ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 5, EMTECH

FIRST RACE

A pair of promising debut fillies sprint six furlongs in this Cal-bred maiden race: TAKE THE DIAMOND LANE gets the no dover REMEMBER TO SMILE. The well-regarded TAKE THE DIAMOND LANE nominated to and entered the $150k Fleet Treat Stakes on July 18, but her connections opted to scratch and go the conventional path by debuting in a maiden race. A sibling to two-time stakes winner Take the One O One, ‘DIAMOND LANE should come out firing. She is no slam dunk however, because REMEMBER TO SMILE is drawn to her outside, and worked like she can fire first out. Sired by the emerging California stallion Smiling Tiger, ‘SMILE is a sibling to one modest winner. Bullet six-furlong work here last week spells positive intent for the productive trainer-jockey combo of Jeff Bonde and Mike Smith. They are 8-for-22 together the past five years. Firsttime starter SOTHA LIS is bred to run long on turf. Her short dirt works look promising. The 19-start maiden INTO RISSA will pick up the pieces.

SECOND RACE

Runner-up last out at this class level (claiming N2 L turf route), PLAYA CHICA gets the call returning from a two-month freshening. She ran her final quarter-mile last out in a solid 23.44 seconds. That probably would be fast enough to out-finish this modest cast. TIG TOG drops from entry-level allowance to restricted claiming. The only time she ran for a claim tag in the U.S. was on the Del Mar turf course last fall. She won by more than two lengths. This class level is the right spot for TIG TOG. Stretch-out MOONSHINE ANNIE has run well around two turns and benefits from a drop in class. A DIME FOR ME is speed, first time around two turns, likely to try to steal it on the front end.

THIRD RACE

Eight-time winner BEST TWO MINUTES meets a slightly softer group than he lost to recently. The in-form veteran does like the Del Mar surface. Four starts here produced one win, three seconds. Although deep closers such as ‘MINUTES have not been winning their fair share of dirt sprints this

summer, an abundance of speed this race sets up his closing rally. Off the pace and into the winner’s circle. MONY DONT SPEN ITSELF, claimed nearly four months ago by Jerry Hollendorfer, is a 5-for-17 pro returning at the level he was claimed at with a pressing style that should lead to a good trip right behind the speed. He is likely to be positioned in front of the top choice turning for home. TOUGH BUT NICE is the best speed. He was hounded into defeat last out against Cal-breds, but that effort was okay. The horse he dueled with was Fashionably Fast, who came right back to crush a Cal-bred N1X. TOUGH BUT NICE will take them as far as he can, while DENMAN’S CALL once was good enough. This is his second start back from a layoff. Also-eligible JETOVATOR finished a distant third last out (five+ lengths), but he actually ran well considering the fast pace. He hung tough to the furlong pole and tired. That was six furlongs on dirt, now he goes to five furlongs on turf. He ran okay on grass in spring and benefits by the shorter trip. If he does not draw in from the AE list, then comebacker SPENDAHOLIC has a shot to upset. He has speed, is bred for turf, adds blinkers and returns as a first-time gelding. SPENDAHOLIC might be the one they have to catch if the top choice does not draw in. MASTER RYAN could start favored based on back-to-back thirds in similar Cal-bred maiden turf sprints this spring at five furlongs. An off-the-pace closer, he will rally late. FREDRIKSTAD ran well in his debut, runner-up in front of MASTER RYAN, then regressed next out. Freshened nearly two months, FREDRIKSTAD also has a solid late rally. TRIBALS LAST REIGN appears to have trained well for his debut.

FIFTH RACE

EMTECH can be long gone as most probable winner on the card, dropping from allowance to $25k claiming N2L while making just his third career start. His debut victory last fall, a maiden-75 in which he defeated three next-out winners, would crush this field. The class drop is not a worry; the colt is a homebred placed at the proper level. OUTLAW returns to a sprint after misfiring last out in a turf route. He was claimed last out by trainer Vann Belvoir, who won with 5 of his last 15 firstoff-the-claim starters. OUTLAW is drawn outside, with speed for a pressing trip in the clear. Improvement likely as he returns to the main track. STREET TO INDY figures prominently based on two mostrecent starts on dirt, runner-up in a highly rated starter allowance, and maiden-40 win three back. He has run well over the Del Mar main track. SEA’S JOURNEY adds speed.

SIXTH RACE

Grade 3-placed two back on synthetic at Golden Gate, BUILDER is the class of this $16k claiming starter allowance. His turf form is excellent, N2X runner-up and N1X winner in spring. Vastly improved since claimed by Isidro Tamayo for $12.5k in February, the gelding has a pressing style that should lead to a good trip behind likely pacesetter ZESTFUL. The latter is on a tear, having won four straight on every surface: synthetic, turf and dirt. Claimed for $40k off a romping dirt win, he technically is dropping in class to starter allowance. He will lead as far as he can. A mile and a sixteenth is within reach considering he wired a mile and onehalf turf starter allowance three back. ZUZANNA, the only mare, is in the best form of her career, three wins and a second since returning from a layoff. This starter allowance against males was not her first choice of races, but a recent filly-mare starter allowance did not attract enough entries to fill. Perhaps it will not matter. ZUZANNA already is among the fastest in the field, and she gets a fivepound weight break. PLAY HARD TO GET rarely wins, but often hits the board.

SEVENTH RACE

LADY SUNSET flashed speed chasing a fast pace last time out, finishing second up behind a 10-length winner. ‘SUNSET drops from maiden-50 to maiden-32, is quick enough to make the lead, and can be long gone against a suspect field. SMALL SURPRISE showed speed both starts in May against special-weight maidens at Golden Gate. She returns from a two-month layoff while dropping in for a tag. She also has enough speed for a forward position. SENORA POWER finished fourth, less than two lengths behind the top choice last out. KUDA HURAA debuts for a trainer-jockey combo that posted a 22-1 “upset” with a 2yo firsttime starter on Friday, only to be disqualified for interference.