Del Mar Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 8/1/20
It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 5:00 p.m. EST, we have 11 races at Del Mar Racetrack. Using our numberFire projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.
As always, check the program for scratches and changes.
(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)
Cezanne, Race 2
FanDuel Racing Odds: 7/2
The $100K Shared Belief Stakes was added to the Derby trail. The 1 1/16-mile race has just six runners and three main contenders: Honor A. P. (8/5), Uncle Chuck (9/5) and Cezanne (7/2). The top pick of numberFire is Honor A. P., and he should be included in any Exacta, Trifecta or Daily Doubles.
Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has the latter two with Cezanne needing to win to make the Kentucky Derby field and Uncle Chuck seeking a top-two finish for a chance to Run for the Roses. Honor A. P. won the Santa Anita Derby and is already a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby, while Baffert’s third runner in here, Thousand Words (8/1), is on the Derby points leaderboard bubble -- with even a fourth-place finish enough to secure his spot -- and same for Anneau d’Or (8/1).
Here's a full breakdown of the Shared Belief Stakes.
Freedom Fighter, Race 3
FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1
Watch Race 3 for future stars as this 5-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds is a Maiden Claiming race. But there is a standout, and he's in Bob Baffert's barn.
Freedom Fighter (2/1) has been tearing it up in the mornings with some sensational work tabs and bullets. He's chomping at the bit to race, and Baffert has won with 35 percent of his debut two-year-olds the past five summers at Del Mar. Drayden Van Dyke the right choice to ride.
Epidemic (8/1) has also had a pair of bullet works, and he's wired by Orb, a Kentucky Derby winner.
Fashionably Fast and Law Abidin Citizen, Race 10
FanDuel Racing Odds:7/2 and 8/1
Race 10 is the $250K Bing Crosby (G1) at 6 furlongs. The winner earns a fees-paid entry to the November 7th Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Race favorite McKinzie was entered and then scratched from the race by trainer Bob Baffert.
Guaranteed Tip Sheet looks toward Fashionably Fast (7/2) and Collusion Illusion (9/2) to cash in with some value on Law Abidin Citizen (8/1), who cuts back in distance and is likely ready for a solid effort. With McKinzie out, numberFire also likes Collusion Illusion to hit the board along with Wildman Jack (6/1), who makes his dirt debut.
Fashionably Fast is 3-for-3 over the main track at Del Mar the past year and has won six of his last seven starts with a runner-up finish to heavy favorite McKinzie in June’s Triple Bend Stakes (G2) while posting a career-best 114 Equibase speed figure. Collusion Illusion is 4-for-4 in sprint starts. He is working well and should get a good off-the-pace trip.
