Hersh: Del Mar late pick four for Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018

Light fields early on the Sunday card at Del Mar, but the late pick four, races 6-9, has some juice. We’ll try to take a bite out of it with a $40 caveman play.

Race 6

Spread and hope in this $20K maiden-claiming sprint. The two favorites, OPTIMUM (#4) and FAST COTTON (#6) merit little trust and both could get hooked into what looks like it could be a hot pace. Still, either can win. I rate HARLEY’S PRIDE (#7) highly at the price but worry he, too, will wind up getting too much of a strong pace. FLEETWOOD (#1) has a lot of issues and might just not have an appropriate level on the circuit, but both he and MIKEY’S GLORY (#8) are the leading deep-closer hopes, both at long odds—should the race truly fall apart late.

Race 7

I like EAST RAND (#6) despite his questionable win mark. His company lines reveal a bunch of horses considerably better than these opponents, and he was compromised by a slow early pace last out. WORTHY TURK (#4) is the one who can keep likely leader Snazzy Dresser from backing up the pace too much. Turk seems a little tricky, and they appear still to be seeking his best trip and running style.

Race 8

Just singling S Y SKY (#8), whose only loss last year at 3 came to the talented filly Zappercat, and who beat the graded-stakes-class Miss Sunset. Not only did she likely need that last-out comeback run, the race probably was too short, and she gave chase to a loose leader. D’Amato does well with second-after-layoff types like her.

Race 9

Nothing more clever to bring it home than the four shortest morning-line prices in this 5f Cal-bred turf dash. OPERANDI (#1), BAKO SWEETS (#2), SHYLOCK EDDIE (#3), and JUDICIAL (#9) don’t inspire airtight confidence even taken as a group, but beyond that quartet, I’d just be stabbing.

$1 pick-four play = $40
Race 6: 1,4,6,7,8
Race 7: 4,6
Race 8: 8
Race 9: 1,2,3,9

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