Free: How I'd play Del Mar on Sunday, Aug. 16
DEL MAR, Calif. – Horseplayers who enjoy betting against favorites will appreciate the Del Mar card on Sunday. Overlays are sprinkled throughout the program, including five who are listed below.
Race 3
The knock on CAMINETTO in this allowance sprint is price. Fourth last out in a Grade 1, he drops in class as the 2-1 favorite. Is he the most likely winner? Yes. Is he a good bet? Not necessarily.
RAISED A SECRET defeated Caminetto two starts back with the same outside-pressing trip he figures for Sunday. Raised a Secret took a shot last time in a route, but two turns is not his forte. He finished sixth. Back in a sprint, drawn in the clear, Raised a Secret is an attractive alternative to the favorite at twice the price. Raised a Secret is listed at 4-1.
Race 4
Program favorite TARIS and second favorite SAM’S SISTER are the class of the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo. However, Taris has been off more than seven months; trainer Simon Callaghan said she “is not cranked up.” Sam’s Sister won a pair of graded stakes last winter but disappointed in her last two starts.
The “now” horse is BARUTA, an impressive allowance winner last out and Group 1-placed in South America. The sharp mare can upset the favorites. Baruta is listed at 3-1. If she gets bet down from that price, the race is a pass.
Race 5
This turf route for older California-bred maidens could unfold in favor of GIGANTIS. He is racing into shape, making his third start back and catching a field without a ton of speed. He is listed at 6-1 and worth a flyer. The program favorite is SIR CAL. He finished a dull fourth last time and seems very ordinary.
Race 6
The lowest class for winners at Del Mar is $16,000 claiming, non-winners of two. The favorite is IPRAY, a last-out maiden-claiming winner returning from a two-month layoff for the productive Phil D’Amato-Rafael Bejarano team (10 for 24 together since October).
Races at this low level often are won by horses who have never tried the level, including last-out maiden-claiming winners such as Ipray. A longshot has the same pattern. CLASS DIVINE won a low-rated maiden-$20K last out, each race has been better than the one before, and she is 10-1. That is a gamble worth taking.
Race 8
The 2-year-old maiden filly C. C. ZIPP makes her second start as the most probable winner on the card. She was visibly uncomfortable racing in the mud in her debut. But her works before and since suggest she has worlds of ability. She worked in company Aug. 5 with Imflatoutsweet, who returned with a sharp maiden win early this week.
No disrespect for program favorite OH GREAT IDEA, the runner-up in her debut, but C. C. Zipp is this handicapper’s strong preference. She is listed at 5-2, which would qualify as a low-odds overlay.