Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Picks

Alabama Stakes – Race 10 at Saratoga – Post Time 5:43 PM Eastern
Win Contenders: Neon Icon, Candied, Just Basking

Neon Icon won the first two races of her career powerfully under Saez, including a five length “ridden out” win at 10 furlongs in May. She shortened up to a mile and one-sixteenth for the Indiana Oaks, where Chatalas got loose on an easy lead early and had enough late to hold off a charge by a head, while Neon Icon ran evenly when fifth most of the race. Saez was NOT aboard for that last race and gets back on and in this situation he could have Neon Icon sitting second behind Chatalas in the early stages. Considering Chatalas hasn’t run farther than a mile and one-sixteenth and Neon Icon has won at this 10 furlong trip, that gives her a slight edge. Considering she opens at 15 to 1 she’s well worth the risk here.

Saratoga Special – Race 8 at Saratoga – Post Time 4:29 PM Eastern
Win Contenders: Smoken Wicked, Showcase, Touchy

Although not having run the fastest in the field, Smoken Wicked may still be the one to beat based on the fact that he closed from second to win his debut by seven and one-half lengths, before rallying from 10th to second in his second career start. That effort came in the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs at the end of June, where Smoken Wicked broke very well to be first in initial stages, but then dropped back to seventh. Appearing to lose focus and drifting further back to 10th with a quarter mile to run, all of a sudden Smoken Wicked picked up the pace and in the span of one-eighth of a mile and in spite of running seven paths wide the colt passed seven horses to go from 10th to second. With a jockey change to Tyler Gaffalione and breaking from the ground saving rail instead of the extreme outside, Smoken Wicked gets a made to order early pace scenario for his late kick, as six of the other horses all won when leading from the start, while another (Touchy) led from the start before settling for second. Although he earned a 73 Equibase Speed Figure, well short of the field high 89 figure Keep It Easy earned in his most recent race, Smoken Wicked may be able to take a huge step forward to win the Saratoga Special with his late kick particularly as Keep It Easy earned his high figure leading from start to finish and may not be able to get an easy lead in this field as he did last time out.

Ontario Colleen Stakes – Race 8 at Woodbine – Post Time 4:47 PM Eastern
Top win Contender: Sabatini
Other contenders: Crevalle d’Oro, Ready for Shirl, Simply in Front
Longshot to consider: Miss Roberts

Sabatini stretched out to two turns for the first time four weeks ago to win the Grade 3 Selene Stakes, with a visually impressive move on the far turn to go from fourth to first, and easily held a two length advantage for the final eighth of a mile. That effort earned a field high 100 Equibase Speed Figure and being as this will be her second route she should run even better. She’s bred to run as well on grass as she did on all-weather and is the one to beat.