OffTrackBetting.com – Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California will play host to the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap on Wednesday, August 17. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will take to Del Mar’s dirt track and race 6 1/2 furlongs for the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse.
A competitive field of seven have been confirmed for the Rancho Bernardo Handicap – race 7 on Del Mar’s Wednesday schedule. Post time is 5:10 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all seven combatants for this mid-week Grade 3 stakes.
2016 Rancho Bernardo Handicap Race Preview at Del Mar Race Track
Sensitively 5-2 – Phil D’Amato trained filly has four wins and a runner-up finish in eight career starts and makes her graded stakes debut Wednesday. Last time out was an OK second in the minor Desert Stormer II Stakes at Santa Anita June 6 after three straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores on that track in the spring. Sensitively had three wins and a second in four starts this year and looks more-than-ready for her step up Wednesday. Tyler Baze has been tabbed to ride the tepid morning line favorite from post 3.
Finest City 3-1 – has placed in eight of 12 career starts for trainer Ian Kruljac. Last time out was a forth in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on this track July 16 after a respectable third behind Beholder in the Grade 1 Vanity Mile at Santa Anita June 4 and a career best effort – a track record-setting win in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes on Los Alamitos dirt April 23. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita March 20, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 11, a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita January 23 and a somewhat disappointing sixth in her graded stakes debut – the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes December 26. Finest City has been decent so far in her career and chases her second stakes win from post 7 Wednesday. Kent Desormeaux rides the morning line second choice.
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Tara’s Tango 7-2 – Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has 11 career starts with four wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. She was last seen running an OK third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap was back on April 15 after a good win in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita in March and another win as favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes February 14. Before that was a respectable third in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes January 23 and off-the-board finishes in her previous two starts including a tenth in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx September 19. She also had three runner-up finishes earlier in her career – behind Champion Stellar Wind in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks June 20 at Santa Anita, as favorite in the minor Angels Flight Stakes May and in the minor Santa Paula Stakes April 5. Tara’s Tango has been a tad up and down in her career when right is a worthy entry. She saddle up for the first time in four months with Martin Garcia aboard the intriguing third betting choice from gate 2.
Pretty N Cool 4-1 – Bob Baffert trained filly has eight career starts with four wins, a second and a third place finish. Last time out was a nice win in the minor C.E.R.F Stakes on this track July 20 which followed a six month layoff, a third in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes in January and a disappointing fourth after setting the pace and tiring in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos December 12. In 2015 she won the Grade 2 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park October 18 had a game runner-up finish behind Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly winner Songbird in the Del Mar Debutante September 5, posted a win by 2 3/4 lengths as favorite in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar August 12 and a maiden score by 4 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track July 19. She was very good at the beginning of her career and has been just OK in her last four starts overall. Pretty N Cool tries for her first graded stakes win in 10 months in just her second start overall in 8 1/2 months when she departs from post 5 with Mike Smith in the saddle.
Enchanting Lady 4-1 – Bob Baffert trained filly has three wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts. She had a pair of runner-up finishes last summer including the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes but she’s been just OK since. Last time out was a decent second behind Pretty N Cool in the minor C.E.R.F Stakes on this very track July 2 after a fifth in the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes May 28, an OK third in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff May 7 and a fifth in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes in April. She’s been inconsistent lately and will be out to snap a four race losing streak from gate 4. Rafael Bejarano gets the call.
Lost Bus 12-1 – has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 15 career starts for trainer Gary Sherlock and arrives off a nice win in the minor Spring Fever Handicap July 4 at Santa Anita. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 1 Vanity Mile June 5, an OK third behind Finest City in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos April 23 and a nice two race win streak – an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita March 11 and an upset victory over Finest City at 64-1 odds in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes January 23 – her graded stakes bow. Lost Bus has placed in six of her last seven starts – competitive every time out. Fernando Hernandez Perez gets the call from the rail at 12-1 odds.
Coniah 20-1 – William Morley trained filly has two wins, two seconds and a third place finish in nine career starts. She makes her graded stakes debut Wednesday off a second in the minor California Governor’s Cup Handicap at Sacramento July 23, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita in January, a eighth in the minor Blue Norther Stakes in December and a fifth in the minor Golden Gate Debutante in November. She steps up in so-so form and will have Drayden Van Dyke in the irons of the longest shot in the field from gate 6.
2016 Rancho Bernardo Handicap Entries & Odds
Race 7 on Del Mar’s Wednesday card with a Post Time of 8:10 PM.
| Entry | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lost Bus | Fernando Perez | Gary Sherlock |
| 2 | Tara’s Tango | Martin Garcia | Jerry Hollendorfer |
| 3 | Sensitively | Tyler Baze | Philip D’Amato |
| 4 | Enchanting Lady | Rafael Bejarano | Bob Baffert |
| 5 | Pretty N Cool | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
| 6 | Coniah | Drayden Van Dyke | William Morey |
| 7 | Finest City | Kent Desormeaux | Ian Kruljac |
