On a maiden race heavy card, several try to make amends

DEL MAR, Calif. – Maidens who underperform often deserve second chances, which might be the case with several culprits who try again Friday at Del Mar.

Maiden races make up half the card at Del Mar, and key starters will attempt to rebound following short-price misses. A 2-year-old Cal-bred changes equipment after an odds-on third; a $2.6 million 3-year-old who already lost twice as the favorite makes his return; and a 2-year-old filly who finished sixth in her odds-on debut could wire a turf sprint.

Bettors, of course, are not required to forgive horses that fall short of expectations. What you saw last time is often what you get this time. Meanwhile, some losses are forgivable.

Race 1 is a turf mile for Cal-bred maiden 2-year-olds; the enigma is Luka Grazie. He ran well finishing a closing third in a Del Mar turf mile in September, then fizzled at Santa Anita. Favored at 3-5, Luka Grazie again finished third, but he lacked pop late. Trainer Peter Miller adds blinkers Friday.

“Just thought he was a little green and not focused,” Miller explained. “He worked real well with the blinkers on. We’re thinking the blinkers will move him up.”

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If so, and he replicates his sharp effort two back against open maidens, Luka Grazie can win Friday under Flavien Prat. If not, Please Focus is the right horse although his recent runner-up finish was partly the result of a favorable race flow. Please Focus set slow fractions while unrelaxed, and finished more than two lengths clear of third.

It’s a close call between Please Focus and Luka Grazie, while New York shipper Montepulciano ran better than looked finishing third last out at Aqueduct.

Race 2, a sprint for older maidens, drew $2.6 million Bletchley Park and $1.25 million Thales. Bob Baffert trains Bletchley Park, a 3-year-old making his fourth start and first in seven months. His fast works and potential pace advantage give him the edge.

The 4-year-old Thales has undergone several changes since his third-place debut in 2021. He subsequently was transferred to Miller, was castrated, and adds blinkers. Two-time runner-up Krahenbuhl and two-time in the money Purified also are entered.

Race 5 is a maiden turf sprint for 2-year-old fillies with one of the most probable winners on the card. The description is curious considering Wesley Ward-trained Playlist finished sixth in her debut at Saratoga. She was 4-5.

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“We were excited going in, as you can see by her price,” Ward said. “The price was because she had some eye-opening workouts on the grass in front of all those private clockers at Saratoga.”

Playlist pressed the pace, then completely sputtered. “When she got back to the barn, she tied up really bad,” Ward said. “Really bad. We couldn’t get her out of Saratoga for a while until her blood got right. It took a good six weeks to get her internally right.”

Playlist is right for the maiden race Friday and can be long gone under John Velazquez. Her rivals include debut runner-up Pleasant Wave and second-time starter Christina’s Candy.

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