Playing Del Mar has been fun so far this meet, and as we head into the weekend of the Pacific Classic, I expect the good times to continue . . .

Race 2

(1) Bella Sierra (ML 4-1): Exits key race where four horses have come back to win recording Beyer Speed Figures of 79, 72, 68, and 58. Drops in class to a spot where the Beyer par is 72. Adds blinkers for her second start and should improve. Although it’s a small sample size, over the last two years Javier Sierra is 2 for 5 when adding blinkers for the first time with an ROI of $18.16.

UNCLE SIGH
Trainer: Gary Contessa
Last race: Aug. 16, 3rd
Finish: 2nd by 3/4
Beyer: 86
Pressed the pace, moved to the lead in the stretch and was run down late in a strongly run seven-furlong race which was the New York-bred’s first outing since the 2014 Kentucky Derby.

Saturday, August 15

Saratoga - Adirondack (race 4)

COMMENT: Looks like top sire Tapit has yet another promising runner as his 2-year-old filly Just Wicked made it two wins in two dirt starts. She bided her time early as favored Tonasah set a solid pace, moved closer going down the backstretch, challenged that foe into the lane, got the better of that rival late and edged away. The Grade 1 Spinaway here Sept. 5 may be next.

FOREVER JUANITO

Trainer: Victor Garcia
Last race: Aug. 12, 6th
Finish: 5th by 5 1/4
Beyer: 72

First start in nearly five months, this allowance sprinter raced evenly to split the field in an acceptable prep. He might prefer turf and merits an upset chance in an N2X turf sprint.

GOMO

Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Last race: Aug. 12, 7th
Finish: 2nd by 2 3/4
Beyer: 72

STRING BIKINI

Trainer: Nick Nosowenko
Last race: Aug. 15, 6th
Finish: 5th by 2 3/4
Beyer: 48

She closed strongly toward the inside from nine lengths back and galloped out far in front of the others in a five-furlong maiden dash for Ontario-sired juvenile fillies. Another furlong or two should be in her wheelhouse.

ULTIMATE DESTINY

Depending on what the toteboard says, we could have a bunch of plays or not that many plays Monday at Saratoga. As always, we stick to the overlays and steer clear of the underlays as dictated by a personal betting line.

Race 1: No line (steeplechase)

Race 2: Belllamy Brew entry (3-1); First Bid (7-2); Collin’s Smile (9-2); Energetico (5-1)

Race 3: Bossy (5-2); Sweetpollypurebrd (7-2); Privately Speaking (5-1); Saratoga Karaoke (6-1)

The six 2-year-old colts entered in Sunday’s Grade 2 Saratoga Special have all won nothing more than a maiden race apiece, and they did so over three types of surfaces at six different tracks. From the rail out, it’s a matchup among maiden winners Exaggerator (Del Mar dirt), Holding Gold (Woodbine synthetic), Hammers Vision (Belmont turf), John Q. Public (Ellis dirt), Saratoga Mischief (Saratoga dirt), and Mid Life Crisis (Delaware dirt).

My betting Sunday at Saratoga will focus around three potential overlaid horses: Tobias (#7, 5-1) in Race 1, Weekend Express (#5, 15-1) in the seventh, and C d’Cat (#2, 4-1) in the eighth. All three appear to have far better chances than their morning-line odds suggest.

Not too many of the pick four sequences at the meet have been to my liking. Often there have been three pretty good races with one I haven't liked for one reason or another. But Sunday's sequence looks intriguing, and I am going to take a swing. I will put in a traditional ABC play through DRF Formulator and will look to press certain combinations as well.

Race 7

There’s not much to separate the eight entrants in Saturday’s featured Fourstardave at Saratoga. Everyone routinely runs Beyer Speed Figures between 98 and 101, six of them have won at the Grade 2 level or higher, and most are at their best distance going a mile today.

Grand Arch and Grand Tito would be surprises, but a credible case can be made for the other six. I’ll lean toward three of them – King Kreesa, Jack Milton, and Mshawish.