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Del Mar for Thursday 23 August 2018

So so card this afternoon. Hoping for a more exciting one on Friday.

Best of luck as always!

 

race 1    below average clarity

1  Bonneville Flats   on the rebound in a big way albeit in route races.........1st on the Del Mar dirt but her works on the new surface indicate she likes it.......back to a sprint is a concern as her rebound has been made since switching to route races

6  Tapitha Bonita   turf route in her latest which was run at two claiming levels is solid and disguised by wide trip up in the pace.......handles the dirt OK although Del Mar might not be her favorite surface.......still if she has held form it might not matter

2  Lucky Val   toss out last on 9 June as this Kathy Walsh three-year old filly acted up very bad and predictably ran horribly......maiden debt 2 back on 17 March is very strong breaking very badly and racing a little too wide after that.......yet she still broke her maiden at 1st asking........would have been top pick if wasn't for the fact Walsh is not would she used to be.....as in rather reliable

5  Spectacular Move

 

race 2    average clarity

3  Lucky Student   very easy paced gate to wire win in latest.....the kind of easy victory that leaves plenty of horse for the next start.......Stevens wisely sticks with this mare deservedly stepping up 2 claiming levels

7  Gemini Journey   likes Del Mar and the 6F offered here........plenty of speed in the race can set things up nicely for this filly who will likely be positioned in the middle of the pack and come home with some vigor while others in front of her will be gasping for air

4  Brookes All Mine   might be at her best at Del Mar.......and like our 2nd selection she might benefit from plenty of early speed up front which should help her mount a dangerous late run

5  Scathing

 

race 3    average clarity

3  Token Vow   it appears as if their should be a lively pace up front for this D'Amato three-year old filly who just popped an effort that was her lifetime best......same distance and surface today.......rider upgrade at least these days from Bejarano to Van Dyke (never though I would be putting that in my comments)

2  Suspicious Spouse   already owns some solid early speed and now puts the blinkers on for the 1st time......Miller and company seem to want the lead no matter what.......at what cost is the question mark.....but it is hard to question much that Miller does these days

5  Varanasi   filly owns a pedigree that should handle the sod......and she has been flattening out in her sprints so she should welcome the 3/16 less to run today.....also back to Prat after being absent for one race

7  Storming Lady

4  Stradella Road

 

race 4    average clarity

8  Rickey B   1st time starter appears ready at 1st asking off of 3 straight tightly spaced works to finish up his a.m. preparation......and two were out of the gate which often signals "well-meant debut" for a Steven Miyadi 1ster

7  Smokey Pirate   31 to 1 MSW debut strongly suggests the race was a tune-up to drop and go in today's much softer 32.5K maiden claiming level.....jock Joe Talamo has snapped out of a small slump and is now riding well

4  Shake N Fries   Van Dyke likely is in high demand these days so the fact that he lands on a Yakteen MC 1ster seems significant....that and I like that this colt's best work was to only time he worked from the gate

5  Poppy's C Note

2  Baja Warrior

 

race 5    average clarity

7  Joe Jackson   1st on the sod but owns a decent enough pedigree for it......blinkers on.......Maldonado on......connections want his early speed back which has been absent for two races

5  Unpossible   sprint-route-sprint maneuver for today.......solid recent 4F work.......trainer is having a very nice Dmr meeting........good rider/trainer team over the years including at the 2018 summer Dmr meet (3 for 7)

6  Ultimate Bango   could have won the 29 July version of this race if not for getting bumped at the start.........strong "surge" between horses late

4  Hollywood Square

3  From the Distance

 

race 6    average clarity

1  Midnight Lilly   best running on the Del Mar surface and it showed in her latest.......Palma will likely pull out all stops to have her feeling good as in all likelihood this is her last chance to run on its dirt until late Fall

9  Road Test   finally drops in claiming following many checks but no visits to the winners circle.......seems best at today's one mile dirt distance (7 1 4 1).......likes to hang but her lone win did come at today's dirt distance

5  Warrior Vixen   4 of her last 5 races fit decently here which includes her last which was the 2 August version of this race.......Baze sticks around for a 3rd straight mount on this Hansen five-year old mare

7  Flat Out Sassy

6  Looking At Thelake

 

race 7    average clarity

6  Beau Recall   hard trying sort could use a confidence building trip to the winners circle and so the connections get her out of Graded racing and put her at a level where she should be tough

4  Pantsonfire   nasty post in her latest predictably led to a poor trip.......much better post today and for a jock in Quinonez who added another win yesterday and is having a decent Del Mar meeting.......last 5 races when not entered in a Stakes race (5 3 2 1).....not too shabby

8  Barleysugar   mare has more early speed than appears on paper........she might use it here to clear all or most by turn one in a race that lacks speed except for our 4th choice......like her chances if Baze can get that done

1  Poster Girl

2  Bernina Star

 

race 8    below average clarity

4  Pastorelli   not much in lone lifetime race which was 3 months ago at SA......returns as a 1st time gelding and with a strong series of 5F works at Slr.......appears that the surgery improved him quite a bit......we will find out today

3  All I Can Say   Val Brinkerhoff has done well with limited starters at the meeting and appears to have this laid up 2nd time starter fit and ready (nice works both at Dxd and Dmr) off of the 14 1/2 month hiatus.......that and the trainer is often at his best off of long layoffs

2  Vintage Hollywood   another coming off of a layoff for his 2nd time start.......ran decently in his maiden debut and has some upside potential as he returns as a 1st time gelding

9  Wild Verse

5  Causeididitmyway

7  I Am the Danger

 

 

Posted on August 23, 2018 at 9:56 am by richs · Permalink
In: Free Information, Selections