BEACH BLANKET BINGO
Don’t look now but in a New York minute, Saratoga will be kicking off another glorious season and the ghost of Bing Crosby will be warming up on the sidelines ready to belt out his famous ‘where the surf meets the turf’ lines as Del Mar swings into action.
These premier meets are like a reward for the horsemen and the owners who can relax, kick off the shoes, wade in the ocean, or take in the blue blood pursuits in upstate New York.
And if you never had a chance to get down to this area near San Diego, hop a car, a bus or a plane and as the Nike ads say, just do it.
People come right from the beach to the track, bikinis under the skirt, flip flops for shoes, and coolers in tow if they can get them in the gate.
Maybe it’s the late post. Maybe it’s the proximity to the ocean, maybe it’s the maintenance, maybe it’s the morning fog layer, but you really have to watch your Ps and Qs for bias.
Del Mar racing can be very similar to a puzzle wrapped in an enigma. No track on the West Coast changes so dramatically from day to day but the track played overly fair early in the season last year.
The traditional opening day race will be a joy all to itself. The throng is abuzz as soon as the gates open. When the horses come on to the track at about 1:50 on July 19, the cheers will begin. And when the gates spring open right in front of the stands in a mile and sixteenth claiming event, the crowd will go crazy.
Last year the biggest price on opening day occurred in the first when Rene Douglas guided a $17 winner home. After that is was a chalk fiesta with no price winning higher than 5-1.
In fact the first week of action last year was extremely chalky. Only 6 double-digit winners cashed in the first 44 races.
And that means a review of last year’s form is in order so that we take evaluate what may happen in the next week or so.
Unfortunately for long shot players, favorites continued to win in bunches. A total of 15 chalks won in the 2nd week of action and 18 won in the third week of play.
Horses bring the spectacle, but humans, namely the riders and trainers, stir the proverbial drink at any meet and Del Mar is no different. Expect Victor Espinoza and Pat Valenzuela to fight tooth and nail to win the riding title. They were split last year by Garrett Gomez when the smoke had cleared but Gomez could be riding in New York this time around.
The bugs will be out in full force, too and we’re not talking mosquitoes. Apprentice riders, or bugs, have enjoyed resurgence so far in Southern California and would be shocked if Martin Garcia doesn’t have a huge meet.
The kid knocked off perennial leading NoCal champ Russell Baze off his pedestal this year and has more than held his own after shipping his tack to Hollywood Park.
He was clinging to third in the standings through the first week on July just holding off yet another bug in Juan Ochoa.
Both will ride their share of live horses.
Try to stay focused, have a good time, and enjoy a margarita for my sake.
Brian Mulligan was the main West Coast line maker for the Daily Racing Form for nearly 20 years. He continues to contribute to that paper. Check out his other endeavor at LiveHorsesOnline.com. You may write to Brian at xsweep@cox.net
