Fight Back offers value from the rail
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DEL MAR, Calif. – A first-time-for-everything package arrives in a set of three on Thursday at Del Mar – first-time gelding, first-time route, first-time dirt.
Three key races Thursday require addressing speed, pace, class, and condition. Standard stuff. But races 1, 3, and 7 require handicapping considerations beyond fundamentals. Each race includes a vulnerable favorite and potential “first-time” change related to gender, distance, or surface.
Race 1 is an entry-level allowance turf sprint for 3-year-olds in which Tap the Gin makes his first start since he was gelded. After a debut victory in March and a third-place finish in an allowance in May, trainer Mark Glatt had seen enough. He decided to make the colt a gelding.
“Just felt like he’s pretty hard on himself and felt like [gelding] would help improve him a little bit,” Glatt said. “Sometimes it takes a while, but he has been a little easier on himself” since the change.
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Tap the Gin’s debut victory was impressive, and his next-out third was not bad. The winner was subsequent stakes winner Proletariat. Glatt also said Tap the Gin was “a little bit sick” coming out of the allowance.
Joel Rosario picks up the mount on Tap the Gin, whose 4-1 program price is appealing. A less-appealing price is 5-2 on highly rated maiden winner Wiki Kane. Although his 84 Beyer Speed Figure tops the field, late-runner Wiki Kane faces a challenging course profile.
When Wiki Kane rallied from ninth in his maiden win, the turf rails were at 12 feet.
However, the rails are at the outermost 30-foot setting on Thursday, a configuration that has not been kind to late-runners. Five of the eight rails-out turf sprints this summer were won by the pacesetter, while two were won by horses positioned second or third. Another rallied from fourth. Wiki Kane, who has no speed, might be up against it rallying from far back.
Race 3 is a turf mile for 2-year-old California-bred maidens. Missed Fortune is wheeling back two weeks after an even-paced debut fourth in a maiden turf sprint. Trainer George Papaprodromou knew five furlongs was too short.
“He’s a nice, long 2-year-old. You can see he needs to go two turns,” Papaprodromou said. “Now we’re going a mile. That will help him a lot. First time he was a little green as well, but he finished well at the end.”
Missed Fortune is set to graduate as the 7-2 second choice. The program favorite is Lying Zero, second and fifth at odds-on in his first two starts in dirt sprints. Lying Zero, by Nyquist, was produced by a dam who won a sprint stakes on turf but never won around two turns.
Race 7 is an entry-level allowance dirt mile for California-breds, and the 3-1 program favorite is making his first start on dirt. Winning Patriot, by Om, won 2 of 7 on turf, was sold via digital auction for $95,000 in June, and makes his first start for new connections Thursday.
“He’s trained all right, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to like” dirt, trainer Jeff Mullins said.
Mullins was reluctant to elaborate due to his unfamiliarity with the gelding. If he reproduces his turf figures, he can win.
But the best gamble in race 7 is Fight Back, trained by Andy Mathis. Thursday’s race will be his first start since July 4, when he finished third in a similar California-bred allowance at Los Alamitos. Mathis skipped a California-bred dirt route allowance on July 23 to target Thursday’s race.
“We opted not to wheel back the first time they ran this race and shoot for this race,” Mathis said. “We feel like we’re coming into this race with fresh legs and plenty of time to prepare for it. We wanted to take one real good shot at Del Mar with the horse.”
Mathis claimed Fight Back for $25,000 from a nonwinners-of-two claiming win at Santa Anita in May. Thursday is his second start for Mathis. Since moving from turf to dirt, Fight Back has two wins and a third.
“I like what this horse has been doing. He’s a horse I’ve been looking forward to running here,” Mathis said. “I would expect the horse will be somewhat forward in the race.”
Fight Back is listed at 4-1, which would qualify as value.
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