Bernier: How I'd play Del Mar for Saturday, Nov. 8
Race 2
While the step up into stakes company didn’t work out so well for Grand Yodeler, it’s safe to say she won’t be facing any world beaters in Saturday’s second at Del Mar. After a sharp debut score going five furlongs on July 26 by Grand Yodeler, trainer Mike Puype entered this daughter of Swiss Yodeler in a statebred stakes race here on Aug. 27, only to see her flash early speed and fade badly. She hasn’t raced since, but this short field has the look of one that she could take gate to wire under jockey Tyler Baze. I think 5-2 are fair win odds on her, and I’ll look to key her on top of two exactas. Here’s how they look:
2) Grand Yodeler with 3) Cruisingtheharbor if the exacta pays at least $26
2) Grand Yodeler with 6) Holiday Maker if the exacta pays at least $37
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Race 7
I’m looking to play a few daily doubles that link up races 7 and 8 on Saturday’s card. There doesn’t appear to be much speed in the opening leg of the double, and I’m hoping Elvis Trujillo can take the initiative aboard Kirov and try to wire the field. Kirov exits a solid maiden score at Santa Anita on Oct. 10, but the question remains – is she as good on the Polytrack as she is on the dirt? I’ll also use two other horses in this race when it comes to my daily doubles, Honey Ride and Grazenette. If there were more speed on paper I’d like Grazenette more, but I think from the outside she may be up against things from a pace standpoint. As far as Honey Ride is concerned, it’s clear the connections thought she had some ability back in the spring (she went straight from her maiden score into the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, going off that day at 6-1) and if she comes back ready to roll she could be tough for these gals to handle. Those are the three horses I’ll be using in the first half of my daily doubles.
Race 8
Number Five may be up against it from a class standpoint in the Let It Ride Stakes, but I know he’s going to offer value exiting a $50,000 claiming event and I like that he has tactical speed beneath Tiago Pereira. If he can sit just off the likely pacesetters (Final Step, Home School, Papa Turf), I see no reason he can’t get first run on the closers and be tough to run down late. That being said, I think this race goes through Awesome Return. Awesome Return has run against much tougher competition, and should he replicate any of his past four races he’d be extremely difficult for these runners to handle. He figures to be closing late under Mike Smith, but he likely won’t offer much when it comes to value. I’ll look to box those two in exactas, as well as use them to round out the second half of my doubles. Here are the plays:
DOUBLES:
6) Kirov, 7) Honey Ride, 9) Grazenette with 3) Number Five for two units
6) Kirov, 7) Honey Ride, 9) Grazenette with 6) Awesome Return for one unit
Exacta box of 3) Number Five and 6) Awesome Return