I'm not in love with anything today, but since it's closing day, I'll release a few horses I think have a shot at a price today:
2ND -- Improvising Gal. I think the way the track is favoring closers right now gives this 3-year-old filly a big shot. She has enough tactical speed where she can lay fourth or fifth and move in the stretch and she's already won over this track, breaking her maiden for $25,000 on July 19.
3RD -- Spanish Bunny is only 4-1 on the morning line, but I love it when a trainer, in this instance Barry Abrams, steps a horse up in class after a semi-close loss. She was beaten 5 1/4 lengths in her debut here on Aug. 20 and has every right to improve off that race.
6TH -- Mickey Rocks is another stepping up a level, although he drops in against Cal-breds after racing against open $32,000 maidens on Aug. 14. Jon Court is one of the best long-shot riders on the grounds.
8TH -- Charmvictor (30-1) and I Am Thor (10-1) are the price plays, and Wild Buddy (3-1) might be a good exacta wheel horse in this spot.
10TH -- I'm going to box Burna Dette, Western Engagement and Stuttgart in the Del Mar season finale and play any of the three separately that goes postward at 10-1 or higher.

Good luck today!!

It's tough to believe another Del Mar season has come and gone, but there's only one card left. Rafael Bejarano has clinched his third consecutive riding title and first at Del Mar after winning the Santa Anita and Hollywood Park crowns. The race for second is wide open, with Joel Rosario (35), Garrett Gomez (34) and Tyler Baze (33) still all in the running. John Sadler long ago wrapped up his second consecutive training title on the heels of his Hollywood Park spring-summer championship. He goes into today with a 12-win lead, 30-18, over Mike Mitchell.

Let's see, Del Mar president Joe Harper has already gone on record as saying that his track would love to host a Breeders' Cup. All Del Mar needs to do is expand its turf course, which surely could be accomplished before 2012. If NYRA president Charles Hayward is correct, that Churchill Downs will host Breeders' Cup 2010, then Belmont Park gets the event in 2011 and it's time to return to the Southland in 2012. What better spot than beautiful Del Mar?
Yes, traffic could be a nightmare, but there are plenty of hotels in the area to accommodate out-of-towners and as most of us already know, the list of fine restaurants around Del Mar is virtually endless. I have a feeling some of the Eastern folks who have never been to the track might consider a permanent move west if they ever saw the place. I mean, the weather and the scenery, you just can't beat it. Yes, I think Del Mar will host the 2012 Breeders' Cup.

According to NYRA president and CEO Charles Hayward, Churchill Downs will host the 2010 Breeders' Cup. The event will be held at Santa Anita this year and in 2009 -- the first time the Breeders' Cup has been held consecutive years at one venue.

Imagine the odds you could have gotten in Vegas -- Bobby Frankel winless with 17 starters through the first 41 days of the Del Mar meet. It's downright unthinkable, but it's happened. One of the top trainers in the country, Frankel is fourth in both all-time victories and stakes wins at Del Mar. Well, it says here the drought ends today, and Frankel could do it with a bang.
His West Coast assistant, Humberto Ascanio, will saddle three horses on today's 10-race card, and all three are live -- Bleu Intense in the second, Solo Piano in the sixth and Ksar Ghilane in the nightcap. Frankel spends his summers these days at Saratoga. He's a native New Yorker and he's not all that hyped up about synthetic surfaces. But any bad vibes he and Ascanio have about Del Mar figure to be put to rest today.
I really like Ksar Ghilane a lot in the 10th. The 3-year-old Grand Slam colt signified his readiness in his last on June 28 at Hollywood Park by holding his speed to the stretch for the first time. He was wide most of the way and finished fourth, beaten only 4 1/4 lengths in a race that sets him up perfectly for today's maiden special weight at 6 furlongs on Polytrack. He's 8-1 on the morning line, but figures to get some play and might go postward around 5-1.
Good luck today!!!

Going to take a stab at that $156,000 pick-six carryover today at Del Mar? Here are a few suggested singles to keep the cost of your ticket down. You might also want to consider separate plays on these horses if the odds are right for you:

SIXTH RACE -- In the second leg, BAD BIG AL and jockey Michael Baze look tough to beat in this spot. Baze, who got off to a slow start at Del Mar, has picked it up recently and sticks with this 3-year-old gelding who finished second in a starter allowance in his last start on July 26. He got a feel for the track that day and should fire a big effort against these $25,000 claimers.
SEVENTH RACE -- STAR REDEEMER is our play of the day. Another mount for Baze, who rides this 2-year-old colt for white-hot trainer John Sadler. He ran second in his debut on Aug. 1 against open maidens and drops in against softer Cal-bred foes today. He looks tough in here.
EIGHTH RACE -- Trainer Bob Baffert sends out NORTH RODEO in this $25,000 optional claiming event and she comes in off a runner-up effort in the Fleet Treat Stakes on July 20 at Del Mar. David Flores sticks with the 3-year-old Stephen Got Even filly who is stretching out to a mile today and should love the distance.
TENTH RACE -- Watch and see how speed is playing today. If there is not an anti-speed bias, RUNONDEMAND will be ultra tough in the nightcap. Switching to leading rider Rafael Bejarano, the 3-year-old colt by High Demand will be long gone if he breaks alertly and speed is holding reasonably well.

Good luck!!!

Word has it that Santa Anita's conversion to its new Pro-Ride surface will be completed by the end of this week and horses will be allowed to begin working over it as soon as this weekend. I'll have an update in my column on Friday ...
The Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 25 is shaping up as quite a race, what with Lewis Michael looking so impressive in Sunday's Pat O'Brien Handicap at Del Mar. Add in the Bruce Headley-trained Street Boss, Benny the Bull from the East and other top-class sprinters and you've got a stellar field. My money is still on Street Boss ...
It looks like defending Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Midnight Lute will miss this year's running. He encountered all sorts of trouble in the Pat O'Brien and, to make matters worse, he suffered a deep gash on his front left foot. He's on the shelf for a while ...