Free: Del Mar pick three play for Saturday, July 19

The appealing qualities of a pick 3 include affordability and “hit-ability.”

The wager also offers leverage potential – transforming a non-favorite “single” into a payoff that can be far more attractive than a standard win bet.

“Non-favorite-single” is the theme of a three-leg sequence (races 7-9) Saturday at Del Mar, where the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap is the anchor. The objective is to get live to Morning Fix, listed at 6-1.

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This $1 wager is not expensive – 5 x 5 x 1. It’s a $25 play. It is affordable. But is it hit-able? That depends on Morning Fix.

Race 7 (MSW, older, 6f)

SOUTHERN FREEDOM (No. 9) is the obvious favorite. He finished in the money all three starts at Del Mar last summer against good 2-year-old maidens. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was 3 for 4 last summer with comebackers off six months or more.

POWER CRAZY (No. 2) and TURNOVER (No. 7) are first-time starters trained by Bob Baffert. The past four years, Baffert is 6 for 11 at Del Mar with older special-weight first-timers. When Baffert enters a pair, both generally are live. Use them both.

After the logical contenders are upset candidates. KINGS ADVENTURE (No. 3) is lightly raced, and removing blinkers after misfiring second time out. He fits off his respectable debut. He also is inside speed, and everyone saw how well that worked Friday. SECURE DIVIDEND (No. 4) ran well on synthetic, and then misfired on dirt. He returns to synthetic with bomber potential.

Five-deep: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9

Race 8 (N2X, 6f)

Can you trust favorite HOLY LUTE (No. 5)? Nope. His two starts on the comeback trail were ordinary. He might not be the same horse after a lung infection knocked him out in winter. Can you leave a Del Mar horse-for-course off the ticket? Nope. HOLY LUTE won both starts here last summer. Must use.

CAMINETTO (No. 2) has not raced since fall 2012. But he also is a Del Mar horse for course, trained by Baffert, who is firing early this summer. CAMINETTO has worked well for his comeback. Of course he has. Baffert trainees always work well.

GIANT EGO (No.1) is an upset candidate. He ran well last time in a turf sprint, and may benefit from the possibility of slower splits. And there is this – inside speed.

The upset candidates are ROYAL F J (No. 4), a one-run closer that usually falls short and is unplaced three starts on synthetic. But if the pace analysis is faulty, and if the leaders collapse, he provides come-from-behind coverage.

DROVER CRAZY (No. 8) has a prep race under his belt, ran well here last summer, and earned a number two back that puts him in the hunt.

Five-deep: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8

Race 9 (G2, mile turf, 3yo fillies)

MORNING FIX (No. 9) is the high-odds single at 6-1, based on outstanding recent turf form. Her third-place finish last out was super. She broke slowly, raced near the back, finished well and missed by less than two lengths. She has improved since switching to turf.

MORNING FIX faces a challenging pace scenario. The race is short on speed. But the price is right, and her sharp form is undeniable. Her foes include Euro-import SANDIVA (No. 7), class-drop comebacker DIVERSY HARBOR (No. 4), and likely pacesetter ISTANFORD (No. 8).

One-deep: 9

The bet

$1 pick 3, races 7-9
Race 7, first leg: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9
Race 8, second leg: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8
Race 9, third leg: 9