Del Mar Babies for Thursday, Aug. 7
Race 3
Maiden claiming $80,000
6 furlongs
2-year-old males
Purse: $47,000
Key Contenders
No. 4 Domingo Cat
This colt debuts for an $80,000 tag for trainer Doug O’Neill, and his recent workouts are very intriguing. The gate drill on July 28 going five furlongs was nice, but the most recent three-furlong blowout from the gate here at Del Mar likely means this son of Bluegrass Cat is going to be sent from the very beginning by Drayden Van Dyke. In a field where a number of these horses have started but haven’t yet displayed the ability to pass horses, early speed can be invaluable. Look for this guy to be prominent throughout in this spot.
FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Doug O’Neill is 4 for 22 (8 ITM) over the past six months with 2-year-old first-time starters.
No. 3 Sky Heart
Mark Casse sends out this son of Sky Mesa for his first career start, and fitness should be of little concern – this guy has been training steadily and consistently since the beginning of May. It’s nice to see that this colt has gotten acclimated to his surroundings in Southern California over the past few weeks, and the Casse barn as a whole has been sending out live runners during the Del Mar meeting (although he’s only had one winner to date). Go-to rider Stewart Elliott has the mount, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the silks of owner John Oxley cross the wire first here.
FORMULATOR FACT: Dam Two Hearts’s offspring have combined to go 3 for 16 on synthetic surfaces during their racing careers.
No. 5 Kenji’s Thunder
This Scat Daddy colt showcased some early speed in his latest effort going long on the grass at Santa Anita, and based on the most recent workout, it seems rather likely he’ll be among the leaders early here as well. Corey Nakatani has had a fantastic Del Mar meeting thus far, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this guy take a step forward now that he cuts back from a mile to six furlongs.
FORMULATOR FACT: Progeny of Scat Daddy have combined to go 25 for 151 over the past five years in synthetic sprints.
The Strategy
While this isn’t a cheap maiden claiming event, you never truly know what you’re going to get with some of these first-time starters. If the connections thought they were potentially serious runners, they wouldn’t be debuting for a tag. That said, I’m going to lean rather heavily on Domingo Cat in this spot – he’s shown some life in his most recent workouts and I expect him to come out running Thursday. I’ll look to play him across the board as well as key him in exactas. Here are the plays:
WIN / PLACE / SHOW wagers on No. 4 Domingo Cat at odds of 9-2 or better
EXACTAS of 4 / 3, 5
EXACTAS of 3, 5 / 4
Race 5
Maiden claiming $40,000
5 1/2 Furlongs
2-year-old males
Purse: $33,000
Key Contenders
No. 3 Wilding
In a field that lacks any star power and truthfully appears to lack much potential, it is always wise to side with powerful connections – and it doesn’t get much more powerful in Southern California than the jockey/trainer combination of Rafael Bejarano and Jerry Hollendorfer. It would have been nice to see this son of Sweet Return take a spin over the Del Mar Polytrack prior to his debut, but at the end of the day there isn’t much in here talent wise, and if he can run at all, he should win. The biggest issue with this horse is sure to be the value – the chances of seeing the 5-2 morning line are slim to none; this colt is sure to go off lower than that.
FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 34 for 101 (60 ITM, $2.39 ROI) over the past five years with first-time starters debuting in maiden claiming events.
No. 8 Empire Cat
The debut effort for this Vann Belvoir trainee was pretty dull, although it was encouraging to see him semi-close to the pace early on. He put forth a solid three-furlong blowout from the gate on Aug. 2, and it would seem as though rider Fernando Perez will be sending this son of Cowtown Cat from the far outside post.
FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Vann Belvoir is 20 for 95 (44 ITM, $2.28 ROI) over the past five years with horses making their second career starts.
The Strategy
This is a really uninspiring group of colts and geldings, and I don’t see myself having much money on the line in this race. In all likelihood, the Hollendorfer entrant is the horse to beat, but his odds are almost guaranteed to be less than what his morning line says. If I’m looking to take the smallest stab in this spot, I’ll play a cold exacta of Wilding over Empire Cat.