Del Mar Notebook

DEL MAR NOTEBOOK

JULY 17, 2008

by John Mucciolo

Racing in Southern California shifts south on Wednesday with the

beginning of the Del Mar meet. Arguably the most picturesque oval in the nation,

Del Mar will run through September 2 and features 19 graded stakes races. The

$400,000 Eddie Read H. (G1) is the marquee event of the opening weekend. The

nine-furlong turf test is likely to attract multiple Grade 1 star DAYTONA (Ire)

(Indian Ridge) from the Dan Hendricks barn. The signature race at Del Mar is the

$1 million Pacific Classic S. (G1), which we be held on August 24.

We've identified trainers, jockeys and horses below that should

have a strong presence at this exciting meeting.

Trainers to Watch

Defending champ Doug O' Neill hasn't been on the hottest

streak as of late, but O' Neill has plenty of ammunition in his holster and

should challenge for leading trainer honors with numbers alone. In 2007, O'

Neill saddled a remarkable 151 horses over the duration of the meet, 73 more

than Jeff Mullins, who finished just three wins behind him.

Carla Gaines couldn't miss in the latter stages of the

Santa Anita meeting, but the filly hit a cold spell at Hollywood and will hope

to rebound at Del Mar. It only makes sense that this smart conditioner has good

success here and her horses come back into their best form.

Craig Dollase finished fifth in the trainers' standings

in 2007, posting an impressive 11 winners from just 34 starters. Dollase

had a 59 percent in the money rank last year and after a relatively quiet

Hollywood meet, we believe that the rising conditioner will come

out strong early at Del Mar. The diverse trainer wins with any type; juveniles,

stakes runners, turf horses, claimers.

Paddy Gallagher doesn't have a big enough stable to

challenge for top honors, but the Irishman has been pretty warm in recent times

and will almost surely have a few turf winners at this venue. Since the

inception of artificial surfaces, Gallagher has been much more dangerous with

juveniles and first-time starters, and the price is almost always right since

his percentages were so low on the dirt with youngsters.

Jockeys to Watch

Although Mike Baze crushed his competition in 2007, a few

fresh faces are sure to make the race much more interesting this time around.

Hollywood leader Rafael Bejarano gets some tremendous mounts from the top

trainers on the West Coast, and the superb rider knows how to find the wire.

We'll tab him as the 4-5 favorite to take the title. For the record, we still

expect Baze to excel at this racetrack because he was no fluke in 2007.

Garrett Gomez has decided to make Del Mar his home base

for the next two months or so, which could ultimately spell trouble for his

counterparts. The smooth-riding Eclipse Award winner gets live action in

virtually every race, and it's hard to argue that anyone is better on the grass.

Joel Rosario has ascended into one of the top jockeys in

California in a very short time, and we like his chances to pilot many winners

at Del Mar, including a handful at big prices. The youngster has been a very

quick study, but it would have been hard to have predicted he'd be second at

Hollywood in such a short time.

Horses to Watch

The unbeaten sensation ZENYATTA (Streey Cry [Ire]) could appear

as soon as August 2, in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch H. (G2) for conditioner John

Shirreffs. The long-striding dynamo is a must-see as she attempts to extend her

unbeaten mark. The four-year-old is among the most exciting horses currently in

training!

The turf distaff division is as promising as it's been in some

time out here, with stars such as VENTURA (Chester House), DIAMOND DIVA (GB) (Dansili

[GB]), PRECIOUS KITTEN (Catienus), LADY OF VENICE (Fr) (Loup Solitaire) and

RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit) possible for the $400,000 John C. Mabee H (G1) on August

3.

The handicapping puzzle for the Pacific Classic should be as

competitive as ever, with defending champ STUDENT COUNCIL (Kingmambo),

living-legend LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew), Hollywood Gold Cup S. (G1) one-two

finishers MAST TRACK (Mizzen Mast) and GO BETWEEN (Point Given), and possibly

sophomores TRES BORRACHOS (Ecton Park and COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow), adding to the

intrigue. 

From a betting standpoint, we suggest  players to come with a hefty

bankroll if they plan on delving into the card on a daily basis. The Polytrack

surface at Del Mar is a complete mystery as to how it might play, and we would

warn against bettors thinking that form at Hollywood will carry over to the

Oceanside venue. Our suggestion for wagering upon racing at Del Mar is as

follows:

1. Be patient in the early part of the meet. Track the particular bias, if

any, that occurs at the meet, and pay close attention to see if that bias shows

up on the following race day.

2. It sounds quite elementary, but get on a jockey and ride him for as long

as it stays profitable. The rider could be as important as the horse on this

surface, as we've seen at Keeneland in the past, and this could be a good way to

stay afloat during the meet. Certain riders simply know when to push the button.

3. There has always been superb grass racing throughout the Del Mar meeting,

and focusing on the green could help each player keep his/her sanity over the

grueling six-day weeks.

4. Win. It's always nicer to win when you gamble.