ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 4, LITTLE JUANITO

FIRST RACE

KRISSYS MANICURE and NEWPORT BREEZE both showed ability first time out; either 2yo filly can win second time out. KRISSYS MANICURE gets the nod, primarily because she produced more speed. Off slow from the rail, she zoomed forward to chase a fast pace, and then gradually tired through the lane and finished third. The race turned out to be “live.” The winner Surrender Now returned to crush the Landaluce Stakes; runner-up Tyfosha returned to finish second in a highly rated maiden race here opening day. With a race under her belt and an outside draw, KRISSYS MANICURE has the tactical edge. However, NEWPORT BREEZE ran better than the line looks first out. She was not quick early, got stuck behind a rival on the turn, and finished well while looking for more ground than five furlongs. She gets it second out, stretching to six furlongs with a solid workout pattern since raced. LADYBUG is a Medaglia d’Oro first-time starter with a promising work pattern. The 2yo fillies this season appear to be a deep group.

SECOND RACE

PRIVATE TERRACE is the “now” mare, having won two of three since being claimed by Jerry Hollendorfer including a starter allowance last out. She has tactical speed; her figures are appropriate for this $12.5k claiming level. The knocks on the “obvious” choice: five starts at Del Mar produced only a single third-place finish, and likely low odds. STOLE MY ‘ART was a vet scratch from the race won by the top choice, but she worked two days later and again a week after that. The scratch is not a major concern. She has been facing better company lately while running on turf; she has won on dirt. The top two are front-runners/pressers; the best closer in this field might be comeback mare SHESWILDNFREE. First start in two and a half months, she will be rolling late.

THIRD RACE

VYJACK is the “class” of this mile turf stakes, likely to start at a short price first start since November. G2 winner, G2-placed over this turf course, winning connections in his corner, ready to launch his late-season campaign. Wagering value is likely to be minimal, however. PERFECTLY MAJESTIC has something the top choice lacks, which is recent form. He finished evenly for third in a solid prep race on the hill at Santa Anita, and now stretches to his preferred two-turn trip. Similar to the top choice, PERFECTLY MAJESTIC likes this turf course. Three wins from seven starts, in the money every time. BLACKJACKCAT scored a clever N2X win last out over a sharp claiming veteran (Abbey Vale) that had won two straight in fast time. BLACKJACK CAT continues to improve; he is relatively lightly raced (11 starts) and only 4-years-old. The G2-placed gelding is developing into a very good middle-distance grass horse. CALCULATOR defeated PERFECTLY MAJESTIC last out, albeit in a sprint. DALMORE has run races on dirt that put him in the hunt on turf.

FOURTH RACE

The highly rated runner-up comeback by LITTLE JUANITO sets him up for a maiden score as the most likely winner on the card. And he comes in handy as a potential pick six “single” in the first leg of the sequence. His comeback was solid, he earned a figure (88 Beyer) good enough to win most special-weight maiden races on this circuit. He worked well twice since, and ran well twice over this track last summer. Seems like a standout. First-time starter WAY GONE is an older gelding making his long-awaited career debut at age 4. His workout pattern suggests he will fire first time out. RED LIGHTNING is an enigma, three starts into his career. His third-place debut was much better than it looks, but he did not improve in two subse-

quent tries. He is reunited with his first rider, and perhaps might want to rally from off the pace. One more chance?

FIFTH RACE

This $50k claiming turf route is one of the deepest races on the card. A case can be made for most in the field. PATENTAR drops out of successive graded stakes; his N2X win three starts back would be plenty good enough. Of course, that begs the question: why entered for a $50k tag? TERRYS TOM CAT won on this course in summer 2015 and also in 2016, and returns for an attempted threepeat with good races early this year at Golden Gate. Freshened nearly four months and apparently working well, he is a perfect fit at this level. AIN’T MISBEHAVIN is an interesting upset candidate. His recent dirt form is decent; his stretchrunning style is the type that is more effective on turf than dirt. He is a better horse now than the only previous time he tried turf, in 2015. Furthermore, trainer Vladimir Cerin started the meet on fire by winning three races the first two days. ROYAL ALBERT HALL rarely wins, but often hits the board. Class drop from N2X helps.

SIXTH RACE

SECRET TOUCH returns to the footing (dirt) of his best effort, a third-place finish in March. He also drops in class to maiden-50. Tough call; several others in this field also have a look. Those include also-eligible WALDORF, who had troubled trips his last two starts. The outside draw at a flat mile is no bargain, but he may have more ability than he has been able to show recently. THE UNION FOREVER drops in class and switches to dirt. HARD ARCH might be ranked too low by this handicapper. He ran the best race of his career last out, a runnerup finish after pressing a fast pace (surface was slow). He gets in light with the apprentice rider, and his trainer is on a roll. HARROVIAN, a scratch on June 30, drops to his lowest level. This race seems wide open.

SEVENTH RACE

SIRCAT SALLY, unbeaten after seven starts, gets her toughest test in this competitive G2 turf route for 3yo fillies. After defeating the same filly (Beau Recall) multiple times, ‘SALLY meets a pair of sharp new shooters from France and the East Coast. Those are ENTHRALL and LULL. However, SIRCAT SALLY is the obvious filly to beat. She has speed, but does not require the lead. She is a front-runner, but also has a finishing kick. She can set the pace, or press the pace from just off. With regular rider Mike Smith riding Abel Tasman on Sunday at Saratoga, Drayden Van Dyke picks up the mount. The only significant knock is price. SIRCAT SALLY is certain to start favored, as her last six starts. ENTHRALL arrived last weekend from France, she was imported specifically for this race. She won two of three overseas; her only subpar race was over a turf course she reportedly did not care for. No telling how good, and she has a history of outrunning her odds. LULL arrives from New York for trainer Christophe Clement, who has had much success with 3yo turf fillies shipping to Del Mar. He won the 2013 Oaks with Discreet Marq, and the 2007 Oaks with Rutherienne. After a big 2yo campaign that culminated with a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, LULL is rounding into form and making just her third start back. Her most recent runner-up finish was validated when the filly that beat her returned to win a stakes race.

EIGHTH RACE

This N1X sprint is a good spot to gamble on a potential overlay. MIDNIGHT PLEASURE returns to his preferred conditions (dirt sprint) while making just his second start since being gelded. He reportedly has improved his behavior since the “ultimate equipment change,” and he definitely likes this racetrack. He won his debut here last summer, and finished a respectable third in the G1 Del Mar Futurity. Assuming his employs the closing style he used two back when runner-up in a similar spot, he can mow these down late, possibly at a price. BLUE ANCHOR is fast, he won this condition last out, and enters back for the optional $40k claim tag. Sharp horse in good form, his four starts at Del Mar produced a win and three seconds. AMERICANIZE returns from a four-month layoff for his third trainer. His speed figures are among the tops in the field. PRIME ISSUE is a fast horse who earned a sky-high 97 Beyer last out.

NINTH RACE

Turf is something new for longtime maiden SONNETEER, whose pedigree okays the surface switch. Grade 2-placed as a maiden; 16th in the Kentucky Derby, his most recent start was not bad. He trailed early, uncorked a big late move, but the leaders kept running. The 12-start maiden might be the “class” of the field. INDOCTRINATION makes his U.S. debut for a top turf trainer. Phil D’Amato also starts NEW DANCER, who raced wide in a fast dirt sprint first out. He can improve stretching out and moving to grass. AUSSIE FOX goes long off a pair of turf sprints, while COZMIC ONE (produced by Zenyatta) returns from a two-year layoff.

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