Race 7 at Del Mar is the one mile and a half Cougar Handicap on the main track. The morning line favorite is Richard’s Kid who is cross-entered in Saturday’s San Diego Handicap. Should he take this option he will most likely be a very strong favorite. A good third last out in the Hollywood Gold Cup, this will serve as a prep for the Pacific Classic in late August for Richard’s Kid who took that prize last year. Temple City finished a close second in the American Handicap in his most recent start and may be the main danger to Richard’s Kid or the one to beat if that one does not start. Others with chances here include the filly Princess Taylor who was just caught after setting the early fractions in the Beverley Hills at Hollywood last month. She may make the early pace here which, if fast enough early would help the chances of closers such as Unusual Suspect. Arlington’s feature is a one mile optional claimer on the grass. Nine are entered including the lightly raced Kopitar. A winner of his first two starts, Kopitar then finished sixth in the Dania Beach Stakes in January of 2009 which was his last start. He has been training well at Keeneland and his main opponent here is Sporty who owns a recency edge having won an allowance at Churchill at the starts of July.
Race 6 at Arlington Park is a competitive one mile optional claimer on the grass for three year olds. The morning line choice is King Ledley who will be saddled by Darrin Miller. The son of Stormin Fever was last seen when unplaced in a stakes at Indiana but had previously run well when third over five furlongs on this course. James Graham will take the mount on King Ledbury who was grade three placed in Ireland as a juvenile. His biggest rival may be Don’t Tell Kitten who was a sharp allowance winner here earlier in the meet. Cherokee Lord was fourth in the stakes at Indiana last time out and was previously a narrowly beaten second over this course and distance. Cherokee Lord owns early speed and looks like the one they will all have to catch. The feature at Del Mar this evening is a six furlong optional claimer on the main track and will be carded as race 7. Bob Baffert will send out Fund Raiser who has hit the board in all nine of his starts but has actually won just twice. He may be the pacesetter but may have a hard time repelling the challenge of his stablemate Via Veneto who closed strongly to be second on the turf at Hollywood last time but who looks a better runner on synthetic surfaces.
The feature today is the one mile on the turf Wickerr Stakes. A competitive field of nine is entered with Gallant Son tabbed as the morning line favorite. Trained by Frank Lucarelli, Gallant Son was last seen when he finished a close fourth in the grade one Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood. Previously the four year old son of Malabar Gold had won the Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood and his overall turf record stands at two wins from four tries. Gallant Son’s chief rival here may be Riviera Cocktail who is on the improve and has won his last two starts albeit against lesser class competition. Another with a strong chance here is Ferneley who has not raced since finishing a very close fifth at long odds in the Hong Kong Mile last December. Ferneley had previously run the race of his life to be second in the Woodbine Mile and anything close to that performance would put him in the winner’s circle today.
Today’s featured 9th at Delaware Park is a one mile starter allowance on the grass. Juan Vasquez will saddle Personal Good here who is winless in seven turf tries but who looks like the one to beat based on his decent second on the main track, at this level, in his last outing. Monteleone has also failed to win on the lawn but has been consistent at this level and may be the main danger. Others to consider include Security Zero who may be the pacesetter and Kim’s Dixie Tune who has not raced since last November but has four in the money finishes from five tries over this grass course. Race 9 on this evening’s card at Mountaineer is a five and a half furlong allowance for three-year-old fillies. Nine are entered headed by Entranced who has been installed as the morning line favorite. A winner on this track, Entranced is by Ghostzapper and with early speed will be the one to catch here. Ashlyn’s Girl also owns early speed and should be in the early mix. She was second at this level last time and appears the main danger to Entranced.
Six fillies and mares will go to post for the 9th at Philadelphia, a mile allowance on the main track. The morning line choice is Worship The Moon who comes off an unplaced finish in the Delaware Oaks but previously finished third in a stakes over this track. The Mark Shuman trained filly will break from the inside post. Her main rival may be Key Lime Baby who will start alongside from gate two. She has two wins here and with speed could be the early pacesetter. Tanis’s Dixie Tune also likes to get to the front early and may ensure a solid pace while one that may benefit from a good trip here is Broken Rules who has not run since late May but who had a decent recent work. The feature this afternoon at Delaware is a one mile and seventy yards optional claimer for fillies and mares. Haven’s Honey has a win and a second place finish over the track and the Cindy Jones trained five year old looks like the one to beat. Her biggest rival looks to be Song Of Soloman who is well bred but lightly raced and comes from the powerful barn of Anthony Dutrow.
The featured 8th race at Del Mar is the one mile San Clemente Handicap on the grass for three-year-old fillies. Eleven are entered headed by Evening Jewel who came within a nose of capturing the Kentucky Oaks this spring. After her fine Oaks effort, Evening Jewel wired the field to win her turf debut in the Honeymoon Stakes at Hollywood in late May. Victor Espinoza will take the mount again for trainer James Cassidy. Her main rival here may be the John Sadler trained Switch who will be making her first start on turf. Switch most recently won the Hollywood Oaks and, with tactical speed, should be stalking the early pace. Fortunia ships in from Texas for Cash Asmussen and must be considered having finished a close second to Wasted Tears in the Ouija Board Stakes at Lone Star last time out. Others to consider include Crisp who won the Santa Anita Oaks earlier this year, It Tiz who is two for two on grass and City To City whose victories on this surface include the Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita.
Rachel Alexandra reappears today in the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth. She will be the overwhelming and deserving favorite but actually faces no easy task here. Like Rachel many of these in her have early speed including Queen Martha who appears the main threat. A two time winner in England, Queen Martha set the pace before finishing second in her North American debut over this course in late May. While Rachel and Queen Martha have speed the early fractions may be set by Fabulous Babe who appears totally outclassed but has been successful sprinting. Another with a chance of pulling off the big upset is Ask The Moon who won a stakes race over this course last year.
Del Mar’s featured 7th race is the five and a half furlong California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes for California sired two-year-old fillies. A full and competitive field of twelve is entered headed by Hi Ho Yodeler who will break from the eleven hole. After breaking her maiden at Hollywood Hi Ho Yodeler took on open company in the Cinderella Stakes and Landaluce Stakes and was not disgraced on either occasion despite not hitting the board. Swiss Wild Cat also participated in those two stakes and finished second in the Cinderella and looks the main danger here. Others to consider include Social Event who was a sharp maiden breaker in her only start at Hollywood and Deo’s Secret who has not started since opening her winning account at the same venue in early June.
Racer 8 at Arlington today is a one mile and a sixteenth optional claimer on the grass. The morning line favorite is My Sonny Boy who was last seen when winning the Black Tie Affair Stakes over this course and distance. Tight Grip also won over this course last time out when he took a lower level optional claimer when disputing the pace throughout and he looks like the one to beat. Memorial Maniac has been in good form in Kentucky where his achievements include a close second to Winchester who went on to win a grade one in New York in his next start.
The featured 7th race at Del Mar is a one mile and three furlong optional claimer on the turf. Eight are entered headed by Tripitaka. A three time winner in his native England, Tripitaka made a good impression in his latest start when third over ten furlongs on the grass at Hollywood after setting the early fractions. Joel Rosario will take the mount and is likely to employ front running tactics again on the gelded son of Sulamani. Job Boss has won two of his fifteen starts and looks like the biggest danger here despite being winless in six tries on the grass. The mount of Joe Talamo has stalking speed and should get a good rail trip. Others to consider include Low Gear Power who has improved dramatically since joining the barn of Mike Mitchell and Scorpion Time who has not raced since last November but has a win over the course and has been training well for Michael Machowsky.
Del Mar, where the surf meets the turf, opens today and the featured 8th race is the Oceanside Stakes over one mile on the turf for three-year-olds. Ten are entered headed by Twirling Candy. Unbeaten in two starts and trained by John Sadler, Twirling Candy won an optional claimer by nearly eight lengths last time out. With speed he should be near the front throughout here and the son of Candy Ride has the pedigree to suggest that he should be comfortable trying the grass for the first time. Twirling Candy’s main rival may be the more seasoned Macias. Trained by Bob Baffert, Macias won the Eddie Logan Stakes at this distance on the turf at Santa Anita last winter and was most recently a close third in the Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood after setting the early fractions. Domonation is another here that will be trying the grass for the first time but the son of Maria’s Mon, who will also be saddled by John Sadler, has a good turf pedigree. He has been in the money in six of his ten starts and should make his presence felt here. Others with chances include Hockley who nicely won an optional claimer at Hollywood last out and Gallant Gent who will make his second start of the year here.
