Head to Head: Cases for 2 horses to win Crosby at Del Mar

Laurie

Ashley

1. Crazy Mason (6-1)

Crazy Mason ships in off a closing third-place finish in Saratoga’s True North last month. Crazy Mason broke slow and was outrun early through a 22.21 first quarter. But made a late move up the rail, splashing his way to a third-place finish behind Book’em Dano. The pretty gray 4-year-old loves Aqueduct and captured a trio of races there, including the Carter (G2). Although he won once at Saratoga and Tampa, the Greg Sacco trainee is winless elsewhere. On the plus side, Crazy Mason consistently posts triple-digit Brisnet late-pace figures, and his 123 rating earned in the True North is the highest in the Bing Crosby field. Additionally, he fired a pre-race four-furlong bullet in 47.40, the best of 98, at Saratoga Exotics.  

Trained by Gregory Sacco, Crazy Mason was once a potential Triple Crown contender but has since been reinvented as a sprinter. Starting in November 2024, the 4-year-old has been racing exclusively in New York, where he won the Carter (G2) and was most recently third behind Book’em Danno in the True North (G3). Crazy Mason was assigned a 100 Brisnet speed rating for his Carter (G2) win, a number that dropped three points in the True North (G3). Sacco has a 4% win rate with 38% in-the-money in graded stakes over the last five years. Those numbers leap to 33% and 67% over the last year, thanks to Crazy Mason. However, Sacco is 0% across the board when shipping into California during the previous five years. Christopher Elliott, who takes over from Manny Franco, has never won a graded stakes race. Pass.

2. Dr. Venkman (4-1)

Dr. Venkman loves Del Mar. He slimed the field by a length in the San Diego Handicap (G2) but found 1 1/4 miles too far in the Pacific Classic. In a recent pair of second-place finishes, Dr. Venkman bested Smooth Cruisein by 4 1/4 lengths in the Triple Bed and closed within 3/4 lengths of Roll On Big Joe in the Kelly’s Landing (G3). The Mark Glatt trainee zaps double-digit speed ratings at Del Mar and has tactical speed. Contender.

Trained by Mark Glatt, Dr. Venkman enters off a second-place finish to Roll On Big Joe in the Kelly’s Landing (G3) at Churchill Downs. He was also second in the Triple Bend (G3) in what was his first start since running fourth in the Pacific Classic (G1) in August 2024. Glatt had attempted to stretch the gelding out last year, and Dr. Venkman won the San Diego Handicap (G2). Previously, he was an even fourth in the Pacific Classic (G1). Glatt brought him back in sprints for this year. Dr Venkman never has raced at six furlongs but has plenty of experience at 6 1/2 and seven furlongs and has never been out of the exacta, except in the Pacific Classic (G1). Dr. Venkman can improve third off the layoff, and Glatt has 19% wins with a 60% in-the-money rate with that angle over the last five years, per Race Lens. Regular rider Antonio Fresu has the mount. Contender.

3. Hejazi (7-2)

This $3.55 million 2-year-old is camera shy. The multiple Grade 1-placed Hejazi has flashed talent here, but he is a polite horse and lets others go first. In an Allowance Optional Claiming event at Santa Anita last month, Hejazi dueled down the lane with Mbagnick but backed off a half-length. The Bob Baffert trainee does his best work as a pacesetter. Exotics.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Hejazi was most recently second to Mbagnick in an optional claimer. Once a highly regarded Triple Crown prospect, Hejazi has thus far had an underwhelming and slightly bizarre career. He dropped off the radar following a fourth-place finish in the Fred W. Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream Park in January 2024. So, the aforementioned allowance race at Santa Anita was his first start in 16 1/2 months. Hejazi has just two wins from 10 career starts, but has never finished outside the trifecta in a sprint race. He is eligible to improve second off the layoff, and Baffert has 26% wins with a 63% in-the-money clip over the last year with that angle. J.J. Hernandez has the mount. Exotics.

4. Smooth Cruisein (20-1)

After a failed experiment at longer distances, Smooth Cruisein cuts back to six furlongs, where he’s undefeated. The 3-year-old son of Girvin ran out of oats in the seven-furlong Triple Bend and finished a well-beaten third. The Karen Headley trainee faces his more accomplished elders off a 56-day layoff and must prove he can run with the big boys. Pass.

Trained by Karen Headley, lightly raced Smooth Cruisein is a bit up against it as a 3-year-old racing against his elders. He’s done okay doing so thus far, however. Two starts back, he beat a short field of older runners in an optional claimer. He was most recently third of four in the Triple Bend (G3), beaten by 9 3/4 lengths (nod to the unintentional Harry Potter reference) while finishing well clear of last-place finisher Spirit of Makena. Smooth Cruisein has been Headley’s only graded starter since August 2021 and is 3: 0-0-1 in his three graded starts. With a field size nearly double what he’s ever previously faced, I don’t see Smooth Cruisein sneaking another placing here. Kyle Frey has the mount. Pass.

5. World Record (3-1)

World Record is a dependable competitor whose only off-the-board placing was an inexplicable sixth-place finish in last year’s H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). The swift son of Gun Runner was last seen zipping a 43.61 half-mile in the Aristides (G3) in May. He couldn’t sustain the speed and finished second by a length. However, in his previous start, He completed six furlongs in a blazing 1:07.84, a tick off Churchill Downs’s 18-year track record of 1:07.55. The Rodolphe Brisset trainee is most successful as a pacesetter, has won at multiple tracks and has a strong chance of running this group off their feet. Contender.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, World Record was last seen finishing second in the Aristides (G3) at Churchill Downs. While lightly raced, World Record has been a model of consistency, going 9: 4-1-3. His only off-the-board finish came in last year’s edition of the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) when he weakened to sixth after being sent hard and setting a fast pace. Brisset has 0% wins with a 40% in-the-money clip when shipping to California over the last five years, including sending Mullikin out to a third-place finish in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Yuugiri to a second-place finish in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Regular jockey Flavien Prat has the mount. Exotics.

6. Roll On Big Joe (6-1)

The only mark on Roll On Big Joe’s record this year was a runner-up finish in an optional claiming race at Keeneland, after a two-month layoff. The pretty gray 5-year-old was last seen ghosting Dr. Venkman by 3/4 length in the Kelly’s Landing (G3). A multiple Grade 3 class winner, this Bob Hess trainee does his best work as a pacesetter–presser. He doesn’t have World Record’s speed, but could make things interesting on the front end while seeking his third straight victory. Contender.

Trained by Robert Hess, Jr., Roll On Big Joe enters off a victory in the Kelly’s Landing (G3). In his three graded starts, Roll On Big Joe is 3: 2-1-0 but has faced mostly grade three or listed stakes types. He did face Straight No Chaser in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) but was absolutely no match for that one. Julien Leparoux has the mount. Contender.

7. Mbagnick (5-1)

Mbagnick bested Hejazi and was claimed for $80,000 by John Sadler. The 6-year-old son of Practical Joke has switched hands multiple times and is hit or miss against optional claimers. Mbagnick isn’t in Roll On Big Joe’s class and has seen the tail-end of his rival several times. Mbagnick will add heat to the front end for part of the Bing Crosby. I don’t anticipate him hitting the top three. Pass.

Now trained by John Sadler, Mbagnick most recently defeated Hejazi by a half-length in an optional claimer. A Group 1 winner in Chile, Mbagnick has occasionally popped up in Grade 3 and one Grade 2 events in the states but hasn’t made a lasting impression. Sadler has 18% wins with a 36% in-the-money clip with runners first off the claim. Armando Ayuso, who has only three graded victories, has the call. Pass.

8. Spirit of Makena (20-1)

Spirit of Makena didn’t make it to the races until he was four. He showed promise in 2023, winning a pair of Grade 3 events, the San Carlos Triple Bend stakes. Then things went downhill. He finished a troubled last in that year’s Bing Crosby and was given a year and a half off after another last-place finish in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2). Now seven, the George Papaprodromou trainee finished a good third in his return in the San Carlos Stakes, but was beaten 22 lengths in the Triple Bend. Spirit of Makena’s work tab shows gaps, and I hope the bailing wire holding him together doesn’t come off. Pass.

Trained by George Papaprodromou, Spirit of Makena enters off an awful showing in the Triple Bend (G3). He crossed the wire last of four, beaten by 22 3/4 lengths. It was his second start off an eighteen-month layoff. In his first start off the layoff, he was third in the San Carlos (G3), beaten by just 1 1/4 lengths for it all. Spirit of Makena started his career late, debuting in August 2022 as a 4-year-old, but strong, going 5: 4-1-0 in his first five starts. He has since gone 5: 0-0-1, all in graded stakes. He likely needs some confidence boosting class relief. Abel Cedillo has the call. Pass.

9. Lovesick Blues (20-1)

Lovesick Blues is capable on dirt and turf. Race Lens shows that he’s finished out of the money twice in a dozen starts at Santa Anita and Los Alamitos. Lovesick Blues appears a cut below here, as Grazen’s son’s highest accomplishment on dirt was a second-place finish in the state-bred Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos. The Librado Barocio trainee may improve with the switch to dirt sprints, and his tactical running style may be worth a long-shot lower exotics bet if you’re playing the field, but overall, I'm not singing his praises.

Trained by Librado Barocio, Lovesick Blues enters off a string of turf starts and was most recently fourth in the Daytona (G3) on turf. The 7-year-old gelding has wins on both surfaces and was second in the 2024 Bertrando Stakes in his last dirt start. He’s grade three placed on turf, but just California-bred stakes placed on dirt. Barocio has 4% wins with a 25% in-the-money clip in graded stakes over the past five years, according to Race Lens. Geovanni Franco, who last won a graded stakes in 2023, has the mount. Pass.