Del Mar Handicap Preview

The first major WAYI for the Turf division in California happens on Saturday in the Del Mar Handicap.

8th Race - Del Mar - Saturday, August 23rd, 2014

STAKES. 1 3/8 Mile Turf. Purse $200,000. Del Mar H. (Grade 2). FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND UPWARD. By subscription of $200 each, which shall accompany the nomination, closed Thursday August 14, 2014 with 18, $3,000 additional to start, with $200,000 Guaranteed, of which $120,000 to first, $40,000 to second, $24,000 to third, $12,000 to fourth and $4,000 to fifth. The Del Mar Handicap has been selected as one of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Races. The nominated winner of the Del Mar Handicap will be entitled to automatic entry into the 2014 running ofthe Breeders' Cup Turf. The nominated winner will also be entitled to have pre-entry and entry fees waived ($60,000 value) for the Championship race, and will be entitled to receive a travel stipend of $10,000 (US) if traveling from a location outside Callifornia or $40,000 (US) if traveling internationally. To be eligible for the 2014 Breeders' Cup Championships to be held at Santa Anita on October 31 and November 1, 2014, all horses must be pre-entered by noon (Pacific time at the designated pre-entry locations) by October 20, 2014.Winner must be Breeders' Cup nominated by pre-entry deadline to receive Challenge rewards. High weights preferred. A trophy will be presented to the owner of the winner. (Rail at 12 feet). (05:30 PM) (13)

PP	Horse	A/S	M/E	Wgt	Jockey	Trainer
1	Topic	4 F	L	112	Perez Fernando Hernandez	Drysdale Neil D.
2	Poshsky	4 G	L	114	Van Dyke Drayden	Miller Peter
3	Irish Surf	4 C	L	120	Espinoza Victor	Hendricks Dan L.
4	Big John B	5 G	L	118	Smith Mike E.	D'Amato Philip
5	Bright Thought	5 R	L	118	Bejarano Rafael	D'Amato Philip
6	Starspangled Heat	6 G	L	116	Maldonado Edwin A.	Abrams Barry
7	Si Sage (FR)	4 C		117	Nakatani Corey S.	Vienna Darrell
8	Bench Light	5 G	L	114	Desormeaux Kent J.	Pender Michael
9	Quick Casablanca (CHI)	6 H	L	119	Talamo Joseph	McAnally Ronald L.
10	Unbridled Command	5 H	L b	118	Trujillo Elvis	Miller Peter
11	Fire With Fire	6 G	L	123	Baze Tyler	Drysdale Neil D.
12	Cogito	5 H	L	114	Gutierrez Mario	Freeman Edward R.
13	Ice Cream Truck	4 G	L	113	Pereira Tiago Josue	Avila A. C.

Topic (Discreet Cat): Crossed the wire second in the Robert Dick Memorial, but was DQ'ed to ninth, second in an Allowance/Optional Claimer, and 3^rd in the Keertana in her last three starts. Her best graded stakes start is a 3^rd in last year's American Oaks. Has a win at Del Mar.

Poshsky (Vronsky): Stakes debut. Last three starts have been in Allowance/Optional Claimers where he has finished 2^nd, 1^st, and 1^st.

Irish Surf (Giant's Causeway) Scratched Going in the Pacific Classic instead.

B John B (Hard Spun): Stakes debut. Won his last three starts with the last two being in California.

Bright Thought (Hat Trick (JPN)): 3^rd in the Wickerr, 5^th in the Wittingham and 9^th in the Woodford. Ran 10^th in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile and won the San Luis.

Starspangled Heat (Unusual Heat): 5^th in an Allowance last week, 2^nd in the California Dreamin' and 3^rd in the San Juan Capistrano. Defeated Irish Surf last year in an Allowance/Optional Claimer at Del Mar.

Si Sage (Sageburg (IRE)): 6^th in the International Cup in Singapore (just behind last weekend's 3^rd place finisher in the Arlington Million Side Glance), 6^th in Allowance and 2^nd in the San Marcos. Was no better then 5^th last year in 3 Del Mar races.

Bench Light (Benchmark): 3 for 6 on the year with a win in the last an Allowance/Optional Claimer. Last stakes tries where in 2012.

Quick Casablanca (Until Sundown): 2^nd in the San Jaun Capistrano, 3^rd in the Wittingham and won the Last Tycoon. Has been better since moving from New York.

Unbridled Command (Master Command): 2012 Hollywood Derby winner has only started three times since then. Once in 2013 where he was third in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and up track in his last two California starts last of which was 5^th in the Eddie Read.

Fire With Fire (Distorted Humor): Winner of the Wittingham, 2^nd in the Last Tycoon and won the San Luis Rey. Also has a win in the Cotton Fitzsimmons this year.

Cogito (Giant's Causeway): 6^th in his lone start this year, the Eddie Read. Was also 6^th in last two starts which where last year.

Ice Cream Truck (Plesantly Perfect): Third in his last 2 starts (including the Cougar II) and won a Claiming in June. In the race right before that he broke his maiden. (Cross-entered into the Pacific Classic.

Picks

1st: Fire With Fire

2nd: Big John B

3rd: Quick Casablanca