Bernier: Del Mar pick six play for Wednesday, Aug. 6

There is a massive pick six carryover of more than $195,000 into Wednesday’s card, and I’ll take a stab at it. Obviously pick sixes can get expensive rather quickly, so at some point you need to cut costs (unless you’re part of a syndicate or have a ton of money – neither of which describes my situation). The six-race sequence begins with race 3, and if you’re going to hit it you’re going to need to really be on your handicapping game. Let’s take a look at the sequence and how I’ll play:

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Race 3

- Oh Deann rallied nicely in her debut on the rail, mowing down the competition late. She finished full of run, and although the Beyer Speed Figure came back rather light she should get a nice pace setup to run into.

- Champion Risk won impressively on the front end here on July 18, drawing away down the lane. She was claimed out of that race by trainer Tim Yakteen, and although she owns the highest last out Beyer she’s going to have to earn the victory here today. It also needs to be noted that she went gate to wire on an intensely speed-favoring track on July 18. Nonetheless, she’s a contender.

- Myrna Lou exits stakes company up at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting, and while she ran a solid second that day I can’t help but think she prefers to be on the front end when racing. If she is sent out of the gate, it could easily compromise the chances of Champion Risk and set things up for a horse coming off the pace, like Oh Deann.

HORSES: 3 – Oh Deann, 4 – Champion Risk, 5 – Myrna Lou

Race 4

- Magic Number clearly has an affinity for synthetics (2 for 5 lifetime), but the biggest concern with this filly has to be the potential lack of pace in the race – should they walk the dog on the lead, her chances may diminish greatly.

- The potential lack of pace is why I like Acute. She’s 1 for 1 over the Del Mar Polytrack, and the latest gate drill here on 7/17 would lead one to believe Tyler Baze is sending her from the gate and telling the rest of the field, “Catch me if you can!”

- You could obviously use other horses in this field, namely Tribal Peace and Cayanna, but at some point you’ve got to cut horses to stay within budgetary restraints.

HORSES: 6 – Magic Number, 9 – Acute

Race 5

- The first of two singles comes in this leg, and that honor belongs to Beach Fever. This son of Stormin Fever moved up nicely once he was put around two turns, and I think he projects to sit a great stalking trip, just off the flank of likely pacesetter Missing Groom. In my opinion this race is the prime example of you either use one or you use a bunch . . . and unfortunately I felt like there were other legs where I’d rather spread. Therefore, Beach Fever becomes the first single in the sequence for me at a morning line of 6-1.

HORSES: 7 – Beach Fever

Race 6

- This race could go any number of ways. I limited myself to four runners, but you could easily double that number and still not feel confident about surviving.

- Yawannagokid’s best effort came here at Del Mar last September – in fact it’s her only victory. She clearly likes the surface, and in a wide-open field you could do much worse with a 20-1 shot. She’s got a chance in here at boxcar prices.

- Moving Desert is likely to sit the best trip of everyone in the field, and although she’s coming off a prolonged layoff she’s been working up a storm over the Polytrack. Expect her to be ready to roll off the bench.

- The biggest question with Warrenscrystalized is the surface change – can this filly handle the Polytrack and sprinting the conventional style? She won impressively going down the hill at Santa Anita in June, but that’s a whole different ballgame than what she’ll be doing today. Still, she’s a must use for pick six purposes.

- Truthfully I don’t love More Stormyweather, but she’s another that should work out a nice trip and will hopefully take a step forward in her second start off the layoff.

HORSES: 3 – Yawannagokid, 5 – Moving Desert, 8 – Warrenscrystalized, 11 – More Stormyweather

Race 7

- If Caval replicates her debut effort from Santa Anita in June, the rest are running for second money – plain and simple. She’s likely going to have to display that she has the ability to relax and rate off some of the other early speeds in this spot, but she could easily end up being Jerry Hollendorfer’s next great filly. She’ll be the second and final single on my ticket.

HORSES: 7 – Caval

Race 8

- If I’m alive to the final race I likely won’t be able to watch the race, simply due to nausea – but I’ll be pulling for either Stored Attaq or Swiss Perfection.

- Stored Attaq’s first try over the Polytrack was dreadful, but she was running against a severe bias that day and she was sporting blinkers – equipment that she didn’t wear in her debut at Pimlico in June. I’m willing to give her another shot on a fairer track while taking the shades off.

- Swiss Perfection looms as the speed of the speed, and in a field that is by no means stellar it wouldn’t shock me if Drayden Van Dyke could guide this filly to a gate-to-wire score.

HORSES: 4 – Stored Attaq, 5 – Swiss Perfection

THE PLAY: 3,4,5 / 6,9 / 7 / 3,5,8,11 / 7 / 4,5 = $96