Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
The 87th summer season of Del Mar kicks off Friday afternoon with a first post at 2:00 p.m. PT and 5:00 p.m. ET. New to the betting options this season is the $3 All-Turf Pick 3.
The traditional $2 wager will be offered on the last six offerings on each race card, and the ever-popular $3 late pick three is also available daily with a low, bettor-friendly 15% takeout.
BEST BET: 4-Detain (Ire) (Race 6)
Race #1: Selections: 7-5-6
The George Papaprodromou-trained 7-Hard to Figure scampered away to an impressive 5 ½-length gate-to-wire score on June 6, earning a field-best (86) last-out main-track Beyer, and should prove dangerous for the repeat with a similar effort. 5-Cowboy Mike stretches back out, second off the Miyadi claim, for a barn that’s 3-for-9 (33%) with a $2.78 ROI with this claiming angle at Del Mar on dirt the past five years. The 5-time winning 6-year-old gelding drops in for a career-low claiming tag and has run par or better for this class level on multiple occasions. 6-Keep Movin’ On likely needed his last try off a 13-month hiatus for Glatt, finishing a wide even fifth at Los Al, but adds blinkers today and can move forward.
Race #2: Selections: 2-1-3
2-Red Cherry defeated a pair of today’s returning rivals with her recent runner-up effort on May 15, registering a solid (80) grass Beyer over this afternoon’s one-mile trip. The filly draws well again today and figures to be aggressively handled by Rosario in a field that appears short of early zip. 1-Peppermint Dash was a fast-closing impressive 14-1 upset winner on debut April 4, over three next-out winners, and is bred to handle today’s stretch-out (Twirling Candy; 16% grass routes). The sophomore filly draws the advantageous rail this afternoon for Baltas and has plenty of room for further improvement. The stakes-placed 3-Victorious Dream (Ire) returns off the mini-freshening off a maiden-breaking win on May 10 for McCarthy and has trained well in the interim, including a “best of 32” bullet in :58.4 on July 2.
Race #3: Selections: 1-6-4
1-Charlie’s Clock is by Grade 1-winning freshman sire Drain the Clock, who has a pair of juvenile debut winners from nine starts. The 2-year-old colt ships into Southern California off a beaten, double-digit third on debut at Churchill, but is likely to move forward in this spot. The Miller barn is 19-for-46 (22%) with second-time dirt sprint starters at Del Mar over the past five years and gets the 2025 meet-leading pilot Juan Hernandez in the saddle. Team O’Neill’s 6-Billy Goat is one of two juvenile colts with previous racing experience, having shown good positional speed on debut on June 12 before tiring to finish a well-beaten fifth and last. This barn has solid stats with second-time starters, and improvement is likely for the son of win-early sire Vekoma. 4-Lost Angeles (by Jimmy Creed) debuts for the McCarthy barn off a steady but uninspiring worktab, but lures Rispoli at first asking.
Race #4: Selections: 4-3-1
4-Donic through in a clunker when a well-beaten fifth as the betting choice on June 11 at Santa Anita, but is eligible to bounce back today for Hernandez and Mullins while shortening up to five furlongs and making the third start of the current form cycle. The speedy 3-Alphabetical Order is a Los Alamitos shipper that has never tried turf but has been consistent as they come, finishing first or second in 14 consecutive races for conditioner Jesus Uranga. The 6-year-old gelding is quick enough to clear this field and may prove tough to reel in late with an alert break. The 8-time winner 1-Code Duello was pulled up and walked off the course after suffering some type of mishap while breaking from the same rail spot on June 11 for trainer Craig Dollase. The veteran 8-year-old gelding’s grass sprint efforts two and three back were solid; however, he could easily rebound this afternoon.
Race #5: Selections: 6-3-4
The John Sadler-trained 6-Rosa’s Miracle is by freshman sire and multiple Grade 1 winner Corniche, who is 3-for-10 (30%) with debuting juveniles according to DRF Formulator sire stats. She’s trained smartly over at Santa Anita for this afternoon’s unveiling and lured Rosario at first asking. This lucrative jockey-trainer combo teamed up for nine wins at Santa Anita this past May and June. Blinkers on 3-Tijuana Money makes her debut in the Peter Miller barn, finishing back-to-back seconds to start her career this spring at Turf Paradise. The daughter of multiple Grade 1-winning Dads Caps makes the all-important third career start and should be a good fit against this field of lightly raced juvenile fillies. 4-Looks Like N Angel is by multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie, who gets a respectable 15% with juvenile-debuting prodigy, and this filly has trained sharply in the a.m. for conditioner Peter Eurton.
Race #6: Selections: 4-7-8
The $3 All-Turf Pick 3 starts here. 4-Detain (Ire) is one of several contenders returning from the June 7 allowance turf route, where he finished a solid closing third in what can be considered a strong first start in the States. The multiple Group-placed runner in Europe should be much tighter this afternoon for McCarthy, making his second try off the nine-month layoff. 7-Charlie’s to Blame finished ahead of the top choice in the aforementioned June 7 event, flashing good speed at 22-1 before surrendering to second and earning a career-best turf Beyer (92). The 4-year-old son of Blame broke his maiden over this grass course and figures for another upfront-pressing journey. Runner-up in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby last fall, 8-Maaz (Fr) returns off an eight-month layoff for trainer Michael McCarthy, off a steady work tab at San Luis Rey, and fits well here if ready to roll off the bench with Rispoli.
Race #7: Selections: 2-3-1
Churchill shipper 2-Circuit Breaker moves back to dirt after breaking a step slow and being outrun when overmatched in the last, but looks to have found a cozier spot for his Southern California unveiling for the Hess barn. Hernandez climbing aboard indicates his readiness as a ship-in-and-win candidate. First off the Papaprodromou claim 3-Hondo Crouch likes this Del Mar course (7-1-1-4) and has finished underneath in several of his most recent main-track tries. Back to his preferred course for a barn that has solid stats with new acquisitions gives him a solid chance this afternoon. 1-Fomo Joe has never tried dirt but takes a sizable class plunge this afternoon on the turnback and figures to leave from the rail for position, with Maldonado signed on.
Race #8: Selections: 4-6-8-12
This year’s edition of the Oceanside S. is ultra-competitive, with many different directions one could potentially go. The multiple stakes-placed 4-Proletariat returned impressively for his 3-year-old season with a sharp allowance score on May 15 off a seven-month break for trainer Jeff Mullins, earning a field’s best (92) Beyer. He loses Lasix this afternoon, but is a serious win candidate if able to replicate that effort, stretching back out. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up 6-Mr. A. P. (by American Pharoah) makes his turf debut in her 2026 seasonal return for conditioner Vladimir Cerin off an impressive juvenile stand. He has plenty of turf pedigree on both sides, suggesting he’ll relish grass and figures to come out running with Rosario off the bench. The other Mullins runner, 8-Charlie’s Curlin, has won two of his last three one-mile turf tries and will look to rebound this afternoon after finishing behind both Bust Out and Iriseach in the short-field Cinema S. on May 17. 12-Later Than Planned (Ire) is one of two multiple stakes winners on turf in the field but is undoubtedly hindered by today’s tough outside draw for Berrios. D’Amato has won this event three times, but two of his contenders draw poorly.
Race #9: Selections: 4-2-1
First and second in four of five lifetime tries, 4-Matt At Five goes turf-to-dirt on the turnback today for the Miller barn and has already proven he’s just as effective on the main track. A sharp bullet five-furlong gate drill over at San Luis Rey on July 10 adds to the appeal, as does the addition of Rosario. 2-Curlin Command (by the unraced Curlin to Mischief) has never tried dirt but has plenty of main-track pedigree to suggest he’ll handle the surface switch and has run well in most of his grass-sprint efforts. The 4-year-old gelding adds blinkers today and is projected to fall into a favorable stalking trip with Hernandez. 1-Rodrigoknows is winless since January 2024, but sports the field’s best last-pace figure in a race that appears (at least on paper) to be top-heavy with speed types and should improve, making his second start off an 11-month layoff.
Race #10: Selections: 9-4-2
A full field of maiden fillies routing on turf closes out the opening day of 31 live race dates for the 2026 summer Del Mar meet, and it’s far from an easy race to navigate. 9-Ulysses Rose (Ire) drops back into the Maiden Special Weight ranks for McCarthy after back-to-back minor-stakes tries. She gets Lasix back on today, shortens back up to a mile, and can improve with Hernandez retaining the mount. The late-closing 4-Pentle Bay has found her niche routing on turf. She rallied from far back to grab the place spot from a tricky post on May 30, returning from a seven-month layoff, and figures to move forward off that encouraging try. The caveat is that the daughter of Uncle Mo will need an adequate pace to run into. 2-Golden Hope flashed good speed before tiring late to finish second, which was a solid try for the Cerin barn. The 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist makes the all-important third start of the form cycle today and retains Jaramillo.
