The horses to watch list at Del Mar this weekend will be a plenty, but the second full weekend at the track has opened the eyes of many handicappers looking for future winners.
She’s a Big Winner had not raced since May of 2015, but she made her 2016 debut at Del Mar on July 16 and it was not a pretty result.
A stakes winner on grass last year, She’s a Big Winner lost her best chance in her seasonal debut when she broke in the air and was off slowly. She settled along the rail, tried to rally three wide, but her Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith did not punish her and instead saved her for another day.
She had trained fast for her return but if this miss returns in a stretch-out situation, maybe a mile on grass vs. allowance foes, she should be a handful at a hint of a price.
A pair of juveniles debuted July 16 in a Maiden Special Weight race and both of these runners should run much better next time out. Accountability dawdled early, was dead last early in the race, started to move at the top of the lane, picked up about 3 lengths in the lane to finish third at 8-1. Accountability has a right to have a nice career as kin to over $100,000 earner Just Because.
Close to Midnight appeared to just need her debut on the 16th. The pedigree is there as her dam won several stakes and earned over $400,000. Her trainer Craig Lewis has been winning races in California for decades and in the last 5 years he is one for 4 with second time starting juveniles in Maiden Special Weight company.
Noted and Quoted will be a handful the next time the filly starts. Trained by Bob Baffert, this miss was compromised in her racing debut at 5 furlongs when she was bumped, and was in tight at the break. She lost her position and got an educational run weaving her way through traffic. And she has the pedigree to be a star. Her sire The Factor won multiple Grade 1 sprinting, took half of his 12 starts and banked nearly $900,000.
Noted and Quoted’s dam won a stakes at 2 and both of her siblings won. This miss is a must play if she comes back in a similar spot with a bit more distance to cover.
Fresh Feline ran her eyeballs out in defeat in the Yellow Ribbon at 18-1 on July 16. She split horses in the lane, was getting to the winner late and lost by a mere neck. Trained by John Shirreffs, who conditioned the legend named Zenyatta, this mare fires every single time and will be very hard to beat next out time.
Bolo needed his last race. He returned on July 17 but had not races since May when he was a troubled 10th in the Grade 1 Turf Classic. He was killed in his recent race when he drew the extreme outside post and his hand was forced by the eventual winner that just dueled him into submission.
Bolo is proven at Del Mar, his connections thought enough of him to try American Pharoah last year in the Kentucky Derby and he has the back class as he won the Grade 2 Arcadia early this year.
Straight Fire was unfortunate enough to hook a more experienced runner in his debut. The son of Domimus, who won a pair of Grade 2s, Straight Fire is out of a 2 for 3 dam that dropped stakes placed Magical Band, who earned nearly $150,000.
Straight Fire cost $250,000 and he was well intentioned to kick off his career. He had trained steadily at San Luis Rey Downs but now has a much needed race over the Del Mar surface and that will only help. Straight Fire flashed good speed in his debut, lost the lead at the top of the stretch, but finished second while 5 and a half lengths clear of the show horse.
And he is in good hands. Straight Fire’s trainer is Keith Desormeaux, who saddled Exaggerator to win the Preakness Stakes this year.
Getting an edge on the competition when betting horses involves watching races and not only the horse one bets on that day. Pay strict attention and it will pay dividends.
