Pick six carryover at Del Mar could swell to $3 million
DEL MAR, Calif. – The pick six is being resuscitated this summer at Del Mar, where the second two-day carryover of the summer meet is likely to generate a massive pool that exceeds $3 million on Wednesday.
The pick six was not hit Saturday or Sunday; the carryover into Wednesday is $562,765. The sequence (races 3 through 8) includes four races with key starters trained by Doug O’Neill, including an unbeaten comebacker in race 3 and a maiden filly in race 5 that might be a standout.
The 3-for-3 Jimmy Bouncer returns from a nine-month layoff in race 3, a second-level allowance turf sprint. Land Over Sea will be strongly favored in race 5, a turf route for 2-year-old maiden fillies which is her second start following a promising runner-up debut.
O’Neill entrant Tumbleweedprincess is among the favorites in race 4 for 2-year-old $30,000 maiden claimers. The O’Neill-trained Lookin for Money and Housemaker are contenders in race 7, a wide-open turf route for 3-year-old $40,000 claiming fillies.
Below is a look at the pick six sequence.
RACE 3
Jimmy Bouncer won on synthetic and dirt before he was sidelined, and now he tries five furlongs on turf.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Jimmy Bouncer. Trainer Doug O’Neill is 24-6-6-4 with a $3.09 ROI over the past five years in turf sprints at Del Mar. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Surface is not an issue for the son of Square Eddie, according to O’Neill. “Square Eddies – they’ll run on dirt, turf, synthetic,” he said. “[Jimmy Bouncer is] going to get better with racing, but I think he’s ready to roll.”
He will need to be. Jimmy Bouncer faces two good rivals in speedster Serbian Syclone and Well Maybe. But with the turf rails at the outermost setting of 30 feet and a pressing style from post 2, Jimmy Bouncer should get a good trip.
The most likely winner of race 3 is Peter Miller-trained Serbian Syclone, who was third in a June 13 turf sprint at Golden Gate Fields.
“He’s fast, very fast,” Miller said.
From the inside post under jockey Tyler Baze, Serbian Syclone could be gone.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Serbian Syclone and No. 7 Tizcano. Trainer Peter Miller is 3-2-1-0 with a $9.33 ROI in turf sprints at the current Del Mar meet. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Miller also trains comebacker Tizcano, who is making his first start since being gelded.
“Tizcano will be off the pace,” Miller said. “We just want to get a race into him. He should run on.”
The other starters are Clever Royal, Pathway to Yes, and Horse Laugh.
RACE 4
Tumbleweedprincess, a recent private acquisition, will be making her first start for O’Neill in this five-furlong race. She lugged out badly two starts back and drifted out severely through the lane last time.
If Tumbleweedprincess improves for O’Neill, as expected, she could be gone. Her main rival is also-eligible Wish I Understood, wheeling back six days and dropping in class after a troubled runner-up finish in a $50,000 maiden-claiming race.
RACE 5
Land Over Sea is O’Neill’s best chance Wednesday. She finished second with a bad trip in her sprint debut at Los Alamitos. Racing 5 1/2-furlongs, she was caught in traffic and blocked. When she finally found a seam, it was too late.
“Turning for home last time, I thought we might win, and then I thought we might run last,” O’Neill said. “She really gutted it out to come back and run second.”
Although the new surface is a question, O’Neill is confident Land Over Sea benefits by the one-mile distance.
“She’s built like a two-turn filly, and she’s got the mind of a two-turn filly,” he said.
RACE 6
Feeling lucky? The principals in this six-furlong optional-claiming sprint for California-bred fillies and mares are Awesome Luck, an improving filly moving up in class after a maiden win, and Lucky Student, a speedster who won at this condition in fall 2013. Lucky Student is entered for the $20,000 optional-claiming tag.
RACE 7
Another live runner from the O’Neill stable, Lookin for Money, drops one level after a fourth-place finish for $50,000 claiming. O’Neill also entered Housemaker, down from the allowance ranks, in this one-mile race.
The mile turf race might be the most wide open in the pick six. Other contenders include Kyankes, Sister of Mercy, and Belle Et Bete.
RACE 8
Jimmy’s Date returns from a layoff of nearly three months as a key starter in this $14,000 claiming sprint. Peter Miller trains the gelding, who won a maiden-claiming race at Del Mar last summer on synthetic.
His main rivals in the 6 1/2-furlong race include recent maiden winner George’s Main Man and front-running dropper Shakahari, who breaks from the rail.