HORSE RACING

[Lumi]

HORSE RACING
TODAY AT DEL MAR

By Richard Eng

Post Time 3 p.m.

Race 1 - 6 furlongs, Purse $22,000, Maiden claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds and up

Olympic Street - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; Adam Kitchingman adds blinkers on.

Sven Diesel - Big finish in debut was good enough for second; if he improves one step, he'll be right there.

Long Shot - Ry's Not Shy

Race 2 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $18,000, Claiming $12,500, 3-year-olds and up

Citizens Brigade - Fresh face just won his maiden; most others look like they don't want to win, grinds it out.

Dirty Dish Mitch - Speed is always dangerous; chance to be alone in front, goes as fast and as far as he can.

Long Shot - Royal Vision

Race 3 - 6 furlongs, Purse $24,000, Maiden claiming $40,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Sure Tiz - Ran a winning race for this class in last; she should enjoy the shorter distance of today's sprint.

Ancillary - Good try in last for second; she's a grinder and is more than capable of improving in this start.

Long Shot - Hot Summer Breeze

Race 4 - 5 furlongs (turf), Pure 62,000, Optional claiming $62,500, 3-year-olds and up

Majestic Diamond - Flattered when Shadow Of Illinois won last out; that one must draw in, so I'll go in this direction.

A Lil Dumaani - Tactical speed to sit a perfect trip; this field is jammed with early gas, could fall apart late.

Long Shot - Wine On the Porch

Race 5 - 6 furlongs, Purse $16,000, Claiming $10,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Jen's New Chapter - Claimed by Doug O'Neill after an awful effort; for forgiving handicappers, she is better than that.

Dine At Nine - Speedball figures to clear the field; Christian Reyes will go as fast and as far as he can.

Long Shot - Kneeling's Pride

Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Dreams Afleet - How much confidence can one have in a horse laid off 13-months; she appears faster than these.

Fall Forest - Two of her last three starts have been competitive; she offers some value at 5/1 with Joel Rosario.

Long Shot - Annie's Loaded

Race 7 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $39,000, Claiming $32,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Yasinisi - Leap of faith that her 2-for-2 record on Del Mar turf is fast, not fiction; will be flying late.

Carnival Queen - Tepid chalk in a wide open affair; key is Garrett Gomez, he is riding like a man possessed.

Long Shot - Lupita'sluckyangel

Race 8 - 6 1/2 furlongs, $200,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Carlsbad - Talk about the power of early speed; no one, not even Moon de French, can challenge her, take some catching.

Evita Argentina - Proven to be a superior sprinter, forget about the 2-turn races; Joel Rosario sits and blasts off late.

Long Shot - Lady Lumberjack

Race 9 - 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up

De Brief Me - Nice comeback race off a 5-month hiatus; moves from outer to inner post today, will save some ground.

Morton Owen - Slow beginning, fast finish in last; is reunited with Rafael Bejarano, figures to be part of the number.

Long Shot - Objectified

Best Bet - Sure Tiz (race 3)

Del Mar Thursday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 15/4/$30.60; Long Shots, 6/1/$22.20; Best Bet, 1/1/$3.40

Del Mar Totals - 545/133/$931.60; Long Shots, 285/30/$451.20; Best Bets, 30/12/$46.40

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #7 Circlesandpictures (6/5) in race 3 at Monmouth Park. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Thursday, Stormandaprayer ran second at Belmont Park paying $4.30 to place and $2.80 to show. Stats - 134/102/$756.90

 

[Lumi]

RICHARD ENG: Woodward may be star filly's '09 finale

RICHARD ENG: Woodward may be star filly's '09 finale

RICHARD ENG: Woodward may be star filly's '09 finale
If Rachel Alexandra wins the Woodward on Saturday at Belmont Park, I wouldn't be surprised if Jess Jackson calls it a year for his champion 3-year-old filly.

A win will cement her Horse of the Year resume. If she is going to race in 2010 while skipping the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, she has nothing else to prove.

Horses are flesh and blood, not machines. Rachel Alexandra has run seven consecutive triple-digit Beyer ratings this year and won all seven of those stakes races. The Amazon filly has simply not regressed. If she wins Saturday over older males, that memory will be as good as it gets in 2009.

I disagree with those who claim the Woodward will be a tougher race than last week's Travers won by Summer Bird. In the Travers, six horses ran a last race triple-digit Beyer. In the Woodward, just three horses are coming in off a triple-digit Beyer.

Rachel Alexandra may or may not be the greatest filly of all time. But a win in the Woodward would cap one of the finest seasons ever by a filly.

She will have been undefeated in eight starts. Rachel Alexandra would have won in her own division four times, including a 20-length score in the Kentucky Oaks.

She'll have beaten 3-year-old males twice in the Preakness and Haskell. Rachel Alexandra had a near walkover in the Mother Goose over older mares. A win in the Woodward over male handicap horses would be icing on the cake.

There is a difference between ducking horses and racing on your own terms. Last year, Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen laid out a schedule for Curlin, willing to take on all comers. Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown did not.

Rachel Alexandra has faced challenges that would have defeated a lesser filly.

? STRAIGHT -- Jockeys are being asked to donate one mount fee Saturday to aid injured rider Michael Straight, who was hurt in a spill Aug. 26 at Arlington Park.

Racing fans can donate, too, by contacting either the Jockeys' Guild or the Don MacBeth Memorial Fund.

 

[Lumi]

At the Gate - Friday

At the Gate - Friday

At the Gate - Friday

With horses paying $45.60, $86.00, and $30.20, the Pick 6 at Saratoga will carryover going into Friday?s card, and the pool should easily be over $2 million.



I have to think the NYRA has their fingers crossed that nobody hits the Pick 6 on Friday, setting things up for a huge pool on Saturday, where Rachel Alexandra is the marquee runner going in the $750,000 Woodward (G1).



Would Rachel Alexandra be a ?free square? in the Pick 6 sequence? She is sitting at 1-2 on the morning line for the Woodward as she takes on older males.



It would make for an interesting dilemma among Pick 6 players, but first we need to get through Friday?s card.



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There are no free squares in the Pick 6 on Friday. There are two maiden races, the first and third leg, and five of the six races will be contested on the turf.



In four of the six races, my top pick is 8/1 or higher, and I have no morning line favorites among my top picks in any of the six races that make up the Pick 6.



In fact, the only chalk I see getting a win on the entire card comes in the opening race.



We do have some extra time to put together our Pick 6 tickets. Post time for the opener is 2:30 ET, and the first leg of the Pick 6 goes off at 4:09 ET.





Here is today's opening race from Saratoga to get our day off to a good start:



SAR Race 1 Alw $59,800N2L (2:30 ET)

#8 Mother Rush 8/5

#7 Yes It's Barbara 10/1

#1 Paracaidas / #1a Life At Ten 5/2

#4 A.P. Elegance 8/1



Analysis: #8 Mother Rush was a much the best winner last out in the slop, breaking her maiden in her third career start by 7 3/4 lengths as the chalk. She earned the top last out speed fig in the effort and she has been working swiftly in the mornings for the Baffert barn that is having a slow meet (1 for 10) by his standards. Going back five years the recently inducted hall of famer has hit at a 28% clip at the Spa. This filly was a $425K purchase, by A.P., Indy out of the stakes winner Seven Four Seven ($404K). The barn is 22% winners with horses coming back off a 46-90 day break.



#6 Yes It's Barbara came off a two month break last out, pressing the early pace from the outside and weakening while drifting out to finish fourth. The filly caught a main track in her first trip here that was more favorable to outside stalkers and closers as early speed was backing up. She has three sibs that are winners including Buddy's Humor ($361K). Worth another look here if we see close to the 10/1 ML.



Wagering

WIN: #8 to win at 8/5 or better.

EX: 7,8 / 1,4,7,8

TRI: 7,8 / 1.4.7.8 / 1,2,4,7,8



Today's Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:



SAR Race 7 Voodoo Dancer S. (5:48 ET)

#2 Final Refrain 15/1

#8 Indescribable 6/1

#6 Belle Allure 4/1

#7 My Baby Baby 5/1



Analysis: #2 Final Refrain is coming off a sharp win at Ellis last out in the Ellis Park Turf and was flattered when the runner up and third place finisher both won next out. The runner up Whirling Bertie came back to win the Gardenia 'Cap (G3) in her next start on August 15. Our top pick will need to step it up a notch or two to beat this group but she does have a couple of wins over the turf here, and was a good third in the Old Red Stakes here last summer. She gets a positive jock switch for her third start of her current form cycle.



#8 Indescribable has not been a threat in her last two starts but she was facing much tougher. Mott puts the blinkers back on today and the last time she wore the hood she won the Cardinal (G3) on the turf at Churchill Downs last fall. She will appreciate the class relief here as she faces restricted company.



Wagering

WIN: #2 to win at 8/1 or better.

EX: 2,8 / 2,6,7,8

TRI: 2,8 / 2,6,7,8 / 2,5,6,7,8



Live Longshots:

These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.



Saratoga

R1: #7 Yes It?s Barbara 10/1

R1: #4 A.P. Elegance 8/1

R2: #2 Shareholder Dues 8/1

R3: #3 Paddy O?Prado 8/1

R3: #2 Zapster / #2b Golly Day 8/1

R4: #5 Lovely Lil 10/1

R4: #4 Iron Penny 12/1

R5: #6 Storm Caller 8/1

R5: #3 Tahoe Warrior 10/1

R6: #4 Adriatic Magic 10/1

R7: #2 Final Refrain 15/1

R8: #4 For Free 8/1

R9: #1 Pegasian 8/1



Good luck today!