First post Friday at Del Mar is 4 p.m., with a “blister in the sun” afterward. Violent Femmes are the post-race concert headliner. “Let me go on …”

Race 1 – Jerry Hollendorfer is 21-1-3-6; he is 0-for-5 with favorites (all in the money). The funk won’t last. Mis Viola (5) drops from a fast MSW won by Spectator, expected to be among the favorites next weekend in the G2 Sorrento. Mis Viola (5) worked well since her debut, and is a favorite this handicapper will not try to beat. Trainer stats can be misleading; this might be one of those examples.

Race 2 – Closers are not winning dirt routes this meet; only two of nine dirt routes won from the back. The profile benefits front-runner/pace-presser El Super (1), the favorite.

Race 3 – Stormy Rocit (3) “should” win this $40k claiming turf sprint as the favorite, although turf-sprint favorites are only 8-for-52 the past three summers and 0-for-2 this meet. Statistics are fun. But a handicapper also must be realistic. Stormy Rocit is fast, ran well on the course, and is trained by Peter Miller.

Race 4 – Zuzu’s Petals (6) is not a favorite this handicapper is interested in singling. She is the one to beat (three-time winner Cal-bred N1X/optional claiming), but off-the-pace runners have not won their fair share this meet.

Finally, a horse on which to make a serious wager …

Race 6 – Edwards Going Left (4) is 4-1 to win the Real Good Deal Stakes. His last start was better than it looks (off slow, zoomed wide, lost ground, won anyway). He has been pointed specifically to this race. At 7-2 or higher, dive in.

Race 7 – Oregon (2) is no slam dunk in race 7, nor is the program favorite Fritz Johansen (7). This N1X turf route is kind of a scramble, and second preference Trifecta (3) might be worth backing at 6-1. He exits a productive race; his numbers are good.

First post Friday is 4 p.m. “Let me go on, black eyed blister in the sun …”