ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 4, GATE SPEED

FIRST RACE

NOCHERYLIKEMYCHERY is ready to stretch out and win this turf route for 2-year-old Cal-bred maiden fillies, even though progeny of her sire are 1-for-55 on turf according to Daily Racing Form. However, her dam was a turf stakes winner. Furthermore, NOCHERYLIKEMYCHERY ran much better than the line looks last out. She steadied slightly the three-eighths, was blocked at the quarter pole, but finished willingly and galloped out with run past the finish of that dirt sprint. Now she stretches to a mile with the same rider (Rafael Bejarano), and may have a condition edge over her main rival. That is WARREN’S SHOWTIME, who ran well finishing third in her sprint debut and also galloped out with run after the wire. Good debut by the Clubhouse Ride filly produced by Grade 1 winner Warren’s Veneda. WARREN’S SHOWTIME scratched from the fourth race July 31 when she got sick; this is her first start since. She should love two turns, the uncertainty is if she is fit to go long after missing a start. WARRIOR’S MOON sprints like a router; she finished a closing fourth both starts.

SECOND RACE

CIMARRON makes her California debut as the one to beat in this N3L claiming mile for fillies and mares. Her form in the Midwest is decent, there is sufficient pace to flatter her closing style, and trainer Bob Hess Jr. won with his last three firstoff-the-claim starters (one at Del Mar, two back East). CIMARRON has the top figures in this field, and enters as a deserving favorite to win from off the pace. One potential knock is the race she exits turned out to be a negative key race. Seven from that Churchill Downs race ran back, producing only a single third-place finish. WHIRLING, whose claim was voided last out, stretches back to two turns and gets a top journeyman rider. She can run long, she can run on dirt, and she has more tactical speed than the top choice. BEYOND PLEASURE wired maiden-25s at Santa Anita, then wired N2Ls at Los Alamitos, and now will try to wire N3Ls at Del Mar. Her last-out win was validated when runner-up ADINA returned to win. If she can avoid a pace duel with the filly to her outside, she looms a front-end threat.

THIRD RACE

MIND OUT, a 2-year-old filly by Tapit, meets an apparently modest cast in this turf sprint. Her dam is a sibling to multiple stakes-winning sprinter J P’s Gusto; the dam also produced a G2 winner. MIND OUT has worked well for trainer Simon Callaghan, who does well with first-time starters. The one glitch to the trainer stats is that Callaghan first-timers tend to win at a higher rate on dirt than turf. Nonetheless, sure looks like MIND OUT will be tough; her Aug 11 workout (viewed on XTBV. com) was solid. Also-eligible GREG’S DIVA has back-to-back runner-up finishes under her belt, and an experience edge over the top choice. First-time starter WAKES UP HAPPY is a Quality Road filly whose dam won her career debut in a turf sprint at Ellis Park. NU PI LAMBDA is a City Zip filly with a series of solid workouts, although her stable typically races its maidens into shape rather than win first time out.

FOURTH RACE

The improving GATE SPEED is ready to graduate in his fourth start, second route. He finished third last out, but actually ran super. He set a fast pace, hung tough to deep stretch, and then got worn down to miss by a length. Solid effort. Each start by GATE SPEED better than the start before, likely winner if he rations his speed. GO FOR A RIDE, in the money twice in routes at Woodbine (turf, synthetic), makes his California debut as a firsttime gelding for a high-percent stable. First start on dirt, he is eligible to improve for his new barn. COMMANDING CHIEF finished in front of the top choice last out, rallying from last. He is improving, worked well over the track since his runner-up finish, and is the best threat from the rear of the field.

FIFTH RACE

Class-drop Kentucky shipper MURAD KHAN should be tough in this $32k claiming turf route, non-winners this year. He faced much better in the Midwest and East, wins more than his share (5 for 18), and gets the Del Mar meet’s leading rider

for his local debut on the class drop. He almost looks “too obvious.” VERY VERY STELLA stretches back to two turns on turf after spending most of the past two years on dirt. The first five wins of his career were turf routes, his recent dirt figures are solid, he has speed and should be forwardly placed. UNUSUALLY GREEN finished second last out at this level over this turf course. Obvious contender right back under similar conditions. TERRYS TOM CAT misfired last out without an apparent alibi. Perhaps the Del Mar turf horse for course deserves another chance at a price? ‘TOM CAT won a turf race at Del Mar each of the past four summers (2015 through 2018). BUCKSTOPPER KIT goes first off the claim for sharp f.o.c. trainer Bob Hess, Jr.

SIXTH RACE

First start in four months, G2 winner/G1-placed DR. DORR returns in a minor stakes race with a series of solid workouts and history of firing fresh. The last time he raced in a non-graded stakes race, spring 2018, he won by four lengths. The class of the field, with a versatile style, he can win as the favorite if he can reel in stablemate LEADING SCORE. The latter upset allowance company last out while making his first start in 21 months. From a visual perspective, the win was not impressive. He ran his final quarter-mile in 27.30 seconds. However, that was after dueling with another speed horse through a fast early pace; they sped five lengths clear of the field, LEADING SCORE put away his rival, and dug in for the win. With that race under his belt, and speed to make the front again, he could steal this. ISOTHERM is racing for the first time since November. Solid workouts, leading rider, he ran races last year that are good enough for this race. He finished second in this race last summer.

SEVENTH RACE

PRODIGAL SON misfired last out in a Cal-bred stakes race. However, he was jamming back only two weeks after earning a career-best figure. He may have bounced. He has run well previously on turf, his highly rated dirt win two back indicates he is fast enough, and his off-the-pace style suits this speed-filled turf sprint allowance for 3yos. BOA NOVA is the speed of the speed. He set a hot pace wiring $40k claiming 3yos last out, and moves up the ladder in sharp form. He could make it two straight, gate to wire on the class hike. HARTEL returns to the course on which he won a maiden race last year as a 2yo, and finished second in a turf route stakes. OIL CAN KNIGHT adds speed to the field, he will keep BOA NOVA honest on the front end.

EIGHTH RACE

IMPOSSIBLE TASK misfired as the favorite in his fourth-place debut, but that race was turf. The 2yo might prefer the main track. He was favored in that turf sprint based on sharp workouts on dirt, now gets a chance to race over his preferred surface with a race under his belt. Also-eligible NUCKY is another Miller-trained shipper from Kentucky. NUCKY has speed, he would be breaking from an outside post if he draws in, and looms a legitimate contender. RAILSPLITTER was compromised by a wide trip finishing fourth as the favorite last out in a turf route. Back to a sprint, back to dirt, likely to rally from the back. BAMBOOZLER appears to have trained well for his debut; HOWBEIT might be ranked too low. He has speed, and drops in class. This is already his third start of the meet, however.