Del Mar for Saturday 3 September 2022
Hope you enjoy Del Mar's biggest race day of the summer meeting. Next Pub. for The Racing Digest is Friday 9 September.
Best of luck as always !
race 1 below average clarity
6 Draw the Foul very significant rider upgrade and hopefully Rispoli and his agent wanted the ride because of the possibility that this four year old might be mounting a rebound in form........big awakening in his last and a nice reassuring 4 furlong drill since the race..........gelding should be in the mix from the get go
8 Wearenotbadpeople Howey Quinn has had a good go of it lately so maybe this is not a "claim me please drop down" but rather "winning is thrilling" so why not snatch another win despite the risk of losing this gelding.......we shall see which is the case at about 1 PM Pacific
4 Disko Tribute
3 Uncle Wilbur
5 Divine Feminine
race 2 average clarity
13 AE U. S. Danger SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE five year old has some high octane early speed and quite often holds together despite setting some torrid fractions.......and Kyle Frey sure has fit him well winning 3 of 4 mounts on him......that and "Danger" is 3 for 3 at today's turf distance and one of the wins was at Del Mar
4 Mambo Cool much improved distance turf horse since the blinkers were put on........good history when Rispoli rides and he is in the irons for the fifth time on this D'Amato five year old gelding......believe Umberto can work out a nice mid pack ground saving trip most of the way.......like his chances if that is what occurs
1 Mobou
2 Kings River Knight
8 Single Me Out
3 Lil Nas
race 3 average clarity
10 Cast Member no one in this field has worked as well at least on paper as this 1st time starter from the Yakteen barn......that and look who wants the mount.......Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez
9 Just a Little Luck both lifetime races are slightly short of par for the given level.......but this go around Mathis is able to lure Prat to ride......lifetime best seems likely.....hard to ask for more than that
1 Chedda Cash
6 Big Celebration
3 Cholly
race 4 average clarity
2 High Connection all of 4 of his career races look good vs. today's competition......1st on the Del Mar dirt but not too worry as his a.m. work on it is quite impressive even by Bob Baffert standards
4 Il Bellator four speed types in this field of five and this colt is not one of them........Cedillo should be able to sit in the rear of the field and let his horse relax.......if he handles his 1st on conventional dirt he should be a factor in the late stages of this $125K Stakes restricted to three year old runners
3 Newgrange
race 5 below average clarity
3 Man Among Men not exactly one of Umberto Rispoli's better rides as he broke his MSW debut colt a little slowly/shuffled and from there gave him a wide trip.........nice works put into this R Mandella 2nd time starter since the 22 July race.....rather sure this one moves forward and also rather sure Rispoli can do better
1 Key Player trainer Simon Callaghan is starting to heat things up and he sends out a 1st time starter that owns a strong pedigree for the grass and a work tab that hints he is fit enough to get a turf route in his 1st lifetime race.........three year old colt likely will go off a nice price
6 Chicago Soldier
2 Kawazaki
10 Quintecents
race 6 average clarity
8 Practical Move one of the better MSW two year efforts at Dmr this summer despite a bad trip and being beaten by 6L.........her real time fig is 4L better than par and her adjusted fig is 9L better than par......same effort and a better trip and she should win this MSW affair for Yakteen and company
10 Hawker solid debut and a powerful rider upgrade......his effort usually would warrant top pick for his 2nd out but our top choice not only ran a Santucci fig that is 5L better but he ran it at today's 6 1/2F distance whereas our 2nd choice ran it in only a 5F affair
3 National Treasure
7 Don Corleone
5 Massimo
race 7 average clarity
5 Hong Kong Harry very consistent turf runner (9 6 2 1) and this D'Amato five year old ran her best USA race to date in her latest endeavor which was her 1st on the Del Mar grass run 34 days ago.......jockey upgrade to Mr Prat......hard not to like
7 Cathkin Peak strong move forward in her 2nd out following a long layoff and the strength of the run is disguised some by a tough trip........three reassuring turf drills since the 31 July race.........Rispoli will be out to make amends.......Rispoli/D'Amato combination is almost always dangerous
6 Goliad
3 Irideo
2 Tarantino
race 8 below average clarity
5 Redline both lifetime dirt sprints racing with Lasix which he is using today are better than par Santucci figs and one of them which was a win was run at today's 7F distance.......and he gets quite the jock upgrade this afternoon to Johnny V.........such a deal
9 Exaulted Peter Eurton's five year old is very consistent and all his sprint races have been at 6 1/2F or 7F.......5 of his 8 lifetime races look strong in this spot and today he draws Mr Prat......look for this nice sprinter to be flying late
6 Super Curioso
8 Todo Fino
3 Finneus
race 9 average clarity
2 Slow Down Andy biggest money winner in this field by far.....but of course the moola was earned on the dirt........but this colt has a pedigree that seems better for the grass than the dirt......colt should get great position saving ground on or near the lead in a race shape that should favor those that do
1 Cabo Spirit consistent rather smooth grass runner seems at his best on the Del Mar turf and he just ran his lifetime best to win a Grade 3 four weeks ago hinting that going under the knife and becoming a gelding was a success......extra 1/16th to travel today seems like a plus
9 Balnikov
7 Mackinnon
3 War at Sea
race 10 above average clarity
5 Flightline four year old colt's history so far: his effort/fig in his MSW debut 13L win would have made him competitive in any B C Sprint........and then 4 1/2 months later his 12 length win in a nw alw race would have crushed the field in most B C Sprints......then he fell off some but still won a 7F Grade 1 by 11 lengths......then he cruised to win but 6 at Belmont off of a 1/2 year layoff........all that and he has a beautiful way of going and yours truly only marks that note in only about 1 in every 500 dirt horses.......he will have to go bad or hate the two turns and/or the10F not to once again impress this afternoon
4 Express Train five year old horse handles the main track at Del Mar (5 3 1 0) and he is well proven at the 10 furlong dirt distance........this handicapper actually projects him to run a couple lengths better than par today for the Grade 1 level yet still placed as 2nd pick.....that is rare
3 Royal Ship
race 11 average clarity
9 Master Piece not my favorite grass rider in Cedillo but he sure gave this nice six year old a great ride to win a Grade 2 four weeks ago......three reassuring works since and he ran terrific in the 2021 version of the Del Mar Hcp running 2nd despite a brutal trip......hard not to like
6 Tizamagician marathon dirt races are his thing but they have been dirt affairs......he has run only once on the grass and didn't show much but that was a long time ago.......that and Mandella worked him 7F on the turf 9 days ago so he got a good look at how well his five year old handled it.......five year old should sit 1st of 2nd from the opening bell right where he wants to be positioned
4 Red King
3 Gregdar
2 Gold Phoenix
In: Free Information, Selections
