Super Screener: Arabian Knight may be vulnerable at Del Mar

Arabian Knight will be a big favorite to win his 4-year-old debut when he returns from a more than eight-month layoff in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar. The Super Screener thinks this is the right spot to tackle the Bob Baffert trainee.

Like Arabian Knight, Dr. Venkman is a 4-year-old who has done very little wrong in his career. This will be his first two-turn test, however, after finishing second to Happy Jack in the Triple Bend last out. Being by Ghostzapper out of an Archarcharch mare, the 1 1/16 miles should not be an issue, plus he gets six pounds from Arabian Knight.

"Dr. Venkman is interesting here," Super Screener author Mike Shutty said. "He needed that last race (his 4-year-old debut) making it an excellent prep for this start. Form-cycle analysis indicates he could move forward 8-10 points, which is good enough to win. He is 2-for-2 (at Del Mar) and has been working toward this race."

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As part of that wagering strategy, Shutty also identified a long shot to use in the San Diego. Katonah returns off more than a year layoff for trainer Doug O'Neill.

"Note that last time he was off for a year he came back to win," Shutty said. "He is perfectly suited for this distance and very balanced in the way he distributes energy. He'll get a similar trip to Dr. Venkman and has enough quality to perhaps fill out the exotics."