How to Bet the 2019 Del Mar Oaks

by J. Keeler Johnson Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1) might be held at Del Mar racetrack in California, but this hasn’t stopped out-of-state shippers from dominating recent renewals of the 1 1/8-mile turf test. Generally speaking, East Coast grass runners – particularly younger grass runners – are superior to their West Coast counterparts, and this trend has been readily apparent in the Del Mar Oaks. Five of the last eight Del Mar Oaks winners were based primarily outside of California prior to triumphing at Del Mar. Furthermore, the last two locals to nab the Del Mar Oaks (Fatale Bere in 2018 and Sharla Rae in 2015) were returning to California after contesting the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park. Speaking of the Belmont Oaks, that lucrative prize has produced three of the last four Del Mar Oaks winners, which bodes well for the chances of probable Del Mar Oaks favorite Cambier Parc (#1) (5-2). Trained by Chad Brown, who excels with fillies and mares on turf, Cambier Parc is the most accomplished runner in the field by virtue of her triumphs in the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) and Wonder Again Stakes (G3). Cambier Parc possesses a sharp turn-of-foot (she sprinted the final three furlongs of the Wonder Again in :33 3/5), and she didn’t run badly at all in the Belmont Oaks, finishing third after racing wide in a slow early/fast late race. The runaway winner, Concrete Rose, returned to dominate the rich Saratoga Oaks, while runner-up Just Wonderful subsequently finished a solid fifth against older mares in the Nassau Stakes (G1) at Goodwood in England. Although the Belmont Oaks and Del Mar Oaks are both Grade 1 races, the Belmont Oaks was a much tougher race on paper, so Cambier Parc will be taking a subtle but significant drop in class on Saturday. This might be all she needs to rebound and secure a career-defining victory. The tricky part for handicappers will be profiting from this opinion, since Cambier Parc figures to be a short price in the wagering. To boost the potential payoff, let’s key Cambier Parc on top in the trifecta. Underneath, we’ll emphasize graded winners Mucho Unusual (#10) (5-1) and Lady Prancealot (#11) (8-1), who loom as the best of the local runners. WAGERS $1 trifecta: 1 with 10,11 with 4,5,7,10,11,13,14 ($12) $1 trifecta: 1 with 4,5,7,10,11,13,14 with 10,11 ($12) $1 trifecta: 1 with 7,10,11 with 7,10,11 ($6) Good luck! PHOTO: Cambier Parc (c) Adam Coglianese Photography