Thursday's Racing Picks 11/14: Del Mar
Del Mar opens its second week of racing for the autumn meet today and we will take a look at a $100,000 allowance optional claiming race (purse: $50,000) for 3-year-olds and up over six furlongs on the dirt.
The short field of 5 will go to the gate for race 7 of the 8-race card with an approximate post time of 6:30 p.m. ET.
#3, Threefiveindia, Abel Cedillo, 9-5
Threefiveindia will be making his 22nd career start (5-3-4) and fourth this year (1-0-1). He is coming off an impressive seven length victory in an allowance optional claiming race on Breeders’ Cup Friday at Santa Anita. It says something about what the connections think of her, coming back off a 13-day layoff. Cedillo takes the saddle again for his second straight start for trainer Peter Miller. This will be Threefiveindia’s second start at Del Mar as he finished fourth to Catalina Cruiser in the $200,000 Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes back on Aug. 25, 2018. The pick.
#4, Horse Greedy, Ruben Fuentes, 5-2
Horse Greedy comes into today’s race off a fifth-place finish to winner Omaha Beach in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes on Oct. 5. A start prior, he finished second in an allowance race at Los Alamitos on June 30 for his best finish thus far this season. This will be his sixth start at Del Mar, where he has finished in the top two in his last two, highlighted by a ½-length win over Conqueror in an allowance optional claiming race on July 21, 2018. Rueben Fuentes is on the mount today for trainer John Sadler. Runner-up.
#1, Awesome Anywhere, Drayden Van Dyke, 2-1
Awesome Anywhere makes only his second start this year, the first in close to 10 months, after finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 19. Prior to that, he finished in the money in four straight starts with three consecutive wins and a third-place finish in the Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate on Nov. 24, 2018. This will be his second start at Del Mar after finishing third in a claiming race on July 28. Drayden Van Dyke gets the call for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. A big threat, but the huge layoff worries me. Contender.
#2, Fight On, Tyler Baze, 4-1
Fight On has finished in the money in four of his last six starts, including back-to-back victories, highlighted by a nose win over Casino Star in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park on April 24. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the Oaklawn Mile Stakes on May 3. This will be his fifth start at Del Mar, where he has finished no better than fourth in back-to-back allowance optional claiming races in August 2018. Tyler Baze is in the irons today for trainer Doug O’Neill. He showed some fight in his last few starts and you can’t go wrong with Baze/O’Neill duo, especially at a price. In the mix.
PICKS: 3-4-1-2
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By Lou Monaco