Pick 6 Preview: Del Mar - $110,122 Carryover, August 16, 2013

photo: Matt Carter

Another pick-6 carryover at Del Mar on Friday, this time the pool starts at $110,122. The six race sequence covers races two through seven and is a challenging one.

Race two is an allowance, optional claimer at five furlongs on the turf course and there is no true front runner in the field. Top selection will land on Field Report, who was second behind My Slew in a similar race last month. Great Friends Rule drew well in post eight and can win from just off the pace.

Grammy Big Mouth has an interesting name, but could mean business in her debut in race three. The Sea of Secrets filly has some sneaky good works and her trainer, Peter Miller, hits at 24% of his debut runners. Yodel Up a Storm goes first-off-the-claim for trainer John Sadler and is a must use.

Iconic Spirit is eventually going to win a race and her running style fits the profile for the Del Mar main track, but Humor Me and Sealington get top billing in race four. Humor Me goes long for the first time for trainer Bob Baffert while Sealington has been working well for her second career start for a trainer, Leonard Powell, who has won with four of his six starters at the meet. Passionate Diva and Intoxicating Move will be on deeper pocket plays.

Race five may be the first single of the day in Jim’s No Preacher, but the five-year-old gelding is stepping way up in class after just blitzing $8,000 claimers. Up three times that level now he is controlling speed and came back last week with a solid five furlong drill. One to catch and one to beat. Brown Boss ads pace as does Chicsdigthechark. Romance Is Sosa will be right behind the front-runners with Sizzlin’ Joe picking up the pieces from off-the-pace.

Race six is the Sandy Blue handicap for three-year-old fillies on the turf and drew a field of nine. Oscar Party and Sarach are the principles with Pontchatrain and Macha two that could upset. The race does appear to have a lot of early gas, which will help Oscar Party and Redressthebalance, a 20-1 long shot from the Doug O’Neill barn.

The finale, only seven races this Friday, is a $20,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares going eight and one-half furlongs on the main Polytrack. Hair On Fire, dropping out of a maiden special weight race, is the one to catch and one to beat. The negative is that trainer Vladimir Cerin is winless in 19 starts at the meet. His horses have been running well, seven combined seconds and thirds, just not getting the job done late. Others to consider are I’m No Patsy, Tropical Moon, Little Bit Cactus and Little Unusual.

Perhaps we should just start to look at the Saturday card. First post where the turf meets the surf is 7:00 pm ET with race two off at 7:30.