DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, July 11, 2020

With most other North American sports being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, we hope the sport of horse racing can entertain you during these trying times. Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.

12:00 GP 1st I LOVE MAGEL (#8, 8-1) gets Lasix for 3yo debut and major class relief. Has enough speed to lead these merry chase in opener. -Mike Welsch

1:00 WO 1st FINEST JEWEL (#3, 7-2) had a productive winter/spring stint at Tampa, a track which has yielded a host of live shippers on the inner turf at this meet. The winner of her last race returned to double up in an open $20K claimer at Monmouth (72 Beyer). -Ron Gierkink

1:31 WO 2nd MNEMBA ISLAND (#5, 6-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Ron Gierkink).

1:40 LRL 3rd Lots of angles for POLISHED COPPER (#4, 5-1) as she dips in class, and moves from dirt to turf and route to sprint in the second start of the form cycle for Claudio Gonzalez. Didn’t have any pace to run at when perhaps in over her head in first try against winners and might have a similar worrisome pace situation to deal with here. Still, she was competitive in her most recent start on dirt as she was taken off the rail to prompt the pace three wide. She grabbed the front turning into the Churchill stretch only to be overhauled by the favorite late. -Dan Illman

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2:14 MTH 4th CHRISTOPHER (#9, 4-1) impressed with that late run for the place here last week and he seems very well spotted to make the last run against this group, if he can run back to that effort; that shouldn’t be an issue if he gets some help from the pacesetters and there is some established speed to his inside. -Kenny Peck

2:23 BEL 3rd MORE THAN STRIKING (#9, 8-1) ran fast enough to win this race in his first two starts then stepped up in class to no avail in Florida; dropped back down in class for this trainer last time and contested the pace going a mile, before proving to be no match for heavily-favored Bebe Banker in a fast race. -Mike Beer

3:59 BEL 6th There is strength on the AE list here so wait for scratches before making final decisions. BROVIA (#11, 5-1) is first-up on the list and, if she gets in, will be looking for a better trip that she had in her turf debut last time when trapped on the rail all through the stretch and never coming clear. -Mike Beer

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4:07 MTH 8th MISS MARISSA (#5, 4-1) was in against better in all of her starts last year and early in 2020, and though she faded in her return from the layoff last time that was on the turf, which she doesn’t seem to prefer at this stage of her career; has the speed to stay close and should be just off the leaders from the start. -Kenny Peck

4:09 GP 9th ROYAL DUKE (#8, 8-1) back to the main where he run bang up second behind Overdeliver in his 3yo finale back in December. Should benefit from last try on grass, drop in company. Figures on or with pace throughout if away running from outside post. -Mike Welsch

4:10 LRL 8th Trainer Wayne Potts is 4 for his last 11 (36%, $6.21 ROI) over the past six months with shippers following a trainer change and he switches OUR DESTINY (#4, 12-1) to the sod after an even effort against New York-breds at Belmont. By a strong turf sire in Freud, this colt should show good speed in second start following a 349-day layoff. -Dan Illman

4:15 WO 7th GRAY’S FABLE (#8, 6-1) flirted with the 6 1/2-furlong course record while going coastto-coast in a recent N1X, when he turned back off two consecutive good one-mile races at Gulfstream. The late bloomer drew outside the other speed in this G2 under Hernandez, who swept both stakes last Saturday. -Ron Gierkink

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4:34 MTH 9th CALL ON MISCHIEF (#10, 4-1) was behind MISS J MCKAY in their last meeting at Belmont but the former never really had a chance to run, stuck down inside for the entire race and then forced to check when things got tight, and she wasn’t asked thereafter; lots of room for this proven turf sprinter to improve in this Blue Sparkler Stakes, as her outside draw should mean clear sailing for her. -Kenny Peck

4:40 LRL 9th Grade 2-placed AFLEET DESTINY (#7, 7-2) tuned up for her first start in 225 days with a bullet five-eighths at Belmont on July 3. In over her head when last seen in the Grade 3 Comely, a race that produced next-out winners Bellera (Ladies Handicap - 82 Beyer) and Arrifana (Nellie Morse Stakes - 91 Beyer), she was also compromised by racing three to five wide throughout in that race. -Dan Illman

5:00 DMR 1st FOREIGN PROTOCOL (#5, 7-2), a Northern California-based four-time winner, gets the call in this claiming sprint for 3-year-olds. He returned to form three weeks ago with a decisive win vs. low-level claiming 3yos at Pleasanton, he has won twice at this five and a half-furlong distance, and his figures are appropriate for this level. Off the pace and into the winner’s circle to give No Cal-based Quinn Howey the first Del Mar victory of his training career. -Brad Free

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5:01 MTH 10th GROOVY SURPRISE (#6, 7-2) gets a tepid nod in a perplexing NJ-bred sprint, as she has the speed to shake loose if pushed hard in the opening stages by jockey Jose Ferrer, who can be expected to do just that; barn not known for winning off the layoff but this filly does seem well spotted in terms of race flow. -Kenny Peck

5:04 BEL 8th HAN SENSE (#5, 4-1) is dropping for this but he was claimed out of a win for $50k late last year and he has been in good form since then while placing in a pair of stakes and then regressing in his last two vs. better; tough in here if he can get back in form following a little break. -Mike Beer

5:14 GP 11th INDIMAAJ (#9, 9-2) looks like a major player if this one switches to the dirt due to weather conditions but worth considering on turf as well considering his breeding, by Tapit out of a G1 winning mare who registered pair of victories on grass and a half to inner winner Asbaad. -Mike Welsch