ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 7, FAITHFULLY

FIRST RACE

Post time 3:30 for the final two twilight Fridays of meet. SLY HUMOR has her claim price sliced in half, and shortens in distance to five and one-half furlongs. She is quick enough to establish position inside; her best races have been at this abbreviated distance. IRISH DAME is sharp now, and facing a field similar in quality to the field she just beat by more than two lengths. The $8k claiming race that she won was against older fillies and mares; now she faces $16k claiming 3yo fillies. It’s basically a parallel class move. Sharp filly has won three of her last four starts, and will be setting or pressing the pace all the way. SHE’S LUCKY THAT WAY finished third in an okay effort last out. Her sprint figs are solid; she could a cozy trip positioned third behind the top pair.

SECOND RACE

WEALTHY SHIPMAN finished one-two all four starts in California while earning solid figures each start. She returns from a three-month freshening as arguably the “best horse” in this $25k claiming starter allowance turf route, while making her first start since being claimed by Jerry Hollendorfer. She has speed to be positioned within striking range of the lead, and she also packs a sharp late kick. It is a sign of optimism she returns in a starter allowance from which she cannot be claimed. First start back, ready to fire. MINT JULEP TAFFY changed trainers since her most recent start. She finished more than three lengths behind the top choice when they met in the middle of May, but ‘TAFFY ran very well that day. She closed nearly six lengths to finish fourth. Rafael Bejarano takes over; she will be flying late first start for trainer Ray Bell. MISS BOOM BOOM is the “other” Hollendorfer trainee with a running style similar to her stable mate. SPACE CADET drops from N2X.

THIRD RACE

The 2yo maiden BANK WALKER ran super in his second start, runner-up to potential stakes colt Bolt d’Oro. ‘WALKER finished more than eight lengths clear of third, and earned a big number (78 Beyer). With two sprints under his belt, he should have little trouble stretching from six and one-half furlongs to a mile. XTEN ran better than the line looks in his fifth-place debut. Bumped, steadied and shuffled to next-to-last soon after the start, recovered and rolled up to race midpack, raced greenly in the lane but maintained position, and finished like a colt that will move up a bunch with a race under his belt and an extra turn. Although he finished nine lengths behind the top choice, there is not be that much difference in ability between the two. Expect a major move-up second out. LONGDEN and TARANIS are Bob Baffert-trained first-time starters trying to win a route race first time out. The past five years, Baffert is 4-for-18 with 2yo first-timers in route races ($2.48 return per $2 wager).

FOURTH RACE

INDYGO BO wins races, and he wins for everyone. The turf-route claiming veteran won three of his last four starts for three different trainers, and now goes for Ian Kruljac first off the claim. ‘BO returns at the same class level as his recent win on this turf course, with tactical speed and a finishing kick. Honest pro the one to beat. RYE PATCH finished fourth as the favorite in the same race the top choice exits. ‘PATCH set the pace that day and got swallowed late over a turf course that is more friendly to closers than speed. He was re-claimed last out by Richard Baltas. The gelding raced three times previously for Baltas including a win at this level last summer. If he can somehow slow down the pace, he has a shot up front. BURGER AND FRIES is a “new face” to this claiming level, dropping from N2X. Look for him late, possibly at a price. Also-eligible BANZE NO OESTE stretched out to this mile distance and was up by a nose. Tough outside post if he draws in.

FIFTH RACE

The ninth time might be the charm for ZICONIC, runner-up last out in a race won by an easy-pace front-runner. ZICONIC rallies from far back, a running style that produced very few winners early in the meet. The past couple weeks, however, closers have actually been able to make up ground in main-track routes. A repeat of his last start might be good enough for ZICONIC. THORPE D’ORO adds blinkers after an odds-on misfire last out in the

same race the top choice exits. The back-to-back runner-up finishes at Santa Anita and Los Alamitos by ‘THORPE would be tough to beat if he can somehow reproduce those efforts at Del Mar.

LIBERTY PARK looms an upset candidate, first start in nearly five months with a solid workout pattern for a trainer (Cliff Sise) whose stable is firing. CAMINO DE ESTRELLA stretches back out following a useful comeback prep in a sprint.

SIXTH RACE

UNAPOLOGETIC ran a winning race last out in a similar N1X turf marathon. However, he was unfortunate to hook a sharp shipper. Chicago Style ran past UNAPOLOGETIC, then returned shortly thereafter to win a N2X. Meanwhile, UNAPOLOGETIC returns at the same N1X turf marathon level; a repeat of his most recent start might be sufficient. IL SEGRETO is a potential pace play. Tough to win a Del Mar turf marathon setting the pace (or any Del Mar turf race setting the pace), but IL SEGRETO conceivably could make an easy lead. If he coasts up front, he has a shot to steal it stretching from one mile to a mile and three-eighths. OFFSHORE, a 3yo facing older, exits the G3 La Jolla and stretches out in distance. He is trained by Neil Drysdale, who also entered 3yo ALSATION. This race is a scramble. If the top choice does not win, anything goes.

SEVENTH RACE

Third by less than two lengths in a G1 last out, FAITHFULLY drops back into a restricted stakes as most probable winner on the Friday card. She defeated her main rival two back, finished within hailing range of Stellar Wind and Vale Dori last out, and has improved each subsequent start this season. STREET SURRENDER is the aforementioned rival for the top choice. Although she lost by two and one-half lengths to the top choice in June, ‘SURRENDER did not have a particularly good trip that day (did not use her speed). The point is, the two favorites are closer in ability than the margin suggests. ‘SURRENDER probably will be positioned in front of FAITHFULLY. This stakes race seems like a two-horse race, although MENDED merits respect based on her sevenrace win streak. She began the year as a $12.5k claiming filly, and has gone straight up the ladder including a decisive N2X win here last month. CHALON stretches out as the speed of the field. This is her first route race, she will take them as far as she can.

EIGHTH RACE

BOSS MOVE finished second in her debut, more than four lengths clear of third. She returns at the same maiden-32 level as the obvious choice. LUNA’S EMPIRE broke slowly and trailed in her debut three months ago. Freshened since, dropping from special-weight, improvement likely. DREAM OF EAGLES makes her career debut as an upset candidate. Slow works, but that is normal for Bob Hess. The debut filly might be better than her workouts suggest.