Del Mar Horse Racing Picks for Friday 9/4/20
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 9 races at Del Mar Racetrack. Using numberFire’s 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.)
Taming the Tigress, Race 1
FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2
An early winner to start your day “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” on closing weekend at Del Mar. Race 1 is a 5 1/2-furlong sprint Maiden Claimer for 2-year-old fillies.
The top pick according to numberFire’s data is the Commas Save Lives (5/1), who makes her debut, followed by favorite Taming the Tigress (5/2) for leading EPO trainer Peter Miller with leading jockey Flavien Prat riding.
Taming the Tigress is 0-for-2 as the beaten favorite in both starts. She started poorly in her debut and raced wide last start. She should handle this group of six challengers, and that would give Prat his 42nd win of the meet, which would tie Umberto Rispoli for the lead as the jockey title is decided this weekend and on Labor Day.
Good With People, Race 8
FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1
Race 8 is the minor I’m Smokin Stakes for state-bred 2-year-olds, and it's sprinting 6 furlongs. We have a number of late scratches, including Alpine Thunder (12/1), Jazz Hands (15/1) and what was projected as the top pick of Daily Horse Picks, Positivity (7/2).
That leaves clear running for Peter Miller-trained Good With People (4/1) to win her second race in three starts after just missing in her stakes debut when running second behind Positivity at Del Mar a month ago. Scooby finished third in that race, but she has also been scratched from today’s I’m Smokin Stakes. Good With People is the top pick, according to Daily Horse Picks.
Top Race Reports notes that Good With People jockey Abel Cedillo has won 21 of his 24 races on the lead or within two lengths back at the half-mile pole. Good With People should be running near the front in this race with Cedillo riding at his best.
Mulligan and Siena Silk, Race 9
FanDuel Racing Odds: 6/1 and 6/1
Race 9 is a Maiden Claiming race for fillies and mares sprinting 5 furlongs on the Turf. Both Mulligan (6/1) and Siena Silk (6/1) make their career debut with each prepared for racing by EPO trainer Richard Baltas.
Flavien Prat rides Siena Silk while his biggest rival jockey, Umberto Rispoli, rides Sweet Sonny (7/2). Top Race Reports digs deeper and provides data from the Del Mar Meet that shows Rispoli has 24 of his 42 wins in turf routes, and this is a short sprint. But Sweet Sonny will likely be running on the lead, which happened in her last race, when she was led into the stretch before getting swallowed up by the fast pace and finishing two lengths behind in fifth.
