A solid $17 score closed the Thursday 4-play slate for us and carries positive mojo into Friday. An 8-race card awaits that alternates dirt-turf on the odd-even races throughout, but the only double-digit field size will be the finale. Multi-race bets come into play more with shorter fields and you’ll want to capitalize on any win pool overlays you might spot. Intra-race exotics lack the same value they offer many days.

Each day this summer at Del Mar, I’ll be handicapping the action with my top plays on the card – including full-card selections for a featured program each week (this week’s full-card will be Sunday – providing more focus away from Travers Saturday at Saratoga).

Del Mar: Race 4 | 6:34 pm ET
#4 Sand Bagger (5-2 morning line odds) gets the right pace set-up with questionable early speed types lining up to set the table for the new addition to the Peter Miller barn. Like the jockey move here to Hector Berrios. Both the trainer and the jockey are winning 20% with positive ROIs on grass at the meeting. His open-company $50,000 maiden claiming victory arguably is the best victory among this group of non-winners of 2 lifetime. Win 4. Daily Double 4-5. Picks 4-1-7

Del Mar: Race 5 | 7:06 pm ET
#5 Imnotvanillasky (12-1 morning line odds) was respectable over the track in 2 starts vs. tougher last summer and returns off an October layoff. Gets first-time Lasix and its notable that Mark Glatt’s barn has picked up steam, winning 3 of its last 11 after going 6-for-44 (14%) through August 20. Glatt and jockey Abel Lezcano are 10: 2-2-1 in tandem this season ($10, $19 winners) despite average odds of 11-1 on those runners. Win-place #5. Picks 5-1-4

Del Mar: Race 7 | 8:42 pm ET
#1 Speedy Wilson (3-1 morning line odds) has been a Del Mar horse-for-course (7: 3-1-1) as many of these Tough Sunday offspring are (38% wins, $2.35 ROI for every $1 bet in recent seasons). Rider switch from Ayuso to Rosario looks like go time for trainer Phil D’Amato off a decent try vs. similar and appreciative of the extra 110 yards in distance Friday. Win 1. Picks 1 over 6-5-3.