DMR.4PG.0818 - Golden Gate Fields

DEL MAR ANALYSIS
BY BRAD FREE
BEST BET: RACE 3, RIDEO
FIRST RACE
IDEAL drops for the first time to maiden-claiming ($62.5k), with speed to make
the lead and roll gate to wire at five and one-half furlongs. He can get the opening
quarter in 21-and-change, half in 44-and-change. That adds up to long gone. However, CLIFTON BEACH has enough gas to keep the top choice in his sights. First
start since July 1, up slightly in class after chasing a next-out winner, ‘BEACH culd
get a cozy trip positioned second. If the top choice falters, ‘BEACH would probably
be first to attack. FOOLISH TO DECEIVE makes his career debut for trainer Craig
Dollase, who is 6-for-19 with older first-time starters the past four years. PAPA GULF
makes his first start of the year as a first-time gelding; a similar comment applies to
“first-time G” NUKE LALOOSH. Lots of secondary contenders; they all have to catch
the top choice.
SECOND RACE
OPTIMISM AND HOPE is the tepid choice to make it two straight at the meet. She
dropped from N1X to $50k claiming last out and won by a length and a quarter over
three of these rivals. It was a good win, nothing more, and makes her the favorite
to win again vs. similar. The drop from $50k to $40k is not a major concern. Her
connections merely found the next available claiming race for 3yo fillies long on turf.
Trainer Phil D’Amato is 15-for-32 with favorites in claiming routes on turf. D’Amato
also starts dropper DAME STREET, sixth in her California debut against allowance
foes. She can improve against this easier group. GYPSY’S RULE stretches out first
off the claim by Art Sherman. The race she exits produced two next-out winners;
GYPSY’S RULE is quick enough to make the lead. COMPEL stretches out from a
claiming sprint vs. older, into a route for 3-year-old fillies.
THIRD RACE
RIDEO crushed maiden-20s last out in his first start as a gelding, and first after
being claimed by trainer Doug O’Neill. The pace and speed figures RIDEO earned
are fast enough for this class level ($25k N2L); O’Neill wheels him back in 12 days.
Sharp horse can win again. LOOK ME IN THE EYE meets easier than one month
ago, a distant third in a starter allowance. His two recent speed figures (74 and 78
Beyer) are faster than any recent numbers in the field. GOLDEN ATLANTIC drops
into a claiming race for the first time, first start since June. His maiden win last fall is
the fastest by any in this field. Trouble is, that race was 10 months ago. Win or lose,
GOLDEN ATLANTIC will keep the pace honest.
DEL MAR ANALYSIS
FOURTH RACE
BERNARDJFORTUNATO gradually improved this spring at Santa Anita; his third
last out in a maiden-50 was better than the figure; he set very fast fractions. Freshened nearly two months, he drops to maiden-40 and has a versatile style based on
his runner-up try two back. ZEALOUS TALE adds blinkers and stretches to two
turns, first off the claim by O’Neill. The gelding broke slowly both sprints, finishing a
close fourth and a close third. One mile should be within reach, assuming he breaks
with the field. MARVELOUS MAX stretches out following an okay fourth-place
comeback one month ago. RING COLLECTOR completely misfired in his last out in
a maiden-20, but he was claimed and gelded. He worked a sharp half-mile here five
days ago. Improvement is possible.
FIFTH RACE
CONQUEST SO TRUE can upset this starter allowance, if she transfers her runnerup finish last out on dirt, to turf. Her recent start was her first around two turns,
she pressed and set a blazing pace, hung tough to deep stretch and held second.
Her pressing style should play well over a turf course increasingly kind to forwardly
placed runners. If she handles the footing, she can post a minor upset. DO THE
DANCE had to wait for room at a critical stage late in the race, then finished well
once she got clear to miss by only a half-length while finishing more than three
lengths clear of third. Good effort from the inside post in that turf route; her challenge this time is to find a trip after breaking from post 9 with the rails at 30 feet.
WATCH THIS CAT finished third last out at this level in an effort that was better
than it might look. The race-shape worked against her; the one-two finishers rallied
from last and next to last, while ‘CAT was the only front-runner to stick around. The
turf course profile has changed since then; speed is no longer a liability. Obvious
contender.
SIXTH RACE
LOB CITY drops to the bottom class level for winners ($16k claiming, N2L), with
recent races that are fast enough. She finished last in her most recent start, but that
was on turf against better company. She drops in class, returns to the main track,
drew an inside post and has speed for a forwardly placed trip. APPEALING LADY,
normally a pace-presser, lost her chance last time when she stumbled at the break.
She actually ran well thereafter, rallying to fourth. With a clean break second start of
the meet, she should be in the hunt every step of the way. WARREN’S PURRFECT
missed by a nose last time vs. similar, while more than two lengths clear of third.
The obvious knock is 20 starts produced six runner-up finishes and only one win.
DEL MAR ANALYSIS
SEVENTH RACE
DANAS BEST has not started since November, but any of his four starts last summer and fall against better company would be good enough to win this N1X/optional
$40k claiming turf marathon. Comebackers from this outfit generally are ready to
roll. PRETENTIOUS finished a close fifth last out in a similar race won by the pacesetter. The closers did not have a fair shot rallying from behind. If he gets help up
front, he is a legitimate threat from off the pace. Also-eligible TERRYS TOM CAT
might be ranked too low. A sharp claiming veteran, he crushed a restricted $32k
claiming race last out and was claimed. The last time TERRYS TOM CAT raced at this
class level, it was a similar mile and three-eighths marathon on this turf course last
summer that he won at 10-1. EL SUPER goes first off the claim by John Sadler, with
speed to make the lead. The maiden-50s he beat last out are only moderate, but his
speed gives him a shot to wire this field.
EIGHTH RACE
STARR OF QUALITY had a bunch of good works into her debut last month, but
merely ran around the track and finished an even-paced fifth. The 2yo filly posted
two short, sharp works since then including a quick half from the gate five days
ago, she drops to Cal-bred maiden-50, and should move way up second out. HOTFLICKARUE pressed the pace partway in her debut, and tired. Like the top choice,
she drops in class and is likely to improve with a race under her belt. IT’S NOT SO
EASY, beaten favorite both starts, fits off her runner-up debut two starts back. She
was compromised by a slow break in her second start. Also-eligible COUGAR CREEK
might be better than either of her first two starts suggest. She got banged around in
her debut and finished last; second time out she dropped back and put in a small late
run. Upset candidate if she draws in.
DEL MAR STATISTICS
WINNING POST POSITIONS
JULY 15 THROUGH AUG 14
MAIN
TURF
Up to 7F
1M
Up to 5F
1M
Inclusive And Greater
Inclusive
And Greater
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
9-96 (.09)
8-96 (.08)
5-96 (.05)
15-96 (.16)
16-96 (.17)
18-86 (.21)
10-69 (.14)
8-51 (.16)
3-30 (.10)
2-22 (.09)
0-11(.00)
2-7 (.29)
1-34 (.03)
6-34 (.18)
6-34 (.18)
8-33 (.24)
0-31 (.00)
7-28 (.25)
1-24 (.04)
2-19 (.11)
3-13 (.23)
0-7 (.00)
0-0 (.00)
0-0 (.00)
2-15 (.13)
4-15 (.27)
4-15 (.27)
0-15 (.00)
2-15 (.13)
0-14 (.00)
2-13 (.15)
1-12 (.08)
0-5 (.00)
0-0 (.00)
0-0(.00)
0-0 (.00)
7-58 (.12)
8-58 (.14)
9-58 (.16)
6-58 (.10)
5-58 (.09)
9-57 (.16)
3-53 (.06)
4-46 (.09)
2-35 (.06)
5-22 (.23)
0-11(.00)
1-5 (.20)
JOCKEY STANDINGS
JULY 15 THROUGH AUG 14
WIN
JOCKEY
MTS1ST2ND 3RD %
Prat F.....................................124................23.................18................. 12............... .19
Gonzalez S............................128................21.................22................. 15............... .16
Bejarano R..............................97................20.................17................. 16................21
Desormeaux K J.....................84................14.................16................. 12............... .17
Baze T C................................115................13.................18.................21............... .11
Espinoza V..............................46................11...................7................... 8................24
Gutierrez Mario......................62..................9...................8................... 6............... .15
Elliott S....................................65..................9...................5................... 6............... .14
Arroyo N Jr.............................55..................8...................9................... 8............... .15
Van Dyke D.............................44..................7...................5................... 5............... .16
Talamo J..................................84..................7...................5................. 12................08
Stevens G L.............................36..................6...................5................... 1............... .17
Delgadillo A.............................32..................5...................3................... 5............... .16
TRAINER STANDINGS
JULY 15 THROUGH AUG 14
WIN
TRAINER
STS1ST2ND 3RD %
D’Amato P...............................58................11...................7................... 8............... .19
Baffert B..................................40................10...................7................... 5................25
Glatt M.....................................34..................9...................6................... 7................26
Sadler J W...............................36..................9...................5................... 6................25
Baltas R...................................43..................9...................7................... 6................21
Miller P....................................55..................8.................10................... 9............... .15
O’Neill D F................................84..................7.................10................. 11................08
Machowsky M........................16..................6...................0................... 1................38
Mandella R E...........................21..................5...................3................... 1................24
Cassidy J M............................29..................5...................3................... 5............... .17
Kitchingman A..........................9..................4...................1................... 2................44