8/20/22 Del Mar Late Pick Four - Preview

“Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself.  It's what you do for others.” - Danny Thomas

Changing it up a bit Saturday, as I move my action from just outside Toronto to just outside San Diego.  The featured race Saturday in Southern California is the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks; a contest that is either real easy or very complex.  More on that below, as I take a run at The Late Pick Four at the place Where The Turf Meets The Surf.

RACE 7 - [S] MSW - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 2 Regulation Dazed (Morning Line 10-1)

B's

# 9 Stay in the Game (ML 8-1)

# 10 Kangaroo Court (ML 6-5)

C's

# 3 Reign of Speed (ML 6-1)
# 4 Vince's Corner (ML 20-1)

# 5 Thirsty Pappy (ML 20-1)

# 6 Duty First (ML 8-1)

# 7 Mentirosa (ML 20-1)

# 8 Eddie's Last (ML 15-1)

# 11 Tom Horn (ML 4-1)

Scratch # 1 Buck Owens (No Line) and # 12 Santiago's Cat (ML 20-1)

These are juveniles that can either be California bred or California sired; which is why Duty First, despite being a Kentucky bred runner, is eligible to run here.  Duty First was sired by Smiling Tiger, who stands at Harris Farms, in Coalinga, CA.

Regulation Dazed is a debut runner sired by Square Eddie, whose progeny tend to do well at first asking.  Stay in the Game took the Place at this class level in each of his last two starts.  Kangaroo Court took the Place after doing all the heavy lifting in his debut last time out.  The backup "C" Selections are the rest of the field.

RACE 8 - (F) The Del Mar Oaks (Grade 1) - Nine Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 11 Spendarella (ML 8-5)

B's

# 2 Bellabel (Ire) (ML 5-1)

# 5 Cairo Memories (ML 3-1)

# 6 Tezzaray (GB) (ML 20-1)

# 9 Txope (Fr) (ML 5-1)

C's

# 3 Island of Love (Ire) (ML 12-1)

# 4 Lucky Girl (Ire) (ML 30-1)

# 7 Sixteen Arches (Ire) (ML 12-1)

# 8 Gracelund Gray (ML 15-1)

# 10 Gold Dragon Queen (ML 50-1)

# 12 Ballet Dancing (ML 20-1)

# 13 Lady T (ML 20-1)
# 14 Lady Clementine (GB) (ML 30-1)

Scratch # 1 Rhea Moon (Ire) (ML 30-1)

As I mentioned in the introduction above, this race is either very easy or very complex.  If Spendarella runs to form, then there's little hope for the rest of the field.  But this will be Spendarella's first time competing beyond eight furlongs.  In addition, there are quite a few speedsters in this field, which should insure that Spendarella will not have things all her own way in the early going.

Bellabel (Ire) enters this event with a three race winning streak, including a victory in the Grade 2 San Clemente over this turf course last time out.  Cairo Memories found ten furlongs too long a row to hoe last time out.  Cairo Memories should improve with the cutback in distance.

Tezzaray (GB) ran in the Grade 2 San Clemente last time out like a horse that needed a race: anxious to run early, out of gas long before the wire.  I expect Tezzaray to return to the form and running style that she showed as a juvenile when she won the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante over this turf course.

Txope (Fr) showed good form while winning the Group 2 German One Thousand Guineas last time out; and Txope could find herself in the winner's circle today if she can repeat that effort.  The backup "C" Selections are everyone else.

RACE 9 - Clm $12.5k - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 2 Secret Touch (ML 5-1)

B’s

None

C's

# 1 Outright (ML 15-1)

# 3 Dr. Troutman (ML 4-1)

# 4 Gray Magician (ML 7-2)

# 5 Little Demon (ML 5-2)

# 6 High Heater (ML 5-1)

# 7 Hapi Hapi (ML 12-1)

# 8 Active Account (ML 30-1)

# 9 Mariners Way (ML 30-1)
# 10 Of Good Report (ML 12-1)

Secret Touch showed good early foot against more expensive stock last time out.  Secret Touch will also be going first off the claim for Trainer Steve Knapp, who tends to do well with such.  Finally, Secret Touch has demonstrated an affinity for Del Mar, with five of his seven career Wins coming over this main track.

So I'll be using Secret Touch solo on my main ticket, with all others being used as backup "C" Selections.

RACE 10 - (F) MSW - Eight and a Half Furlongs Turf

A’s

# 5 Infinite Empire (ML 6-1)

B's

# 2 Maeve of Connaught (Ire) (ML 8-1)

# 6 Vivando (ML 7-2)

# 7 Takemebythehand (GB) (ML 8-1)

# 8 Wistfully (ML 20-1)

# 10 Belle Cherie (ML 10-1)

# 11 Albayaader (Ire) (ML 6-1)

C's

# 1 First Point (ML 20-1)

# 3 Leisurewear (Ire) (ML 4-1)

# 4 Hardly Mischievous (ML 8-1)

# 9 Quick Romance (ML 50-1)

# 12 Wishing On a Star (ML 12-1)

Scratch the Also Eligible, # 13 Jubilee Lake (GB) (ML 8-1)

Infinite Empire should be much improved with the surface switch.  Maeve of Connaught (Ire) looked sharp in her final work for this event, suggesting that Maeve of Connaught could upset in this, her 2022 debut.

Vivando took the Place at this class level in both of her two most recent starts.  Takemebythehand (GB) could move up going second off the layoff.  Wistfully, a first time starter by Tapit out of a Storm Cat mare, looks well meant here.

Belle Cherie could move up getting back onto some California grass.  Albayaader (Ire) could surprise with a cleaner trip.  The backup "C" Selections are everyone else.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing my tickets in modified Crist fashion, I get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 2 with 11 with 2 with 5 $1.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 2,9,10 with 2,5,6,9,11 with 2 with 2,5,6,7,8,10,11 $52.50

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 3,4,5,6,7,8,11 with 11 with 2 with 5 $3.50

$0.50 P4: 2 with 3,4,7,8,10,12,13,14 with 2 with 5 $4.00

$0.50 P4: 2 with 11 with 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 with 5 $4.50

$0.50 P4: 2 with 11 with 2 with 1,3,4,9,12 $2.50

Total: $68.00

Post Time for Race 7 is 8:04 EDT / 5:04 PDT.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo