$91,748 pick six carryover flavors card

DEL MAR, Calif. – Kidmon cost $550,000 at a 2-year-olds in training sale in 2016. He won a maiden race at Santa Anita in March, a month after his career debut.

Canadian Game was bought for $375,000 at a 2-year-olds in training sale last year. He won a maiden race at Santa Anita in June in his eighth start.

The two expensive colts have not lived up to expectations for their high-profile owners and trainers. On Wednesday, Canadian Game and Kidmon start for the first time at Del Mar in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at a mile.

Two carryovers in the $2 pick six will add interest to the eight-race program. There is a carryover of $91,748 in the main pick six pool and a carryover of $40,149 in the single-ticket jackpot portion of the pool, paid only if there is a single winning ticket.

Canadian Game, the mount of Mario Gutierrez, and Kidmon, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, have drawn the two inside post positions in a field of six.

The other runners have started at the meeting. River Echo, Divisor, and Show Me Da Lute were third through fifth in a similar race on the July 18 opening-day program. Super Duper Cooper won a starter allowance at a mile on July 18.

KEY CONTENDERS

Canadian Game, by Curlin Last 3 Beyers: 79-81-70

◗ Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Canadian Game was second in an allowance race with an optional-claiming condition at a mile July 12 at Los Alamitos, closing from fourth to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind Ike.

◗ The maiden race win June 7 and the second-place finish at Los Alamitos have left trainer Doug O’Neill encouraged about Canadian Game’s prospects on Wednesday.

“We were plagued with foot issues before,” he said. “Now, it seems his feet are doing well. We saw his form come back. He should be competitive. The ability is there.”

Kidmon, by Lemon Drop Kid Last 3 Beyers: 73-87-84

◗ Kidmon will race at a mile for the first time Wednesday in his fifth start. He won a maiden race at six furlongs in March and was later second and seventh in allowance races with claiming options for sprinters in May and June.

◗ The seventh-place finish stunned John Sadler, who trains the 4-year-old Kidmon for Pete and Kosta Hronis.

“He didn’t run well the other day,” Sadler said. “I want to get that race out of his mind.”

◗ Kidmon is out of Motokiks, who has produced three stakes winners, including the millionaire Keertana.

◗ Sadler said Kidmon was plagued by minor ailments earlier in his life that postponed his career debut until midFebruary. Kidmon was plagued by sore shins in 2016 and suffered an eye injury in his stall last year that required three months of treatment, Sadler said.

“He’s been confusing,” he said. “There have been things that held him back.