Quills Picks Winners – Del Mar Race 7 – Fleet Treat Stakes
We go from the turf course to the dirt for today’s QPW, though I’m sure some would want to hit the beach about a quarter mile from the quarter mile chute at Del Mar, as we will look at the seventh race where The Turf Meets The Surf. We have 10 three-year-old California bred fillies going seven furlongs on the main track here at Del Mar. This is going to be a late one for the QPW readers on the East Coast as post time is projected for 10:10 pm this evening.
We have an early scratch here, which is the practice in California in some races. The 10 Shamrockin has already been scratched before the morning line odds were released with the finalized program.
The 9 Pushiness is the 9/5 morning line favorite in the Fleet Treat today. She has two wins and a third in four tries. She grudgingly gave up the lead last time at Los Al in her 2024 debut three weeks ago. She obviously needed that race and should be there at the end.
The 7 Grand Slam Smile (2/1 ML) is shortening up to today’s distance of seven furlongs after an impressive front running win in the Melair at Santa Anita back at the end of May. She can run on the front end, or if she needs to, can run from off the pace like she did at this distance last November at Santa Anita. She also has three wins in four tries in Cal-bred races and will be very tough here today. The question is whether she goes with the 9 or she runs just like she did from off the pace like last fall.
The 2 Prancingthruparis (6/1 ML) like the morning line favorite is second race off of a layoff with a race at Los Alamitos. But she comes to Del Mar from a different race at Los Al coming back to win by almost three lengths. There will be a step up here, but she could be in good position to win this today.
The 5 Safa (12/1 ML) will go from turf to dirt for today’s race. She won at Santa Anita on the turf closing three wide. She just missed last time out going six and a half furlongs on the dirt in the Evening Jewel in April at Santa Anita and could be closing at very nice odds.
The 7 Grand Slam Smile is going to have an advantage at today’s distance over the favorite Pushiness here. I put nothing in that seven-furlong race at Del Mar last September. That was a Grade 1 race and these horses probably will never be entered in a Grade 1. The versatility of the 7 is the difference for me here today. I will call this race 7-5-9-2 and my play is $20 to win on the 7. Good luck everyone!
QPW Update Desk
Join me tomorrow for a 10 am post time on the Bleacher Brothers Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and X as I will break down stakes races from Saratoga (the Jim Dandy Stakes) and the Daisycutter Handicap, San Diego Handicap and Bing Crosby Stakes from Del Mar. I’ll give some thoughts on those races, some horse racing news, and wherever the races and banter takes us.
Check out my stream “The Joe Quills Show” on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 9 pm Eastern on my Twitch, X and YouTube talking about the latest sports news and whatever comes up; and catch my horse racing show every Saturday at 10 am Eastern on the Bleacher Brothers platforms.