Hammersly: How I'd play Del Mar for Saturday, Aug. 1

Another intriguing situation arises at Del Mar on Saturday where one horse can make our day. In this day and age with so many in-race and multi-race wagering options it can be a boon to find that one horse on which to key so many of those wagers. And no, it’s not super-short-priced Beholder in race 8, though she can certainly be a linchpin for so many wagers. No. Instead I’m looking at SWEET SPELL in race 6 as a potential key to the day.

Sure, it’s a tad distressing she hasn’t been seen since March 2014. The good news, though, is not only can trainer Marty Jones fire off a long layoff like this, but Sweet Spell has been working in smart fashion the past couple months. Her only two starts, both at Santa Anita in early 2014, were turf sprints and she ran splendidly, whipping maidens in her debut and then finishing a strong third second time out there. That was her first try against winners, some very smart winners at that.

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It’s also most encouraging to see she returns with no tag attached, and young rider Santiago Gonzalez is having a super meet.

Sweet Spell faces a good group, yes, but there’s every reason to believe she’s ready to fire and if she comes back at the same performance level as when last seen she can beat these. So, for in-race purposes she can be my key horse in exactas/trifectas with LAMONTANGE (proven turf sprinter, proven off bench for trainer Wesley Ward, who is superb off the bench); SENSITIVELY (showed much promise at Santa Anita last winter; hasn’t run in four months after having to be vanned off after falling at the end of a stakes, has worked well and is bred to turf); and TALE OF PAPA NICK (has speed, is proven as a turf sprinter).

For the multi-race wagers Sweet Spell will be our main horse for a series of pick threes. For the first pick three involving her (races 4-6) I’ll use YES YES BARONESS, CHIA LOVE, and MOTHERNATURESPELL in race 4 and TENGAS RANSOM, LOOK ME IN THE EYE, CAPTAIN AKERS, LUCKY PATRICK, and BULLY PULPIT in race 5.

For the pick three of races 5-7 I’ll repeat the same horses in race 5 and key Sweet Spell in race 6. Race 7 is completely inscrutable as it’s loaded with firsters. I’ll use TOUCH AND SMILE (an AE so she may not be involved), FLYING TINKERBELL, ONE LAST SHOT, OH GREAT IDEA, FOREVER DARLING, CORPS DE BALLET, TWO STEPS OF GLORY, and SHAKTI. They’re all firsters who have worked in promising fashion.

For the final pick three (races 6-8) I’ll single Sweet Spell again race 6, use the same spread of horses in race 7 and then use BEHOLDER and WARREN’S VENEDA just in case Beholder doesn’t fire or gets lost on the way to paddock in the final leg. In using Warren’s Veneda I'm also giving myself a bit of a safety net and potentially knocking out most of the tickets should Beholder not get the job done. I fully expect Beholder to win, but I would feel terrible if I got my single home in race 6, got a price with one of the firsters in race 7, but got foiled in the end.