Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know – Del Mar – 8/18/24
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Del Mar 4th Race – Post: 3:31 PT. Degree of confidence: A-
Top Selection: Sabertooth.
Other Contenders: none.
Forecast: Sabertooth was quite unlucky and deserved a better fate than his second place finish in his debut over this course and distance last month. The T. Yakteen-trained juvenile steadied and lacked room at various points until the head of the lane but finally found a clear path and closed relentlessly before running out of room, missing by less than a length while more than five clear of the others. The son of Grazen shows two nice breezes since that outing and seems certain to produce a significant forward move, so unless there is a world beater hiding in the weeds this promising colt should have no difficulty earning his diploma before going on to bigger and better things.
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Del Mar 7th race – Post: 5:01 PT. Degree of confidence: B
Top Selection: 2-Llorona.
Other Contenders: 6-Gypsy Woman.
Forecast: We’re not entirely sure that Llorona wants any part of two turns but if she’s ever going to handle a mile it’ll probably be in her first attempt. The sparingly raced sophomore filly earned a career top speed figure when a close sixth (beaten just over a length) in a downhill turf dash at Santa Anita in early May and has trained solidly in recent weeks to appear fit and ready for this assignment. She projects as the controlling speed and if not pressured early could take this first level allowance field a very long way on the front end, so at 7/2 on the morning line the R. Mandella-trained daughter of Mendelssohn offers a reasonable chance in the win pool and in rolling exotic play.
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