Sunday's Best Bet: Cathkin Peak is on the mark in Eddie Read
Sunday’s ninth race from Del Mar is the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes for 3-year-olds and up traveling 1 1/8 miles on the turf course. Post time is 9:07 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Del Mar entries and results.
No. 11 Cathkin Peak (4-1) was outstanding in his June 18 return under his new rider Umberto Rispoli. The pace was slow and he finished powerfully to score by a bit less than a length in his first start in more than six months that day. He traded places with Beyond Brilliant in a pair of graded turf routes last year, and it might come down to those two again.
No. 3 Beyond Brilliant (5-2) is dangerous on the front end. He went all the way in the Hollywood Derby (G1) last year and did the same thing in the Charles Whittingham (G2) April 30.
No. 9 Hong Kong Harry (7-2) captured all three starts in this country, including the American (G3). He is 2-for-2 at this distance and projects a stalking trip under his winning rider Ramon Vazquez.
I want to use #4 Ecrivain (15-1) somewhere underneath. He was only a length behind Masteroffoxhounds in his stateside bow March 25, and he was hung out to dry in the San Francisco Mile (G3) April 30. He had an uncomfortable trip in the American (G3) June 19, and he might work out a better journey in this longer event. Hector Berrios is a profitable turf rider, and the price should be right.
No. 1 Masteroffoxhounds (8-1) is a solid graded turf route performer with positional speed. Juan Hernandez strings along and he figures to save all the ground stalking the pace.
Get my expert Del Mar full card picks for July 31 (available now).
Wagers:
No. 11 to win
Trifecta Key 11/1-3-4-9
Trifecta 1-3-4-9/11/1-3-4-9
Trifecta 3-9-11/1-3-4-9-11/1-4
Recent best-bet winners
July 1 - Net a Bear ($6.20), trifecta ($87.80)
July 2 - Crystal Cliffs ($4.20) - dead heat
July 3 - Chasing Artie/The Virginian exacta ($29.00)
July 6 - First I've Seen/Hannah's Haven exacta ($17.40)
July 9 - Butterbean/Falconet exacta ($22.00), trifecta ($74.20)
July 11 - Mo Clare's ($6.80)
July 16 - Beren/Wondrwherecraigis/Pickin' Time trifecta ($146.00)
July 22 - Practice Squad ($12.60), exacta ($26.20), trifecta ($31.40)
July 23 - Dolce Zel ($8.60), trifecta ($96.00)
July 24 - Bellabel ($8.00)
July 25 - Heywoods Beach ($8.20), trifecta ($70.60)
Tuesday - Nice Ace ($5.00)
Thursday - Fun to Dream ($4.20), trifecta ($35.60)