ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, STONEGATE

FIRST RACE

STONEGATE is sitting on a maiden win, third time out. He improved a bunch last time, third by a length despite racing greenly in the lane while switching leads back and forth. It was a big step forward following just a single sprint. STONEGATE is still figuring out how to run, he appears to have trained well since raced and his stable is rolling. His main rival in this mile dirt route ran well last time. PLEASANT D’ORO finished second, a half-length in front of the top choice, while losing ground much of the trip. ‘D’ORO also is lightly raced, making just his third start. LORD GUINNESS stretches out from a decent third-place comeback. It is uncertain how far he wants to run, but his comeback was solid. He could improve second start back. TROJAN SPIRIT returns from a short layoff as a first-time gelding. Upset candidate rallying from behind?

SECOND RACE

BE A LADY, a 7-for-21 pro, gets the call in a competitive $25k claiming sprint for fillies and mares. She is a two-time winner over this track (2015 and 2017); her figures are close enough to par for this level. The challenge is the sevenfurlong distance, possibly farther than she wants. She is 6 for 13 at six furlongs and less, 1 for 8 at six and one half and beyond. WONDERFUL LIE has been freshened two months since a runnerup finish in a productive Calbred N1X sprint. The winner and fourth-place finisher returned to win. She was a voided claim last out for $16k, it is an optimstic move entered back for $25k. PRINCESS DORIAN, proven at this seven-furlong “specialty” distance, will roll from the back. She finished behind the top choice when they met two starts back, but that race was only five furlongs. Last out, ‘DORIAN finsihed fourth, but the race was dominated by three front-runners. If the speed backs up in this longer sprint, ‘DORIAN could be along in time.

THIRD RACE

The juvenile filly DON’T SELL makes her debut as the horse to beat in a good Calbred MSW. She is a full sister to stakes winner How About Zero, runner-up in a stakes first time out, and also debut winner Not Enough Eddie. DON’T SELL is drawn outside, trainer Doug O’Neill does win with 2yo first-timers. MZ BROWN also looks “live” first out. Sired by a stallion that was a G1 winner as a 2yo, ‘BROWN is the first foal from a dam that was a stakes winner at 2 and finished second in her debut. Her trainer Bill Morey popped one month ago at Los Alamitos with a 2yo first-time starter (Our Silver Oak) that paid $68.80. CREATIVE INSTINCT, a $285k purchase at a 2yo sale, appears to have trained well for her debut. She is the first foal from a Swiss Yodeler dam that won 1 of 9. NATURALBORN SINGER adds blinkers for her third start. Her midpack finishes at four and onehalf furlongs, and five, hint she might appreciate the longer distance of this six-furlong race.

FOURTH RACE

KRSTO SKYE faced much better in his recent turf sprints, the 9-for-39 gelding drops to $40k claiming with tactical speed for a forward trip. Turf sprints at Del Mar tend to generate chaos; this gelding looks as good as any. The turf rails will be positioned at 24 feet for this card. If the pace gets hot and the speed folds, late-running course specialist BRANDOTHEBARTENDER could be along in time. Freshened two months, dropping from N2X with a come-from-behind win his most recent start on this course, he will fly late. R CHA CHA trounced a restricted $25k claiming race on dirt as the odds-on favorite last out; his runnerup finish four back in a turf sprint at Santa Anita makes him a contender on the front end. RONALD R goes route to sprint first off the claim. He also will rally late.

FIFTH RACE

Not usually a fan of class droppers at low odds, but TANIKO nonetheless is the horse to beat in this N2L claiming route. He faced much better, either of his last two dirt starts would win this from off the pace. POLITY was in tough both starts against winners, a creditable third and a last-place finish opening week. Like the top choice, he plummets to the bottom level. Unlike the top choice, POLITY

is a front-runner who has a chance if he rations his speed. GRAY ADMIRAL adds blinkers, swtiches to dirt and shows up at the bottom for the first time. HARD ARCH, a last-start maiden-20 winner, needed 13 starts to finally win. But career maidens that finally wake up often win right back at the N2L level. He is not impossible.

SIXTH RACE

OSCAR DOMINGUEZ was not disgraced either of his last two starts vs. N2X foes including subsequent graded winner Beach View. ‘DOMINGUEZ returns to the level at which he was claimed for $40k, which was a win by more than three lengths. He should be tough to beat. HOOTIE finished in front of the top choice three back, then was blown away by the top choice two back. Lightly raced wtih tactical speed, HOOTIE could get a comfortable trip on or near tepid fractions in this mile and three-eighths turf marathon. TARTINI, stablemate of the top choice, returns from a two-month freshening. His best races are fresh (debut winner in England, runner-up twice following layoffs in U.S.) ACKER drops from the same race as the top choice. Blinkers on, he might be closer to the front this time.

SEVENTH RACE

LIPPY followed her okay maiden win with a solid stakes victory at Pleasanton. Now 2 for 3, she is effective setting the pace or rallying from off; her stakes win was more impressive visually than on paper. ACCOMPLISHEDSISTER rallied into second in a race won by the top choice. Her closing style could play well if the track produces as many outside-trip winners as the first two Wednesdays of this meet. ‘SISTER is a sibling to multiple graded turf winner Sircat Sally. TIME FOR KISSES defeated the top choice decisively last out, but that was more than two months ago. So which filly has improved the most in the interim? Tough call. The high-figure horse in the field, ‘KISSES has a closing style that should play at this longer distance of five and one-half furlongs. SCATAPULP wired maidens last out; the third- and fourth place finishers returned to win. This stakes for Calbred 2yo fillies is competitive.

EIGHTH RACE

IRISH LASSIE drops from maiden-50 to maiden20, she has some speed and at least has hit the board on dirt. Best of a weak bunch, perhaps. TENGS RHYTHM was caught wide throughout last time, runner-up in the first route of her career. Trouble is, she is stuck on the also-eligible list and could be caught wide again if she draws in.

FLUORESCENT drops, adds blinkers and switches to dirt. GIRL DRAMA showed nothing in her debut in December, but that was a MSW. Straight to rock bottom for her comeback/second start.