How to bet the Cougar II Stakes

A compact field of six will travel 12 furlongs on the Del Mar main oval in the Thursday feature, the $100,000 Cougar II S. (G3). It’s a unique race as it’s one of the few dirt marathons on the West Coast held annually, and this particular rendition features numerous contenders that prefer to run from up close or on the lead early on. 

Cougar II Wagers

$10 exacta box 3-5 ($20)
$5 exacta box 4-5 ($10)
$5 trifecta key 5 with 3,4 ($10)
$5 trifecta 3,4 with 5 with 3,4 ($10)

I’ll try and look outside the box with #5 Dual Threat (8-1) to get a big piece of the pie from off the pace for conditioner Bob Hess. The bay is something of a stretch in this spot, but his last race was very good and he has also won or placed in each of his three prior runs on the Del Mar oval. The Into Mischief five-year-old is not as classy as a few of his contenders, and the gelding is a total mystery at the distance, but in a small field, he is worth dabbling with at a price. 

The pace might be fairly swift for the distance, and if Dual Threat comes anywhere close to the 112 Brisnet Late Pace figure he earned at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita most recently, then he will be in line to be in the mix for a top finish late with Edwin Maldonado taking the reins. 

Bob Baffert’s #3 Reincarnate (9-5) has finished second and third in his last pair of outings at 1 1/4 miles, and the move to 1 1/2 miles seems within his scope. The Grade 3 victor has run some big races to earn placings at the Grade 1 level and also broke his maiden on the oval in his lone prior attempt at Del Mar. This Good Magic four-year-old does his best running when in the race early, and I envision him being forwardly placed from the opening bell under the guidance of go-to rider Juan Hernandez. 

I have mixed feelings about Richard Mandella’s #4 Salesman (9-5), but I acknowledge that the son of Dubawi can win this race with his best effort. The seven-year-old chestnut was a facile wire-to-wire winner of the Thoroughbred Aftercare (G2) at Santa Anita in the fall, but his seasonal debut in the Santa Anita H. (G1) was a dud. He has worked well leading up to this endeavor and will be dangerous if he clears the field in the early stages, obviously. Kazushi Kimura will be in the stirrups.