Last week’s selections at Del Mar for the pick five had us one race short of plucking the winners but we will come back again and try to get all five.
This five race sequence looks to be one of the toughest of the meet. After the five race selections we will also have a play on Thursday’s Hall of Fame game. Yes, football is finally back.
Del Mar Wednesday
Race 1: Maidens travel a mile on the dirt to start this difficult pick five. Two runners in here are exiting the same race and we will use both of them. No. 4 Pleasant d’Oro, who just missed by a half length at this distance in his last start at Los Alamitos TB, and No. 5 Stonegate, who exits the same race, battled tooth and nail the entire mile distance. Stonegate held on for third just a half length behind Pleasant d’Oro. No. 6 Lord Guinness gets his second start off the layoff for trainer Bill Morey and his work here on the 19th was big time. He goes long for the first time and gets the bug boy Assael Espinoza up for the ride. 4-5-6
Race 2: $25K fillies and mares travel the tough distance of seven furlongs. No. 2 Skeeter Davis (those who are from my generation remember her early 60’s top song “End of the World”) is in from Golden Gate and we like the fact that a jockey like Gary Stevens jumps on for the ride. No. 6 Wonderful Lie comes off a good second and gets her second start off the Peter Miller claim. She has had success on this course. No. 7 Be a Lady is very consistent, fits at this level and has won 7 of her 21 starts. 2-6-7
Race 3: California-bred maiden 2yo fillies go six furlongs. The big shooters will be hitting the “all” button in this race and the wise guy’s with info will know before us. We will take our shot using two first time starters, No. 3 Mz Brown, who has a string of works that we like, and we also like the hook up of Asa Espinoza riding for Morey who is having a good meet; and No. 7 Don’t Sell is a first-time Square Eddie runner for Doug O’Neill. She is out of the dam Too Much Excess who has dropped three winners from three starters including a stakes victory. This trainer/jockey combo has been on with Mario Gutierrez winning four of his last 10 rides for O’Neill. 3-7
Race 4: It just doesn’t get any easier here as we get $40K claimers going five furlongs on the grass in a very wide open race. No. 1 Lauren’s Ladd has been going down the hill at Santa Anita for David Jacobson who is looking for his first win at the meet. He has a win and a second in his last two starts and may like this five furlong turf distance. No. 6 Ronald R gets his first start off the Ron Ellis $40K claim. This guy has been routing on the grass, had a nice last work and will be flying with a late run at a price. No. 7 Krsto Skye has been sprinting on the grass at this distance at Golden Gate vs. some good ones up North. He ran here last year in the $75K Green Flash. 1-6-7
Race 5: This is very tough as we get $16K claimers who have never won two races going a mile on the dirt. No. 1 Taniko takes a huge drop in class for Philip D’Amato. He can win this if he has any run left in him at all. He does have a work over the track on the 23rd so that says we can use him. No. 9 Hard Arch comes off a maiden breaker in his 13th start last out back in May. He returns in a real soft spot and looks live right back at a nice price. After these two anyone can win this. 1-9
Thursday NFL
Bears +1.5 vs. Ravens (34.5): This bettor in his younger days took in several Hall of Fame games in Canton on the way to Columbus and the Ohio state fair, which is one of if not the best state fair in the country. The Bears will start this new season on NBC with a new head coach in Matt Nagy who most likely will be just trying to see what he has. We doubt he will use QB Mitch Trubisky for more than two sets if that.
John “I just hate to lose any game” Harbaugh is in his 11th year with the Ravens and has some riches in the QB department with Lamar Jackson sitting in wait for Joe Flacco to go down. Under Harbaugh, Baltimore has covered its last six preseason openers. We say lay the small number here. RAVENS -1.5
We know it’s hot outside but it’s nice and cool in the casino race and sportsbooks so get out and take a shot. You could be walking around lucky and not even know it.