Del Mar Racing Picks – Saturday, November 21, 2020

The Grade III Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Racing headlines the track’s nine-race card of maiden and claiming races for Saturday.

I review the Native Diver Stakes as well as two other maiden races here, but you can find all nine of Del Mar’s matches for Saturday at one of our recommended online racebooks.

Now, read on for my Del Mar Racing picks and betting tips for Saturday, November 21, 2020.

This is the Native Diver Stakes, a race for three-year-olds running a distance of 1-1/8 miles for a purse of $100,000.

The 4/5 morning line favorite is the same horse that won this stakes race in 2019 — Midcourt, ridden by Victor Espinoza (both for the 2019 victory and now).

This five-year-old gelding has moneyed 11 of his 14 career starts, winning five, the latest of which was the San Pasqual Stakes (Grade II) at Santa Anita in February 2020. Since that last win, he’s moneyed in three Grade I and one Grade II stakes races. How can I put this? Ah, yes: Midcourt is a professional horse.

The longest odds in this race are 8/1, so keep your show-money in your pocket.

This is a maiden special weight race for two-year-old fillies running a distance of 6-1/2 furlongs for a purse of $57,000.

I like the third-favored (4/1) entry in this race — Leia Marie, with Florent Geroux in the irons. This filly moneyed in two of her four career starts and has very respectable times in her recent workouts.

The longest odds in this race are 10/1, and I just don’t see that resulting in a happy ending, so save your money for later.

This is a maiden special weight race for three-year-olds and upward running a distance of 6-1/2 furlongs for a purse of $57,000.

My money is on the fourth-favored (5/1) entry in this race — Should Be Illegal, with Ricardo Gonzalez aboard. This three-year-old colt moneyed all four of his career starts, and while there are other top jockeys in this race, Gonzalez is riding the horse with the best chance of victory.

At 20/1, Flying Charlie, with Drayden Van Dyke in the irons, is a good value show bet. With no career starts on record, this three-year-old gelding nevertheless has shown good times at longer distances in his recent workouts, and even in this field, I believe he’ll see a paycheck.

Underdogs were Del Mar’s claim to fame for Saturday, but I found more of those plus some long-odds surprises at the other two tracks I reviewed: