Weekend Warrior for Saturday, Dec. 3: Picks for Claiming Crown Tiara, Claiming Crown Emerald, Hollywood Derby

The most significant stakes action Saturday takes place at Del Mar, where the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby and the Grade 2, $200,000 Bayakoa Handicap will be decided. But Saturday is also opening day of the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet, with the Claiming Crown series of nine starter stakes events making for a wild betting card.

Claiming Crown Tiara

These Claiming Crown races tend to push my buttons as a handicapper and horseplayer, and I’m sure the same is true for many others. They are difficult handicapping puzzles, and the list of legitimate win candidates in most every race is long. Yet as tough as these races are, they present a challenge that I frankly can’t resist.

There is a fair amount of early speed in this Tiara, and with two of the main pace players – Daddy’s Boo and Stormin Charlotte – having to really go early from outside posts if they hope to save any ground around the first turn, I envision a pace that will be too quick, and they eventually will give way. The four closers who are best equipped to capitalize are, in post-position order, Marabea, Be Playful, Northern Smile, and Seeking Treasure, and Seeking Treasure is the one I prefer.

Seeking Treasure is better than her recent form might suggest. She is best as a deep closer and was too close early when caught by Marabea in a starter-allowance race at Laurel last time out. Seeking Treasure was completely out of her element in the slop in an off-the-turf allowance race at Keeneland two starts back, and she was going too short a distance and had stretch trouble in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint three back.

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However, Seeking Treasure produced two off-the-pace performances earlier this year that were more than good enough to win this. The first was her win in the Dahlia Stakes at Laurel, followed by a gaining second in the Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth to Isabella Sings, who has since won two Grade 3 stakes events.

As for the other closers I noted, Be Playful was soundly beaten in this race last year when in arguably better form but is dangerous in her first start off the Mike Maker claim. Marabea beat my pick most recently, and Northern Smile also has solid Mid-Atlantic form, but I question if they are fast enough for an at-her-best Seeking Treasure.

Claiming Crown Emerald

There isn’t as much overt early speed in this one, but like the Tiara, post positions are a factor. Cammack, Class and Cash, and Aire Bueno are logical players, but they occupy three of the four outside posts in the body of this race. And since none are deep closers, they might have to be used early to avoid losing lots of ground on the first turn, and that might force a contested pace.

I like Riviere de Loup. Riviere de Loup was beaten only five lengths in the Grade 1 United Nations two starts back, so that makes his dismal showing as the favorite most recently at Parx a mystery. I do, however, respect trainer Jason Servis and take his relatively aggressive race placement in this instance as an indication that Riviere de Loup’s dud last time might be best overlooked.

I also like that Joe Bravo takes the mount. Riviere de Loup ran well for Bravo in the past, finishing third in a restricted stakes at the distance over this course early this year and winning under allowance conditions at Monmouth after that, showing the kind of mid-to-late race kick that could work very well in this spot.

Hollywood Derby

Camelot Kitten, Beach Patrol, and Annals of Time are all trained by Chad Brown and finished one-two-three most recently in Belmont’s Hill Prince. All three are back in this spot, and despite the fact that the considerably more seasoned pair of Camelot Kitten and Beach Patrol finished ahead of Annals of Time last time, Annals of Time is the one I want now.

Annals of Time was making just his third career start in the Hill Prince as opposed to career starts No. 10 and No. 9 for Camelot Kitten and Beach Patrol, so the fact that he was beaten only a length by that pair bodes well for him as he still has tons of room for improvement. Even more interestingly, Annals of Time was caught in tight between horses in upper stretch and in deep stretch in the Hill Prince, compromising his stretch run.