Bernier: How I'd play Del Mar for Saturday, Sept. 2

Two-year-old fillies take center stage Saturday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, as the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante will be contested at seven furlongs on the main track. The co-featured event Saturday is the Grade 2 John C. Mabee for fillies and mares on the turf, carded as race 8. It may ultimately prove a chalky sequence, but I’m interested in playing pick threes that begin in the Debutante and conclude in the Mabee.

RACE 7 – DEL MAR DEBUTANTE

SPECTATOR (3) is the horse to beat in this year’s Del Mar Debutante for trainer Phil D’Amato. She’s 2 for 2 in her career, winning from just off the pace in her debut and then contesting the lead throughout before drawing off in the Sorrento. This daughter of Jimmy Creed figures to be the favorite, but it’s not as if she’s the only legitimate runner in the race. JUST A SMIDGE (5) was very impressive breaking her maiden for Bob Baffert at first asking here on July 19, and it sounds as though she’s been working tremendously heading into her stakes debut. They’re the only two fillies for me in this wager, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a number of these again in November for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

RACE 8 – MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT

A full brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, ST PATRICK’S DAY (1) makes his second start. He ran a winning race in his debut here on Aug. 20, only to be defeated by an uncoupled stablemate from the Baffert barn named Zatter. St Patrick's Day raced inside runners on the rail and stayed on willingly. With a start under his belt, he figures to be a handful here.

RACE 9 – JOHN C. MABEE

I’m against the likely favorite GOODYEARFORROSES (13) and I think MRS MCDOUGAL (6) is going to take a significant step forward in her second start off the layoff and her second start for trainer Richard Mandella. Goodyearforroses adds blinkers in her first start since the Gamely earlier this year, and it feels as though this could be the starting-off point for her. I’m playing against her, hoping she’ll need a race before we see her best. Mrs McDougal was forced wide turning for home in the Osunitas most recently, and she figures to have more fitness under her belt for this race. I’m also going to use CAMBODIA (4), because she’s far too sharp to leave off for trainer Tom Proctor.

THE PLAY

Pick three: 3,5/1/4,6