Keeneland Select Pick of the Day | July 25, 2020

Race 9 at Del Mar | Saturday, July 25 | Post Time 9 PM Eastern / 6PM Pacific

San Clemente Stakes – Grade 2 | Purse $150,000 | One Mile on Turf | Fillies, Three Years Old

Cheermeister (6) ships cross-country from trainer De La Cerda’s base at Golden Gate and has proven very tough in these turf route stakes, winning four of five in her short career to date. She wired the field in a pair of Grade 3 stakes races in February including the Herecomesthebride Stakes in an 11 horse field three races after breaking her maiden in the Wait a While Stakes last fall in only the second start of her career. After the a neck on the wire in the Sanibel Island Stakes following the Herecomesthebride Stakes, Cheermeister tried dirt for the first time and didn’t like it one bit, checking in last of six. We can draw a line through that race and in this field although it appears there is other early speed, based on Cheermeister drawing the six post I don’t think any other horse is going to take her on early. Under that scenario, where she’s tough as nails, Cheermeister can post the mild upset here opening at 6 to 1.

Opening at even higher odds, 15 to 1, is Mind Out (8), who isn’t nearly as accomplished as Cheermeister but may be this good. She’s never been worse than third in four races but two of those were stakes. If you can judge a horse by the company it’s kept, Mind Out fits nicely as she was beaten a neck by Croughavouke in the Surfer Girl Stakes last fall as the second choice at 3 to 2 odds. She shipped to Golden Gate to run in the California Oaks at the end of May, on the all-weather surface, and rallied strongly from six lengths back in fifth to miss by a half-length. Moving back to turf is no problem and this daughter of Tapit out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare is bred to love the turf and distance so her odds are way too high to pass up when considering our bets in this race.

Laura’s Light (3) is likely to go favored as she has a strong record, similar to Cheermeister’s as she’s won three stakes in six career starts. Most recently she won the Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita under Cedillo, who has been up for all three of her stakes wins. Basically she has no knocks.

Croughavouke (5) was two lengths further back with a quarter mile to run in the Honeymoon Stakes compared to Laura’s Light and just a pair of necks from that winner on the line. She does come from far back so may be prone to traffic trouble whereas Cheermeister likes to lead early and Laura’s Light is usually no farther back than third in the early stages. She’s still winless in seven races since importing to the U.S. last summer but has three runner-up finishes in stakes so fits nicely here for exacta bets we make at the very least.

Betting Strategies:

Win::

Cheermeister (6) can be bet to win at odds of 3 to 1.

A second win bet can absolutely be made on Mind Out (8) at 5 to 1 odds.

Exactas:

Box: Laura’s Light (3), Croughavouke (5), Cheermeister (6) and Mind Out (8).

Optionally, add a few other horses in second for a potentially big exacta as follows:

Laura’s Light (3), Croughavouke (5), Cheermeister (6) and Mind Out (8) over Laura’s Light (3), Croughavouke (5), Cheermeister (6) and Mind Out (8), She’s So Special (1), Over Attached (4), Warren’s Showtime (9) and Applecross (11).

Trifecta:

Box: Laura’s Light (3), Croughavouke (5), Cheermeister (6) and Mind Out (8).