Del Mar Picks for September 5: Grade Adler the play in the Feature
The Grade I Del Mar Debutante Stakes is the feature race on the card at Del Mar this Sunday as we get our first really good look at some of the best two-year-old fillies knocking around in Southern California.
Neil Monnery has his thoughts on the race along with selections from the whole card at Del Mar this Sunday.
You can check out all our selections from across the country for the racing this Sunday via on Picks page - linked to below...
Race 10: The Grade I Del Mar Debutante Stakes for two-year-old fillies might be one of the most intriguing races across the States on Sunday as we get our first real look at several of the top young female horses around.
Elm Drive (#3) has been installed as the 5-2 favorite on the Morning Line on the back of two successive victories to open up her career. The first saw her dominate a Maiden by eight lengths and then she stalked rival Eda in the Grade II Sorrento before beating her by a head as they hit the line. This daughter of Mohayman - who was extremely promising as a two-year-old and even early in his three-year-old campaign has shown that she can win from the front but also by chasing the pace. Plenty to like about her.
The filly she beat last time out is one of two 3-1 second choices on the Morning Line. Eda (#2) is a very nicely bred daughter of Munnings. She has yet to cross the line first - beaten by a head twice albeit promoted to first in her Maiden due to a DQ. Her regular rider Abel Cedillo steps off and will instead ride the Mark Glatt trained Dance To The Music (#4). She also is a 3-1 shot.
I’m going deeper however and playing fourth choice Grace Adler (#7) as my top choice for this race. This is the second of two Bob Baffert trained fillies in the field (with Eda being the other) and gets Flavien Prat aboard. This daughter of Curlin looked very lively in breaking her Maiden over five furlongs at Del Mar back at the end of July and dare I say it - has a whiff of Gamine about her. Looks like she has a real motor and whilst it is early days - her works have been extremely impressive.
Give me a young horse who has any semblance of Gamine and I’ll bet her.
Main: 7
Backup: 2, 3, 4
Order of Preference: 7-3-2-4