The San Diego Handicap – GII
                      DMR Race 7 1 1/16M – Dirt
                                Purse $200.000
                         Three Year Olds and Up

A field of eight handicappers will be lining up at the seaside oval of Del Mar to try and take down the San Diego Handicap which is basically the prep for the Pacific Classic in August. A pretty good field is lining up too and there is some good horses in here. Let’s take a look at the eight runners left.

1. Benzar (16-2-0-3 $131.260), trained by TwinTowers Racing

The first horse we look at it is still a non winners of three if he opted to run in a race like that but he has been hitting a lot of the minor graded stakes races instead. His best run as of late was when he ran third in the LS Handicap by a quarter of length two back. I think he is in a little too tough in here.

2. Caught Stealing (24-6-4-5 $669.080), trained by Sir Daniel Martin

A pretty good going right here he has almost ran out seven hundred dollars in his career. He hasn’t ran too good in his last two starts but the time before that he romped in the Alysheba on Kentucky Derby weekend on a good track. Obviously if he runs back to that race he has a good shot but the last two starts don’t suggest that.

3. Duke Or Earl (19-7-4-0 $173.480), trained by Gdp Inc

Here is a horse who I feel like is getting better every time he runs because he has went from basically a starter allowance horse to almost a graded stakes winner in only four starts. He is on the improve and working pretty good at the moment but he still hasn’t been a winner at this level yet so he’s still a question mark.

4. Kiss The Snake (17-6-2-2 $515.750), trained by Nakamura Stables

My pick of the race right here has been running very good in his last two starts going around two turns. He used to be a very good sprinter for Luz International and then Nakamura Stables bought him and immediately went to two turns and it has paid off pretty well so far for him. He is my top choice.

5. True Code (20-4-4-1 $150.860), trained by D J C Racing Stables

This runner is coming out of the wizard D J C Racing Stables barn and if he runs like he did last time in an allowance race he will have a very good shot to win. Before that he tried quite a few grades stakes but was unable to find the winners circle in any of them. He will have to run big to win.

6. A Storm Has Arrived (9-3-1-1 $75.950), trained by Maxmillion Farm

We all know if this was a turf race we’d be looking at this horse pretty hard cause his trainer is one of the best in the game on the turf. This horse had been running on the turf until two back when he won an allowance race and then last out he ran no good in the Westchester. He looks outclassed in here though.

7. La Lune Rain (16-4-3-3 $270.300), trained by Mb Stables

This runner has done most of his work lately going one turn in sprint stakes but he hasn’t done a whole lot when he has ran. I think he is a better sprinter than router and I don’t think he is this quality of a horse at the moment. But he does have the number one trainer in the game in his corner.

8. Call Your Doctor (7-3-2-0 $180.760), trained by Crocker Ggs

Scratched

9. Dirty Brazilian (5-1-1-0 $22.120), trained by Nj Vets

This lightly raced colt just ran his career best last out in the Pegasus Stakes at MTH where he ran second and only got beat by three quarters of a length. He is lightly raced but I definitely do not think he is this quality of a horse by any means yet. He is a big longshot and probably the biggest longshot.

Summary

Well I believe this race is going to come down as Kiss The Snake being the winner. Behind him maybe Benzar or Duke Or Earl could possibly be the winners or a horse like Caught Stealing if he runs his race like he can. But definitely Kiss The Snake is the favorite and looks like the horse to beat.

4-1-3-2

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES