HORSE RACING

Del Mar Horse Racing Picks for Sunday 8/8/21

Jay Ginsbach  —  @FairwayJay Aug 8th, 2021

Starting at 5:00 p.m. EST, we have 10 races at Del Mar. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing.

As always, check for scratches and changes and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(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.)

Big Summer and Iva Toguri, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 4/1

Race 5 is a Maiden Special Weight for state-bred fillies and mares sprinting 5 furlongs on the turf. The numberFire data likes Delta Wind (2/1) on top if she makes post as an alternate the rail.

Otherwise Starship Endeavor (3/1) gets the nod in a weaker field with Big Summer (5/2) a threat off a layoff after finishing a promising third earlier this year. Top turf rider Umberto Rispoli will be riding Big Summer.

Iva Toguri (4/1) is a Grazen progeny with a sharp work tab and leading jockey Juan Hernandez riding.

Trip to Spain, Race 6

FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1

Race 6 is the $100K Graduation Stakes for state bred two-year-olds sprinting 5 furlongs. Thirsty Always (9/5) has been scratched as the top choice of numberFire, opening the door for Rock N Rye (8/5) and Trip to Spain (2/1) to cash in.

Trip to Spain is wheeling back following his impressive gate-to-wire win just two weeks ago as the favorite at Golden Gate. He's the top choice of Guaranteed Tip Sheet.

Rock N Rye ran the top last-race speed figure in her maiden win in May, per Horse Racing Radar.

Zoffarelli and Cathkin Peak, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1 and 2/1

Race 9 is the $150K Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap for three-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. There is plenty of support at FanDuel Racing for the European invaders with leading jockeys Rispoli and Hernandez riding Cathkin Peak (2/1) and Sword Zoro (4/1), respectively. Those two horses are the top picks by numberFire's algorithm,

Cathkin Peak and Sword Zoro are European imports along with Zoffarelli (3/1), who has run seven straight high-quality races in a row, according to Guaranteed Tip Sheet, with a win and five runner-up finishes in that stretch. He makes his U.S. derby at beautiful Del Mar..

Cathkin Peak can fire off an extended layoff, having won a stakes race at Santa Anita in December and just missing in February as the favorite.