Del Mar Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Ten sophomore fillies will line up for Saturday’s $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1)
over 1 1/8 miles on the turf and the deserving favorite is WELL MONIED (Maria’s
Mon), who captured the Honeymoon H. (G2) two starts back and ran a solid second to Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer) in the American Oaks Invitational (G1) last time.
However, we typically try to go with a longer shot if possible, and we’ve landed
on INTERNALLYFLAWLESS (Giant’s Causeway) as the selection.

The Bob Baffert trainee broke her maiden on the turf at Santa Anita last
September, then was a fast-closing second in the Miesque S. (G3) at Hollywood.
Better things were obviously expected, but she wound up trailing in the Blue
Norther S. in December and was out of action until the August 1 San Clemente H.
(G2). The deep closer perhaps should have fared better after chasing
wickedly-fast splits, but a rallying fourth was probably a good enough showing
considering the lengthy absence. We can see her improving considerably second
time off the bench.

We really have nothing against Well Monied except for the short price she
will offer. Her Honeymoon victory was professional and she was second best
behind the leading three-year-old turf filly in the country in the American
Oaks. She’s clearly the danger, but worth taking a stand against at this time.

STRAWBERRY TART (Atticus) has really taken to the grass after switching over
from dirt and synthetic back in June. She won her first two starts on the green,
then was narrowly edged in the San Clemente by STARLARKS (Ire) (Mujahid). We
like her chances to continue her productive turf campaign and she’s a threat for
all major awards.

Starlarks benefited most of all from the brisk pace in the San Clemente. She
would have been an astute play at 11-1 that day, but might not be the right one
for this contest at considerably lower odds. She was no match for Strawberry
Tart in the Flawlessly S. two back, and has lost to a few others in here before
that. One of those she fell to, HAMEILDAEME (GB) (Storming Home [GB]), was a decent third in the San
Clemente in her stakes debut at 12-1 and could certainly move forward off that
effort.

LEXLENOS (Ire) (Intikhab) boosted exotics payoffs when third in the American
Oaks at 63-1. She was a bit of an overlay that day given her similar placing in
the Honeymoon at 21-1, and she should not be ignored when making exotics plans.
Whether she is a viable win contender is debatable as her BRIS Late Pace figures
do not stand out and her two career victories have come on synthetic surfaces.
DREAMALONG (Rahy) enters this following scores in maiden and allowance company,
and was only beaten a length in the Miesque when still a maiden last November.
This is a big step up in class, but there are worse longshots for stabbers to
take a shot with. HERMIONE’S MAGIC (GB) (Systematic) has but three starts to her
credit but has performed credibly each time, most recently winning her U.S.
debut in an entry-level allowance over this course. One negative is that none of
the horses who finished in close proximity to her in Britain have developed into
stakes quality animals.

DONTTELLMEWHATTODO (Strong Hope) picked a tough spot in which to make her
grass debut. A two-time winner on Cushion Track, she didn’t much care for dirt
racing at Calder in her last two. Still, grass proficiency seems a stretch until
we have ample evidence to the contrary. NAN (High Yield) was pounded in both the
American Oaks and San Clemente and would fit better in an entry-level allowance.