Bring The Heat Is Hot Horse

It’s a typical Monday card at Del Mar. Maiden races make up half of the eight-race card, but at least there is an interesting stakes for 3-year-old California-breds. The 5-2 morning line favorite is Bring The Heat, a son of In Excess who has won both of his starts for Wesley Ward, who trains the colt for a partnership. A 5-1 shot in his debut, he won by 2 1/2 lengths over next-out winner General Store, then came back and won by the same margin in his first against winners. It was thought he would be a one-dimensional type who would quit if he didn’t make the lead, but Bring The Heat showed he could sit off a horse in his second victory. He was outrun by Crescendo, the race favorite, but sailed past that one and went on to the easy victory. A $300,000 purchase last year, Bring The Heat will try an extra furlong in the Real Good Deal and again be ridden by Mike Smith. His main opposition figures to come from Swordfish, who should benefit from his last start after a layoff of nearly six months, Speedy Pick, who will race with blinkers for the first time for trainer Marty Jones, and Waingarth, who seems better than his recent would indicate for trainer John Sadler.

Race of the day: The first is one of the four maiden races on the program, and while it features a group of slow 2-year-old maidens, it does bring together Beermeathebit, The Buggy Whip and Let’s Go To Dano’s. What do those three young horses have in common? Well, they are all named after local eating and drinking establishments and all began their careers with trainer Dave La Croix, who has a history of having horses named to plug such places. La Croix still trains Beermeathebit and Let’s Go To Dano’s and neither distinguished themselves in their respective debuts. The former finished eighth of nine while the latter was sixth of eight. The Buggy Whip has been third and seventh in his first two races and will drop to his lowest level yet as he makes his first start for trainer John Dolan, who claimed the Henbane gelding for $40,000 on May 23.

Who’s hot: Bobby Frankel. The Hall of Fame trainer always seems to sizzle this time of the year. He won two races Friday and another on Saturday with longshot Marine in the La Jolla Handicap. He has a chance to add another stakes victory today with You, a 2-year-old he purchased privately for owner Ed Gann, in the $150,000 Adirondack at Saratoga.

Who’s not: Trippi. Once one of the top young sprinters in the country, the 4-year-old has fallen on hard times for trainer Todd Pletcher. He lost his fifth in a row as the heavy favorite in a soft allowance spot at Saratoga on Saturday.

Exotically speaking: A pick four singling Irish Slew in the fifth, using Glorious Linda, Lookn Mighty Fine and Gamblingisavirtue in the sixth, Bring The Heat, Swordfish, Speedy Pick and Waingarth in the seventh and singling Chin Gone in the eighth.