Bernier: How I'll play Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018

There are two races I’m interested in at Del Mar: the Grade 3 Bob Hope for 2-year-olds and the preceding race, a maiden special weight affair for California-bred fillies and mares. Here are a few plays I’ll be considering in those races:

RACE 7 – MSW

This race features a few runners who have essentially proven themselves to be career maidens (or at least I hope), so there’s potentially an opportunity with a horse who may seem a bit class compromised on paper to upset. WEATHER MARKET (6) is making her second start off the Michael Pender claim, and she’ll be moving up in class from a maiden claimer. Her most recent start was encouraging, as she rallied nicely to lose by only three-quarters of a length Oct. 8, and while today’s race may be a maiden special weight, the field is suspect at best and feels like it’s something between a maiden-claiming group and a maiden special group. At odds of 6-1, I’ll consider a win wager on this daughter of Unusual Heat.

RACE 8 – BOB HOPE

Bob Baffert is well represented with METROPOL (1) and MUCHO GUSTO (3); of the two, I much prefer Mucho Gusto, but there’s another horse whom I’m more interested in betting today. EXTRA HOPE (2) was visually awesome in winning his maiden going long at Santa Anita on Oct. 21, and that start coincided with the addition of blinkers. The Beyer Speed Figure he earned (82) makes him a prime contender, and I love horses turning back in distance, especially when traveling the demanding seven-furlong trip. I’m hopeful that Extra Hope will go off at a playable price (7/2 or better), and I’ll back him up in exactas using Mucho Gusto on top.

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