Brad Free's Del Mar play of the day for Sept. 1, 2018

The final Play of the Day for summer 2018 addresses a dilemma – how to wager on a longshot when the longshot has little chance to win.

Meal Ticket is a 20-1 outsider, in over her head in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar. Meal Ticket has never run in a stakes race, while Mabee favorite Cambodia is a multiple graded winner. Second choice Vasilika has won five straight races.

What makes Meal Ticket intriguing is a breathtaking allowance win last out. Meal Ticket won by more than four lengths after she smoked the final five-sixteenths in a scintillating 28.77 seconds, fastest come-home this meet from 23 turf races at 1 1/16 miles. It was faster than stakes winners Cambodia, River Boyne, Fahan Mura, and Fly to Mars have finished this meet.

The challenge Saturday is competition. Meal Ticket is outclassed, moving up from first-level allowance to Grade 2. Based on conventional class handicapping, Meal Ticket probably cannot win the Mabee. That’s okay, she does not need to. She will fly late, and if she runs two alike, she could finish in the money at a big price.

The play is to key Meal Ticket to finish in the money, while insisting the Mabee is won by either Cambodia or Vasilika.

It can be done with an exacta and a trifecta, in addition to a saver win bet in the unlikely event Meal Ticket pops up and wins. It’s a $20 play.

Exacta: Cambodia (7) and Vasilika (9) with Meal Ticket (1)

$4 exacta: 7, 9 with 1 = $8

Trifecta: Cambodia (7) and Vasilika (9) with “all” with Meal Ticket (1)

50-cent trifecta: 7, 9 with “all” with 1 = $10

Win: Meal Ticket (1)

$2 win: 1 = $2

Total: $8 exacta + $10 trifecta + $2 win = $20.

See you next summer.

:: Bet this play with DRF Bets