Collins: And away they go!

Let the sexy summer racing begin.Del Mar opens its doors today on a 7-week meeting offering some of the best thoroughbred racing in the country and they will be off at Saratoga for 36 days next week.Big fields, big purses, turf racing and the most regally bred 2-year-olds in the world will take center stage until September on each coast.Today’s 10-race card at Del Mar features the $100,000 Oceanside stake for 3-year-olds going one mile on the turf.The Oceanside is the second leg of Del Mar’s late pick-4, so let’s invest $54 and try to play the season at Del Mar and Saratoga on them.The first leg of the pick-4, the seventh on the card is for California breds going one mile on Del Mar’s synthetic surface.J P Jammer (No. 7) is 1-1 at Del Mar breaking his maiden over the surface last August while earning a solid 80 Beyer Speed Figure. Brushburn (No. 9) has a win in two career starts at Del Mar.Acclamation (No. 3), listed at 15-1 in the Daily Racing Form morning line, ran a solid third in his return to the races at Hollywood July 2 going one mile on the turf against similar foes despite being away slowly. The son of Unusual Heat may be forgotten in the wagering and could start off a very profitable pick-4.Meteore (No. 9) appears to be a solid favorite in the Oceanside, garnering a pair of wins and a pair of third-place finishes in five lifetime turf starts. The son of Pulpit has won back-to-back races on the lawn breaking his maiden two back and then winning an entry level allowance June 11 at Hollywood.Mark S the Cooler (No.6) ventured east for trainer Doug O’Neill and was soundly defeated by Battle of Hastings in the Grade-II Colonial Turf Cup. Battle of Hastings just returned to win the Virginia Derby last weekend and could be one of the top turf horses in the country.In the third leg of the pick-4 we will use a trio of horses ? Wickednwackyingrid (No. 7), Dona Amelia (No. 8) and Jen’s New Chapter (No. 10).Wickednwackyingrid finished third last out against slightly lesser and was claimed by trainer Ted West, who is hitting at better than 50 percent with horses first after the claim.Dona Amelia drops slightly today and has three second-place finishes in four lifetime starts over the Del Mar surface. The 7-year-old mare drops a bit today and could be right there at the wire.Jen’s New Chapter steps up a bit after beating a group of 16 claimers last out, but appears to be the one who benefits most if the expected hot pace develops.In the nightcap, a route for maiden claimers, we are forced to use three horses for coverage.Prophetise (No.5) drops from maiden special weight company to the claiming ranks for trainer Bob Hess, who wins with 38 percent of his horses making that all-important drop.Saintly Spirit (No. 9) has found the softest field of her life today and while still a maiden, she has hit the board in four of her seven lifetime starts against better.Sure Tiz (No. 12) has not shown much in a pair of lifetime starts finishing seventh in her debut and fifth in her latest start but is another making the big drop from maiden special to maiden claimers. Her trainer, Patrick Gallagher, wins with 21 percent of his horses making this drop.The $54 pick-4 ticket: 3,7,9/6,9/7,8,10/5,9,12