King: How I'd play Del Mar for Wednesday, July 29

Often the best time to play a speed horse is when a race appears to have some pace. Lone-speed types certainly win their share of races, but they’re obvious plays, and go off well backed.

I’d rather take my chances with a quality speed horse in a race in which there seems to be other pace – with the hope that some will abandon the horse and look for an off-the-pace type to run it down. Sometimes the projected duels don’t materialize, or maybe the speed horse is simply too good.

All that stated, that rationale makes Lucky Student (#1, 3-1) a play for me in the sixth race at Del Mar Wednesday, provided she isn’t bet down below 5-2. Her form is sharp, and though there is other speed in the lineup, they don’t appear to be of her class.

She is drawn on the fence, and the tactics look obvious: go to the lead and stay there. And with some of her key rivals either in suspect form or returning from lengthy layoffs, she can likely do just that.

A race later, in the seventh race, Sound City (#2, 5-1) is appealing from a form perspective, being the only horse in the body of the field coming off a top-three finish on the turf. The others are either moving off the dirt, or at best coming off fourth- or fifth-place finishes on the grass.

Throw in that Sound City owns the top last-race Beyer, a 72, accomplished at the seventh race’s distance of a mile on grass, and she takes on even more appeal. And drawn in post 2, she figures to get a good stalking trip while being only one or two wide into the first turn.

I will focus Lucky Student and Sound City as "A" plays in the late pick three, along with Shakahari (#1, 5-2) in the nightcap. Shakahari is the class of the last race, and owns the best recent Beyers. Not sure how much value he will offer, but if nothing else, he’s the key horse in the eighth for the gimmicks.