Del Mar babies for Friday, Aug. 8

Race 2
Maiden claiming $62,500
2-year-old fillies
6 Furlongs, Polytrack
Purse: $42,000

Key Contenders

8) Suite One
This filly exits a heat here at Del Mar on July 18, when she was clearly second-best, finishing three lengths clear of the third-place finisher. She raced against a severe speed bias that day, and if she catches a fairer-playing track today, she could be very difficult to handle. Although she doesn’t have any published works since that effort, it should be noted that she’s now in for a tag of $55,000 rather than the $40,000 she debuted for.

FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Doug O’Neill is 4 for 19 (9 in the money) over the past year with horses making their second career starts here at Del Mar.

3) Nicole Michelle
Here’s a filly who has burned money in each of her first two starts, but although trainer Tim McCanna is off to a sluggish start at the Del Mar meet (0 for 10), this daughter of Zensational seems to be taking encouraging steps forward. Her Beyer Speed Figures improved 10 points from start 1 to start 2, and if she can improve off that latest effort, she could be a handful against these girls.

FORMULATOR FACT: McCanna is 30 for 201 over the past four years with horses running in maiden-claiming events on synthetic surfaces.

6) I Heart You
Anytime trainer Jerry Hollendorfer teams up with perennial leading rider Rafael Bejarano, you must take notice, and this scenario is no different. There is a noticeable gap in workouts between July 7 and July 24, which is a bit concerning, but if anyone knows what’s best for a horse and what she needs to be fully prepared to run, it’s Hollendorfer. It’s not as if she’s facing a group of major horses here, and if she hits the ground running, she could be dangerous.

FORMULATOR FACT: Sire Harlan’s Holiday’s juveniles have combined to go 128 for 761 over the past five years.

The Strategy

Another field of maiden claimers that doesn’t do much to whet the appetite, but if I had to give the nod to one horse, it would be Suite One. I think she’s poised to take a step forward in her second career start for O’Neill, and I like that she’s drawn to the far outside. Any improvement, and she likely proves the filly to beat. I’ll hook her up in exactas with both Nicole Michelle and I Heart You. Here are the plays:
EXACTAS of 8 / 3, 6
EXACTAS of 3, 6 / 8