Ralph Siraco’s selections for Del Mar

Thursday, Aug. 20, 1998 | 9:43 a.m.

Friday's card

Selections made for clear racing conditions before scratches.

Post Time 2 p.m.

1st race 6-1/2 fur 3YO Clm

1 Bridgeport (Nakatani) 115

2 Tramp Harbor (McCarran) 115

3 Big Bing (Espinoza) 115

4 Naabit (Flores) 115

5 Synner Or Saint (Solis) 115

6 Danceswiththewind (Gonzalez) 110

Danceswiththewind -- Gave way to trail in early July in last, broke maiden at higher level mid-April, freshened with steady works, winning rider Gonzalez returns, well spotted for bounce back here.

Tramp Harbor -- Huge maiden breaker over the track when in need of a race in last, pair of maintenance works since, in the quinella 2 of 3 Del Mar starts, bounce factory is only concern.

Value Play -- Synner Or Saint

2nd race 1 mi 3YO&up Mdn

1 Gospel Hill (Alvarado) 122

2 Great Asset (Stevens) 118

3 Classic Sham (Delahoussaye) 118

4 Crypt De Chine (McCarron) 118

5 Belal (Nakatani) 118

6 Sky Hawk (Gomez) 118

7 Slew Anew (Solis) 118

Belal -- Distant 3rd to Kona Gold in comeback effort in last, 3rd mid-January at a mile before that, steady works since raced, Nakatani/Dollace team.

Crypt De Chine -- Been knocking on diploma door, 3rd in most recent pair of outings, 2nd in prior pair of one-turn starts before those, McCarron stays on Inda trainee, third time the charm?

Value Play -- Great Asset

3rd race 7 fur 3YO Clm

1 Booly Booly (Almeida) 115

2 Sing The Praise (Gonzalez) 110

3 Red Sensation (Meza) 115

4 A Prospect For Nan (Solis) 115

5 Bee Magic (Toscano) 115

6 Thirtyeightspecial (Dieguez) 106

7 Mere Moscow (Garcia) 115

Sing The Praise -- Dueled lead from outside post and held 3rd in last, pressed and weakened when splitting the field before that, recent bullet drill on the 15th since raced, drops into action spot with hustling bug boy taking over.

Red Sensation -- Unsuccessful at Northern California fairs in mot recent pair of outings after claimed from winning Hollypark effort for this price three races back, won half of last 6 starts, returns south at winning level now, well placed.

Value Play -- A Prospect For Nan

4th race 6-1/2 fur 3YO&up Clm

1 Cheky (Gonzalez) 112

2 Candelotto (Pedroza) 117

3 Evening Watch (Alferez) 117

4 Ruffaffair (Gomez) 117

5 Bryan's Magic (Douglas) 117

6 Kavallas Star (Perkinson) 112

7 Silver Courage (Espinoza) 117

8 Melrose Lane (Toscano) 117

Evening Watch -- Drops to fire-sale level after dull effort in last, won while claimed for four times this price with last victory mid-February, has obvious problems but hits bottom for money run, not much to topple here.

Ruffaffair -- Rail trip 4th in last, close runner up and placed 1st through disqualification before that, 2 of 3 lifetime victories at this distance this year, recent form good enough to win this.

Value Play -- Bryan's Magic

5th race 5-1/2 fur 3YO Mdn Clm

1 Poor Pilgrim (Toscano) 118

2 Continentalsuccess (Vergara) 118

3 Able Easy (Garcia) 118

4 Connery's Sean (Martinez) 116

5 Tic Tac Gold (Douglas) 118

6 Colville (Kaenel) 118

7 Mocha Gold (Stevens) 118

8 Prince In Kentucky (Dieguez) 109

Able Easy -- 1st time starter by Seattle Bound, steady solid works, recent Del Mar gate drill on the 15th, take fresh face in weak maiden claiming affair.

Connery's Sean -- Weakened at Del Mar in last, runner up in three prior Hollypark starts, rider with limited chances looking for first seaside win, maybe he gets it here.

Value Play -- Continentalsuccess

6th race 1 mi 3YO Fil Clm

1 Starlight Dreams (Delahoussy) 115

2 Somer Wonders (Rollins) 115

3 Raging Love (Stevens) 115

4 Belle Of Humboldt (Espinoza) 115

5 Loma Linda Lass (Desormeaux) 115

6 Dave's Prize (Gomez) 115

7 Breakaway Babe (Scott) 115

Loma Linda Lass -- Dueled lead and gave way in last, had pair of March back-to-back daylight victories on wet tracks, in the quinella 6 of 13 lifetime starts with a trio of wins, back in competitive spot here.

Raging Love -- Erratic Santa Rosa maiden breaker in last, runner up in prior pair of sprint outings, ships south now, hot jock Stevens sees enough to accept assignment.

Value Play -- Belle Of Humboldt

7th race 1-1/16 mi 3YO&up Turf

1 Garve (McCarron) 119

2 Manzoni (Solis) 119

3 Kaafih Homm (Stevens) 117

4 Wings Bash (Nakatani) 117

Garve -- Stalked and kicked clear to win off-the-shelf over the course in last, in the quinella in all of most recent half dozen starts, sitting on a four-race win streak that spans back to Aqueduct November '96, McCarron returns on Mott trainee, why not five in a row?

Manzoni -- Saved ground for 3rd in restricted Del Mar grass stakes when in need of a race in last, won at this trip on Hollypark lawn before that, Solis stays on McAnally trainee, had race, beware.

Value Play -- Wings Bash

8th race 6 fur 3YO&up Mdn Clm

1 Colder Than A (Ramsammy) 120

2 Royal Timber (Espinoza) 122

3 Bag Them (Martinez) 120

4 Free Market (Flores) 122

5 Mountain Holiday (Gomez) 118

6 Good Man Sam (Meza) 118

7 Sir Caelan (Kaenel) 118

8 Sweetnsour Gold (Desormeaux) 116

9 Nautical Mile (Pedroza) 118

10 Gairloch (Solis) 118

11 Bet On The Bank (Garcia) 116

Mountain Holiday -- Returns to races with steady works, finished last in only career start to Prosperous Bid mid-January, drops to claimer now, Gomez gets call for trainer Hendricks, good spot to graduate if anything.

Nautical Mile -- Stumbled at the start and rallied for solid distant 3rd from one-year layoff in last, in the money 2 of prior 3 career starts, Pedroza/ Carava team, another like last with clean start could get the diploma here.

Value Play -- Colder Than A