Bernier: How I'll play Del Mar on Sunday, Nov. 27

Rain in the forecast has cast a significant shadow on the Sunday card at Del Mar. The number of horses scheduled to run Sunday who have encountered a wet track is small, and accordingly, I plan on treading very lightly. I'll key in on the two stakes races – the Cecil B. DeMille, scheduled to be run on turf, and the Native Diver on the main track.

RACE 6 – CECIL B. DEMILLE

Obviously, if this race were to come off the turf, this play would be scrapped. I'm quite high on two runners in particular – HOOTIE (4) and CONSCRIPTED (5). Hootie was visually impressive when winning his maiden at first asking for trainer Michael McCarthy, and the Beyer Speed Figure he earned (76) makes him a legitimate contender against these runners. There are some areas that need to be worked on, particularly his professionalism, but improvement can be anticipated in his second lifetime start.

Conscripted was also impressive when winning his maiden on debut at Santa Anita on Oct. 30, and John Shirreffs has shown the ability to take first-out maiden winners and have them succeed in graded stakes in their following start. This son of Biondetti encountered honest trouble early on and still kicked on late. The ability to overcome adversity so early in his career is a major positive, and he must be considered a major contender at what should be a reasonable price.

RACE 8 – NATIVE DIVER

MIDNIGHT STORM (7) has been a turf horse for the vast majority of his career, but Phil D'Amato at one point believed this 5-year-old may actually be better on dirt. He ran a credible third in the Breeders' Cup Mile most recently, and his early speed makes him a giant player over this Del Mar main track. Whether he can stand up on a wet track remains to be seen, but his tactical advantage may be so significant that it truly may not matter. If you're looking for a true wild card in this race, why not give a look to PRETENTIOUS (3) at a giant price? Pretentious is 1 for 19 lifetime, with a handful of minor awards, but it's worth noting that his lone victory came at Del Mar on a sloppy, sealed main track. If the rain comes down heavily, this Jim Cassidy trainee may be one to consider.