The final graded stakes race of the week at is the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.

The six-and-a-half-furlong event over the main track drew a compact field of 6 led by last year’s winner #4 Skye Diamonds. The five-year-old mare put forth a pair of triple digit BRIS speed ratings despite finishing third twice in her first two tries of 2018, but has tailed off considerably since then.

The Cal-bred flopped big time over the wet/fast going on Kentucky Derby Day in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, but bounced back a bit on July 7^th in the Grade 2 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos when she took the lead in the lane, but could not hold off the razor sharp Marley’s Freedom.

is the class of the race and has won 2 of 3 over this surface, but I simply do not think she is the same racehorse that we saw in 2017 when she rattled off 5 of 7 and earned nearly $379K. I will fade her on Sunday afternoon,

On the other hand, #3 Anonymity has been extremely impressive in her first two starts of 2018 and appears set for a big second half of the year for Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella. The four-year-old filly put forth a career best 105 BRIS speed rating in her debut over this surface last August, but then disappointed as the 3 to 5 favorite in her first start versus victors at Santa Anita in October.

The $600,000 daughter of Tapit was on the sidelines until a couple of months ago, but has won with ease in her two efforts versus lesser since the layoff. She comes into her initial try versus stakes company the clear one to beat. Look for leading rider to take the L N J Foxwoods runner to the front in the Rancho Bernardo and never look back.

Outside of the likely top two betting choices, #2 Yuvetsi is a bit intriguing cutting back to a sprint after two tries going a mile and a sixteenth for trainer John Sadler. The $420,000 Keeneland September 2015 purchase for Hronis Racing won impressively two-back in the Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita before stalking Unique Bella in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch in late July and tiring late.

Yuvetsi has had success at Sunday’s tricky six-and-a-half-furlong distance and should have a solid foundation coming out of the two-turn races earlier this summer. If jockey Tyler Baze can find a comfortable spot a few lengths off the early lead he could very well have enough horse to finish second behind Anonymity.

#6 Moonshine Memories won by a head in her third start off the layoff earlier this meet, but has not moved forward in her three-year-old campaign for trainer Simon Callaghan. The $650,000 FTS August 2016 purchase won her first three races as a two-year-old and went off the 2-1-favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November. She takes on older fillies and mares for the first time in the Rancho Bernardo and appears overmatched.

#1 Turkish Tabby and #5 Deer Valley are in over their heads in this spot.

Suggested Wagers:

$50 Win 3

$10 Exacta 3-2

Total Budget: $60