Free Picks For Del Mar - 8/9/20

Race 10 - La Jolla Handicap (Purse - $125,000)

Eight 3-year-old colts and gelding will go one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf. This should be a superb race as well. I really like #6 Smooth Like Strait has been off since winning the $100,000 War Chant Stakes at the end of May at Churchill Downs. A multiple stakes winner, Smooth Like Strait is running this distance for the first time but he has raced well going a mile and has won 50% of his turf races over his career. Jockey Umberto Rispoli has finished in the top 3 of 46% of his career stakes races. #8 Indian Peak has finished first or second in each of his four career starts on the grass, which includes winning the $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Santa Anita on June 10. The California Colt, who has reached the podium in seven of 10 starts, has trained well at Del Mar -- going five-furlongs on the turf in 59 seconds on July 30. #7 Storm the Court has been on the stakes tour the last seven races and he has nabbed four top 3 finishes in those events. A son of Court Vision, the 3-year-old Kentucky colt has already earned over $1.2 million as he finished in the money in the Ohio Derby, San Felipe Stakes, and the American Pharoah Stakes as well as being crowned champion of the TVG Breeders Cup Juvenile Stakes. Additionally, Storm the Court has one victory at the current distance and has run well overall at a mile and one-sixteenth.

Picks: I like a win bet on the #6. I also like an exacta box of #6, #7, #8.

Race 2 - Allowance Optional Claiming $80,000 (Purse - $57,000)

Six 3-year-old colts and geldings will go one mile on the turf in what should be an exceptional race.#2 Eastern Ocean has had a nice freshman campaign, with a 5-1-1-1 record, and having shown improvement in each of his last four starts. The Kentucky horse, who will likely be off the pace in the early going, is coming off an excellent run race where he was edged for third by a nose against optional $40,000 claimers at Del Mar last month. #3 Heywoods Beach has also been running well and was in a good position to challenge in the Runhappy Oceanside Stakes in his debut at Del Mar a month ago but had no room down the stretch and fell from fourth to eighth. #4 Race Home and #2 Mecklenburg should also be major factors. Race Home, who is making his first start on the turf, has cashed in all four of his career events while Mecklenburg is making his first start on US soil.

Picks: I like a win bet on the #2. I also like a show bet on the #2 as well as #2, #3, #6 exacta box.

Race 8 - Allowance Optional Claiming $40,000 (Purse - $57,000)

Eight male runners 3-years-old and upwards will sprint five-furlongs on the turf. #7 Tribalist is the class of the field, having recorded a third-place finish in a Grade 3 Stakes race and having won nearly $300,000 in career winnings. While the 9-year-old gelding has not won a race in nearly three years, he has run well and has recorded a second-place finish in each of his last two optional claiming events -- both of those $100,000 claimers. Three of Tribulist’s four career victories have come at this distance and he has a strike rate of 43% of his races at five furlongs.#4 Torosay has been exceptionally consistent, having cashed in six of seven career starts in America, and is coming off a third-place finish at this level and distance the last time out. #6 Capture The Sea had a strong first start of the 2020 campaign the last time as he finished second at this level and distance -- besting fellow current field entrants, Torosay and Psycho Dar. Capture The Sea, who posted a career-best ESpeed rating of 104 in his previous event, earned his lone career victory in his second start following a long layoff, back in May 2019. I also expect an improved performance from #3 Distance Vista in his second in the U.S. after finishing fifth in his first outing of 2020 at Santa Anita back in May. The Irish gelding also has trained well recently at Del Mar.

Picks: I like a win bet on the #7. I also like a exacta box of #7, #4, #3, #6. Additionally, I will plae a show bet on the #3.