Category: Blog Posts

Horse Racing Handicapping Del Mar Recap Week 4

Del Mar Recap: August 8 Fast main track and firm turf course. Four front running or dueling winners on dirt (8.5f, 5.5f, 5.5f, 8f). The winning turf course running styles were a patient runner at one mile, a stalker at five furlongs, and a stalker at one mile (rail at 30 feet). Agapito Delgadillo and Flavien Prat both booted home a pair. August 8 Claims: Race 2 – My Farmer ($12.5k, Paul Aguirre), Just Kidding ($12.5k, Reed Saldana), Above Board ($12,5k, Vann Belvoir), Plum Dandy ($12.5k, Sal Gonzalez). Race 8 – Blaze of Glory ($20k, Genaro Vallejo). Del Mar Recap: August 9 Fast main track and firm turf course. One dueling front running winner at one mile on dirt. The winning turf course running styles were a last-to-first closer at one mile, a front runner at one mile, a patient runner at one mile, and a patient runner at five

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Horse Racing Handicapping Saratoga Recap Week 4

Quick Call Recap (8-8-18) – Winner: World of Trouble World of Trouble figured an elusive target if he handled turf, and that was the case in this sophomore turf sprint at 5.5 furlongs (yielding ground). The aforementioned chalk was quickly a length in front from the inside post under Irad Ortiz Jr., and that was basically all she wrote. He ended up a bit less than two lengths in front of his stablemate Fig Jelly at the finish, with Dirty another neck back in 3rd. The latter was my value top choice, and he made a run at the winner in the lane before ultimately settling for the show. NYSS Statue of Liberty Division (8-9-18) – Winner: Goodbye Brockley My top choice Goodbye Brockley won in a thriller over Wegetsdamunnys in this flat mile turf stakes affair for NY-bred sophomore fillies (yielding ground). Byself, Crashing Connie, and Miss Jen were

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Horse Racing Handicapping Del Mar Horses To Watch Week 4

JUST HIT PLAY ( August 9): Two year old gelding for Steve Miyadi, who owns this juvenile as well as training him, made start #2 in Thursday’s sixth, a maiden claimer on the main at five and a half for a $32,000 tag. Off at 4/1 in a 9 horse field, he got caught in a speed duel for the second consecutive race and it cost him in the final sixteenth. He caught a “flyer” from the gate and they went quick early in 22.28 and opened up five on the field. He put the other speed away turning for home but couldn’t hold off the late runners and was beaten 3 while finishing third. He did hang in there gamely late until the final sixteenth. This son of Square Eddie is not a lot of horse, but he’s capable of winning one of these claimers due to his speed.

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Del Mar Horse Racing Handicapping News and Notes Week 4

• Del Mar completed week 4 on Sunday and the 7 week meet is more than half over. The main track continues to play fair, although the times have been very slow as compared to years past. However, for the most part the surface has been safe and pretty much free of injuries and fatalities as compared to years past. The turf course has been favoring speed in the five furlong sprints and has been favoring off the pace runners in races around two turns. The placement of the rails has become a non factor in determining the race shape, but we will continue to provide this info in our notes each day just the same. After all, nothing stays the same in racing, especially with a track located right on the Pacific Ocean. Lately, the weather has been warm and even a bit “muggy”, but the track is always

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Saratoga Weekly Recap Week 3

Shine Again Recap (8-1-18) – Winner: Your Love Early-pressing types from outer posts are always dangerous in extended sprints, and Your Love probably won this race at the post draw. She was always in a good tactical spot from the outside post under Javier Castellano, and she got the jump on Cairenn to post a one-length tally for trainer Chad Brown. The latter has improved this year for Graham Motion, and she finished a length in front of show finisher Heavenly Score. Come Dancing set the pace and weakened to 4th, and there was a nice gap back to the remaining four entrants. Birdstone Stakes Recap (8-2-18) – Winner: Big Dollar Bill This 1-3/4 mile marathon ended up with an unappealing 4-horse field following the defection of You’re To Blame. Carlino and Archinova hooked up early, and strong favorite Hard Study was tracking them in third. Big Dollar Bill was

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Horse Racing Handicapping Del Mar Recap Week 3

Del Mar Recap: August 1 Fast main track and firm turf course. Two front running winners on dirt (6f, 8f). The winning turf course running styles were a late runner at 5 furlongs, and a stalker at a mile and three-eighths (turf rail at 24 feet). Two turf wins for Flavien Prat. August 1 Claims: Race 2 – Ib Prospecting ($25k, Patrick Gallagher), Be a Lady ($25k, Neil French), Wonderful Lie (claim voided, reason vet). Race 4 – Brandothebartender ($40k, Craig Dollase), Mr Cruze (claim voided, reason vet). Race 5 – Taniko ($16k, Doug O’Neill), Gray Admiral ($16k, Vann Belvoir). Race 6 – Oscar Dominguez ($40k, Adam Kitchingman). Race 8 – Girl Drama ($20k, Peter Miller), Royal C ($20k, Ari Herbertson). CTBA Stakes Recap (8-1-18) – Winner: Naughty Tiger My top choice Time for Kisses scratched, and that left a field of eight for this $100,000 state bred dirt sprint

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Del Mar Handicapping News and Notes Week 3

• Del Mar completed week 3 of their 7 week meet this past Sunday with the temps remaining cool along the Pacific while Saratoga battles one rain storm after another. However, the fires continue to rage across the state of California and it is becoming the new norm for us each and every summer. The race track continues to play fair from a pace standpoint, but where the best footing is down the lane continues to change on a daily basis, and many believe that has to do with the tide, being so close to the ocean and all. For the first two weeks, the outside lanes were best, but that changed this past week where many a day, the rail was golden. The turf course played fair on Sunday but for the most part, in two turn races, the advantage goes to the off the pace runners. Those tricky

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Del Mar Handicapping Horses To Watch Week 3

LOVELY RAQUEL ( August 2): Five year old mare for Vic Garcia, who had been off since December, returned on Thursday in a $40,000 maiden claiming sprint at ¾ on the main track. Off at 7/1 in a field of 8, she broke well enough from the two hole and settled in mid pack down the back side. She found a seam on the inside turning for home under Delgadillo, burst through it in a fraction of a second, and extended herself without urging to ease clear and win rather easily by four at the wire. On a track that was playing extremely dull, she ran the final quarter in a solid 25.02, five lengths quicker than anything else in the race. This was her first start with claimers and she is now eligible for those starter allowance races, non winners twice. They took the blinkers off today and the

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Horse Racing Handicapping Del Mar Horses To Watch Week 2

RED ENVELOPE ( July 26): Three year old gelding for Dan Hendricks made his debut in Thursday’s 6th, a maiden special weight sprint at six and a half on the main for Cal breds. Off at 9/2 in an 8 horse field, he hopped a bit at the start and was bumped by his neighbor to be away poorly. Yet he had natural speed and without much urging from Van Dyke, he was up near the leaders by the half mile pole. He stuck his nose in front at the top of the lane but couldn’t hold off another runner who was storming home on the outside. He dug in gamely the final 100 yards and only lost by a half length and it was two and a half back to the third horse. Hendricks is having just a horrible year with only one winner the entire year, but he’s

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Horse Racing Handicapping Del Mar News and Notes Week 2

• Del Mar completed their 2nd week of racing this past Sunday under cool temps and overcast skies while fires raged up and down the state. Temps remained in the 70’s with the cool breeze coming off the Pacific. The main track continued to play fair from a pace standpoint while the outside lanes held a slight advantage over the inside part of the track. The turf course started favoring off the pace runners in week two regardless of the placement of the inner rails. For the most part, fields are running full with races that are wide open and in many cases, 6 or 7 horses having a legitimate chance to win any given race. Both handle and on track attendance remain up vs. 2017. Racing resumes this Wednesday with their normal five day week and the lone carry over is the single ticket jackpot of the pick which

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