Saturday's Best Bet: Irish Freedom the right Baffert in Native Diver
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Photo:
Zoe Metz Photography
Handicapper: Jarrod Horak
Track: Del Mar
Race: 5 - Post Time: 5:30pm ET
Recent Best Bet Winners:
11/22 - Zia Park Derby Trifecta ($61.40)
Saturday's 5th race from Del Mar (11-25-17) is the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes for 3-year-olds and up traveling a mile and an eighth on the main track.
#5 IRISH FREEDOM (3-1) can turn the tables on Top of the Game if he can work out a decent trip under Rafael Bejarano. My top choice looked great in a local entry level romp and he won his other local start as well. Hoppertunity (3rd in G1 Clark Handicap at CD Nov 24) edged him for the place off a layoff in the Comma to the Top and he can move up on the venue switch.
#2 Top of the Game (5-2) got a dream inside trip under Kent Desormeaux in the aforementioned Comma to the Top and he drew well for this. He won his last three at Santa Anita and his numbers continue to rise.
#1 Mubtaahij (2-1) was up the track as a 20-1 outsider in the Breeders' Cup Classic and he won a below par renewal of the Grade 1 Awesome Again before that. He is realistically spotted but might take too much win action for Bob Baffert.
#4 Prime Attraction (5-1) ran well in his last two long distance graded turf marathons and two of his three wins were in dirt routes.
THE PLAYS:
#5 to win
Quinella 2-5
Trifecta Key 5/1-2-4
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