Del Mar: How to bet the Matriarch and Cecil B. DeMille

Picks and plays on a $60 budget for the Sunday card at Del Mar, highlighted by the $300,000 Matriarch (G1) and the $100,000 Cecil B. Demille (G3).

Race 7: Cecil B. DeMille (G3, 5:58 p.m. ET)

There aren’t any clear standouts among the local 2-year-olds in this 1-mile grass heat, with #1 Ebeko arguably the best of the lot. Winner of the Oct. 4 Zuma Beach S. racing a mile at Santa Anita, Ebeko wasn’t disgraced against tough competition in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), finishing ninth after tracking the early pace.

But Ebeko is slated to face a talented East Coast shipper in the form of #11 Wootton Asset, beaten a nose in the Laurel Futurity two starts back. Trained by Graham Motion, Wootton Asset may appreciate the chance to tackle firm turf after racing exclusively on softer going in his first six runs, including a fourth-place effort in the Awad S. at Belmont Park last month.

The speedy #10 Royal Prince, a maiden winner shipping in from Keeneland, is another logical contender for high-percentage trainer Brad Cox. Let’s box Ebeko, Wootton Asset, and Royal Prince in the exacta and call it a day.

$5 exacta box: 1,10,11 ($30)

Race 9: Matriarch (G1, 6:56 p.m. ET)

A supremely competitive field will face the starter in this 1-mile turf test for fillies and mares, with 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner #3 Sharing and Rodeo Drive (G1) 1-2 finishers #1 Mucho Unusual and #2 Maxim Rate just a few of the accomplished contenders. But even in a field this deep, I’m keen to back an up-and-coming filly unproven against Grade 1 competition: #9 Tamahere.

Trained by Chad Brown, who has won two of the last three editions of the Matriarch, Tamahere made a fantastic impression in the 1-mile Sands Point (G2) at Belmont last month. Making her U.S. debut, the 3-year-old daughter of Wootton Bassett rated near the back of the pack early on, then roared to the front with complete authority down the lane. Despite barely being asked to run, Tamahere sprinted the final quarter in about :23 flat to win by two lengths.

With two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz in the saddle, Tamahere can make her Grade 1 debut a winning one. I’ll bet her to win and key her on top of two trifecta tickets emphasizing her Noble Damsel (G3)-winning stablemate #6 Viadera underneath.

$10 to win on #9 Tamahere
$2.50 trifecta: 9 with 6 with 2,3,4,5 ($10)
$2.50 trifecta: 9 with 2,3,4,5 with 6 ($10)
Total: $30

Good luck!