Saturday's Best Bet: Cathkin Peak back on top in Hollywood Derby
Saturday's 9th race from Del Mar is the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby for three-year-olds traveling a mile and an eighth on the turf course (Post Time 7:29 p.m. EST).
No. 3 CATHKIN PEAK (6-1) might be rounding back into form after a late running place finish in the Twilight Derby (G2). He ran well all three times Flavien Prat rode including back-to-back wins earlier this year. Phil D’Amato’s versatile gelding might offer value.
No. 6 Public Sector (5-2) was right there in all six turf starts this year including a trio of graded wins. Chad Brown’s razor sharp colt projects a stalking trip under his winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr.
No. 12 Subconscious (4-1) is a razor sharp early-pressing gelding exiting a smart tactical win as my top choice in the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. He easily went all the way in a local special weight turf route affair Aug. 21 and he is more than capable of completing a four-bagger.
Kent Desormeaux might try to steal this one aboard No. 2 Beyond Brilliant (12-1). He stalked from the outside post and checked in 3rd in the Twilight Derby last time. He set the pace and was clearly best in a local turf route before that, and they will probably just go on with it early from an inner draw.
No. 8 Sifting Sands (15-1) stalked the pace and won back-to-back turf routes at Saratoga over the summer, and was a bit one-paced in a 7th of 11 finish in the Hill Prince (G2) last time. Chad Brown’s colt is slowly improving and might outrun his odds under Jose Ortiz.
No. 11 Camp Hope (5-1) exits back-to-back turf route wins at Keeneland. Ken McPeek’s colt showed improved early interest in those two races but needs some racing luck from an outer post and must prove he can fire away from Lexington.
Get my Expert Del Mar picks for today’s races
Wagers:
No. 3 to win
Quinella 3/2-6-12
Trifecta 2-3-6-12/2-3-6-8-11-12/3-8
Recent Best Bet Winners
Nov. 1 - KEEPIN' IT CLASSY ($4.00)
Nov. 2 - LADY MCKENZIE ($7.00)
Nov. 3 - NEXT REVOLT ($4.40), Quinella ($7.80)
Nov. 5 - ECHO ZULU ($3.60)
Nov. 6 - CE CE ($14.40)
Nov. 9 - WELLINGTON WONDER ($6.40), Exacta ($26.60)
Nov. 10 - LASTCHANCEATGLORY ($6.80), Exacta ($15.60)
Nov. 11 - SPA CITY ($3.40)
Nov. 12 - Rowdy Rascal/Cuatro Madres Exacta ($12.80)
Nov. 16 - Johan Zoffany/Venture Forth Exacta ($56.00)
Nov. 20 - SERVE THE KING ($6.10)
Nov. 23 - ZESTFUL ($4.20), Exacta ($7.00)