Bernier: Del Mar pick three play for Sunday, July 20

For Sunday’s card at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, I will focus on a pick three that encompasses races 3 through 5.

Third Race: Claiming $12,500, 1 mile on Polytrack

The reoccurring theme to the beginning of the 2014 Del Mar summer meet has been inside speed on the main track, and until the bias changes I will stick with horses who fit that profile. Both Silk in Silver and Thermal Nermal each figure to be forwardly placed throughout, and while neither of them has proven themselves over synthetic surfaces in the past, I think they will be able to use their early foot to their advantage and try to take the field gate-to-wire. I will also include Joeandbetty’sbaby as a “B” on my DRF TicketMaker play; I likely would have used this filly as an “A” if the track were playing a bit fairer – although she exits races down the hill at Santa Anita, I still anticipate that she will be placed mid-pack and will ultimately be at the mercy of the track bias.

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Fourth Race: Maiden Special Weight, 5 furlongs on Polytrack

This is truly the race I’m most looking forward to on Sunday from a wagering standpoint, and that’s because I love Diva Express. A first-time starter by Afleet Express, this Mark Cass- trained filly fired a bullet from the gate on July 14 over the Polytrack here at Del Mar in 47.40 seconds. The significance of this workout is that it mirrors that of the move her stablemate Kantune produced that same day; Kantune returned to run a very nice second in his debut, just getting run down in the shadow of the wire by a well-meant Bob Baffert first-time starter. I don’t think I will get anything close to the 15-1 morning line she sits at, but I do believe it’s all systems go for her. I will use two other horses as “A”s in my pick three, Maybellene from the Bob Baffert barn and Tara’s Tango, who is a Jerry Hollendorfer trainee. As far as other are concerned, I will include Windy Forecast as a “B”, mainly because of the dam side of her pedigree. Windy Forecast is out of a Forty Niner mare named Scapegoat who has produced some legitimate runners to date. She has some nice things going for her regarding pedigree, and I will use her defensively.

Fifth Race: G1 Eddie Read Stakes, 1 1/8 miles on turf

The payoff leg of this pick three is the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes, and it should come down to either Summer Front or Tom’s Tribute. Each horse is logical and neither will offer much of anything on the value side, but I’m hopeful to get the filly in the prior race home to liven up the payoffs. Both runners exit the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita last month, and they happened to run into the buzzsaw that is Obviously. This is a much softer field than either of them is used to facing, and they each should appreciate the class relief. I will lean toward Summer Front, simply because I think he will relish the added furlong and I’m not sure the same can be said for Tom’s Tribute. My price stab in this race will be Spring Up, who exits a solid score in a down-the-hill event at Santa Anita in June. The stretch-out from 6 ½ to nine furlongs may very well prove to be his undoing, but he was striding out beautifully through the wire last out, and at a price I’m not opposed to adding him to the ticket.

The Play: