Tackling Sunday's Late Pick Four at Del Mar
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
I make my maiden voyage to Del Mar Sunday. It’s where the
turf meets the surf, but more importantly to me, it’s where large pools and
huge fields converge, producing fantastic payouts for those lucky enough to
skate through certain races.
First, though, to those handicapping Del Mar’s Sunday card:
The two turf races (race 5 and race 9) have been taken off the grass as track
personnel evaluate the course following several catastrophic injuries.
Credit to Del Mar for taking these precautionary measures.
Anyway, on with the ticket:
RACE #7: Ten 2-year-old fillies will go postward here, and
considering none of these have ever run on Del Mar’s quirky synthetic surface,
I went five-deep here to cover my bases. I used #1 Starlet O’Hara (7/2), #3
Redshirt (12-1), #4 Ryder’s Starlight (5-1), #5 Morning Coffee (5-1), and #9
Make the Sun Shine (3-1).
My top pick is Make the Sun Shine, who showed ample speed
first out for Mark Casse. Del Mar has shown a significant speed bias to this
point in the meet, so if Stewart Elliott can boot this daughter of Malibu Moon
to the front early, she may prove very difficult to catch.
RACE #8: Races where one can comfortably single a horse make
wagers like this considerably more affordable. That’s the case with the eighth,
the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, as #2
Goldencents (8/5) will go postward.
Last out, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero finished an
ultra-game second behind Palace Malice in the Met Mile. He’s worked superbly
for this affair, and if you somehow get 8/5 on him as the field heads toward
the gate, take it and run.
RACE #9: This race has come off the turf, and it makes it
MUCH more difficult to handicap. Very few of these have any experience over the
Del Mar synthetic, and some may scratch to await grass races down the line.
I did the best I could to not hit the “ALL” button here, and
I wound up going five-deep. I used #4 Personal Diary (5/2), #5 Disregarded
(12-1), #7 La Pequena Gigi (15-1), #8 Alexis Tangier (6-1), and #10 Vanlose
Stairway (9/2).
Ultimately, Personal Diary would be my ‘key’ horse here. She
just has way too much back class, and has been running against the likes of
Aurelia’s Belle, A Little Bit Sassy, and Sea Queen. Her best beats these, and
she’s at least got an OK work over this surface.
RACE #10: The finale is a tricky sprint for state-bred
maiden claimer. I went three-deep in here, but that could expand if an
also-eligible I like draws in.
I’m using #4 Miss Kit Kat (6-1), #9 Inflamed (12-1), and #11
Q’ Viva (7/2). However, don’t overlook #14 Exclusive Girl (4-1), who possesses
ample speed and a decent work over this synthetic surface. If she draws in, I’m
using her.
For a 50-cent wager, this ticket costs either $37.50 (if
Exclusive Girl doesn’t draw in) or $50 (if she does). As a refresher, here’s
the layout.
RACE #7: 1-3-4-5-9
RACE #8: 2
RACE #9: 4-5-7-8-10
RACE #10: 4-9-11 (14)
I’ll be tweeting from Del Mar all day long Sunday (
follow me here!), and I’ll
be posting a recap of my maiden voyage to the storied venue to this blog on Monday or Tuesday. If
you’re playing the Pick Four, good luck!
This is the 17th and final installment of a weekly feature exclusive to Horse Racing Nation tracking the...
Forever Young earned a sparkling 140 Horse Racing Nation speed figure for his victory in Saturday's Breeders' Cup...
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, held Monday at the Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky., posted sales of more than...
Owen Almighty , the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner who most recently placed third in the Perryville...
A decade after Michelle Payne became the first woman win Australia's most famous race, Jamie Melham has etched herself...