By Alan Carasso
Flavien Prat is breathing down the neck of Drayden Van Dyke in the final two days of the meet at Del Mar, and in the form of River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), he'll have a very good chance to pull back whatever margin there might be on the penultimate day of the stand.
The bay colt has won five of his seven starts and finished second in another since switching to the care of Jeff Mullins, his lone off-the-board effort coming when he brushed the gate and got too far back in the May 5 GII American Turf S. at Churchill, a race that was run over testing ground. He exits a rallying 1 1/4-length defeat of Arawak (Uncle Mo) when giving that one four pounds in the GIII LaJolla H. Aug. 5, but races at level weights Sunday.
Andesh (Ire) (Medicean {GB}) steps into graded company for the first time in his career and merits a glance. A maiden winner at Dundalk and never out of the top three in five runs for trainer Mick Halford, the chestnut gave a very good account of himself in a first-level allowance over Sunday's trip, finishing well to finish fourth, not far from Majestic Eagle (Medaglia d'Oro) and Epical (Uncle Mo).
Richard Baltas won the 2016 Derby with the upset-minded Free Rose (Munnings) and will be represented here by the progressive Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The dark bay colt broke his maiden going this distance at Santa Anita May 11 and added a narrow allowance score going a mile June 1. He was a latest fourth to Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back) in the July 18 Oceanside S. in which he bobbled at the break and made good ground late. The stretchout to nine panels should suit.
East Coast form is represented by Ride A Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-brother to 2017 GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) who won Woodbine's Charlie Barley S. June 30 ahead of a solid third to Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the GII Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga Aug. 3.
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