McGee: How I'll play Del Mar on Sunday, Aug. 20

I’m all in today on Vyjack in the Del Mar Mile (race 8). Surely, he needed his last start after being away eight months, and with a strong pace likely to develop, he’ll be in prime position under Flavien Prat once they turn for home. He’ll be my single in an all-A pick four to end the card.

Before then, I’ll try to get ahead by starting the card with a $10 pick-three part-wheel ($30 total) going 1 x 1 x 3:

Race 1: RAMONA LOVER (4) drops substantially in class following a brief freshening and could find herself in front down the backstretch in a race lacking much speed.

Race 2: The stakes-winning ARISTOCRATIC (3), Prat up, should be able to get the right trip behind Burn Me Twice and One I’m Running To when jamming down for a first tag for Shah and Callaghan.

Race 3: Two of the three first-time geldings in this $40,000 maiden claimer, CHARMING MORTY (2) and HAWKS PEAK (9), stand to improve in a big way while also on subtle drops; the turnback and turf-to-dirt angles, along with the drop back in for a tag and the comfortable outside post, all favor the chances of SPEND IT (8).

Here’s the DRF TicketMaker link to the opening pick three.

Later on, I’ll rely on Vyjack when surrounding him with a sufficient number of options into a $60 play. Here’s the pick four:

Race 7: VAI (2), CLASSY TUNE (5), PLEASANT AS PIE (8), SANDY’S SURPRISE (10).

Race 8: VYJACK (1).

Race 9: MIDKNIGHT ATTACHE (2), ST PATRICK’S DAY (3), JUNGLE WARFARE (6), HONEYMOONZ OVER (9), ZATTER (10).

Race 10: OK DOLL (3), BOMBILATE (4), DOMESTIC VINTAGE (5), BROOKS HOUSE (7), ARETHUSA (8), HEAVENLY THOUGHT (9).

Here’s the DRF TicketMaker link.