6 with 3,4,6 $12.00

$0.50 P4: 3,10 with 2,10 with 8 with 8 $2.00

Total: $80.00

Post Time for Race 7 is 8:10 EDT / 5:10 PDT.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo