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Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 5-Jetovator (Race 9)

Race #1: Selections: 9-4-7

9-Counterbalance is one of two juvenile fillies trained by Michael McCarthy in the Friday afternoon opener. This daughter of multiple G1-winning grass sprinter Caravaggio shortens up to five furlongs this afternoon for career try number three, and she has trained well in recent weeks, including a “best of 66” bullet in :47.1 on Nov. 8. The filly gets a cozy outside draw and retains Kimura. The red-hot Sadler barn sends out firsters, 4-Eva Lea and Velvet Lilly. Eva is the pick of the pair. She’s by G1 winner Gift Box, has trained sharply in the a.m., and lures jockey Hector Berrios. This lucrative jockey-trainer combo is 4-for-8 (50%) with a $4.45 ROI the past two years with turf sprint debut runners. 7-Velvet Dream (by Vekoma) finished a much-improved second when switched to turf in start number two, but has not been seen in six months since that improved effort.

Race #2: Selections: 6-4-1

The veteran 8-year-old gelding 6-Northern Quest is a 16-time winner and finished a wide sixth in his Del Mar debut three weeks ago. He drops from $14k claimers to today’s bottom level and may have found the right group to still be competitive. 4-Sydney Street (GB) was far behind the race winner in last, but should be helped by the additional sixteenth of a mile this afternoon while making only his second start on dirt. 1-Contrary Chieftain was beaten by double digits in the last pair but takes a huge class drop this afternoon, and has run back Beyers that would lay over this group. It’s hard to say whether the 6-year-old gelding is still capable of running back to those figures, however.

Race #3: Selections: 9-3-5

9-Lady Chic finished an even fifth as the tepid choice when facing several of these on Oct. 13 and switches back to Hernandez this afternoon, who was aboard for her best second-place finish to date back in June. The 3-year-old Tapit filly moves outside this afternoon and should fall into a better stalking trip. 3-Robin With a Why shortens up from 6 ½ furlongs to five today off a six-month freshening and will likely be sent along on the front end by jockey Edwin Maldonado. She is a gate-to-wire threat if left alone to carve out reasonable early splits. 5-Heads in Beds (Fr) shortens back up to five furlongs today, and her best effort (70 Beyer) came over this strip at this distance for D’Amato—three back.

Race #4: Selections: 6-5-1

6-Sexy Blue makes career start number 12 today, having hit the board in five of those starts for her low-profile connections. The sophomore filly was way overmatched in the last, but drops back into a weak MDSW event and should prove tough to overhaul with an alert break. 5-All in the Game lost all realistic chance when breaking sluggishly in her May 25 turf sprint debut and now tries dirt off the freshening for trainer Craig Lewis. Her sire, Grazen, gets a solid 20% with dirt sprint starters, so improvement is likely with Hernandez staying aboard. 1-Sally’s Wish goes turf to dirt, exiting a much-improved effort on Nov. 7 when flashing speed and tiring to finish third. The daughter of Vronsky (17% dirt sprints) has trained well over the Santa Anita synthetic track and should handle dirt just fine.

Race #5: Selections: 8-3-4

The improving 8-Arrakis moves up in class off a sharp win on Oct 12 for trainer Phil D’Amato, sports the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (93), and should be rallying strongly through the lane. A winner of three of six tries, 3-Flyover steps up in class off a game win on Nov. 2, going this five-furlong trip, and retains Hernandez. 4-Regal Patriot is a 9-time winner and multiple victor over this track and distance. This ultra-consistent 5-year-old gelding has hit the board in seven straight grass sprint tries, registering four wins during that stretch. The Knapp-trained gelding beat the top choice two back.

Race #6: Selections: 5-4-1

Class dropping 5-Won for Lou makes his first dirt start for Team O’Neill and should find the class relief and surface switch to his liking. The juvenile colt is by Bucchero, who gets an above-average 19% with dirt sprint starters, and this colt has trained swiftly over the Del Mar main track in the a.m. His stablemate 4-A. P. Again, is also getting some class relief today and moves back to dirt. This colt had an excusable effort two back at this level, as the beaten favorite, after breaking slowly and racing wide thereafter. The 8-year-old gelding Turf to dirt and first-time gelding 1-Sendit Mo drops out of the Speakeasy S. back into the maiden ranks this afternoon for trainer Peter Miller and is likely to be sent along aggressively from the rail.

Race #7: Selections: 7-4-8

7-Truly Quality won this event last year for trainer Jonathan Thomas and enters this year’s edition fresh with only two starts in 2025. The 5-year-old gelding removes the blinkers today and finished a close-up fourth (beaten a half-length) when last seen in the G2 Del Mar H. back in late August. 4-Nineeleventurbo was third in this event last year, and figures to be perhaps closer to the early pace this afternoon on the stretch-out after a series of tries in Kentucky. The 8-year-old gelding has hit the board in all his Del Mar turf starts, 1-1-2 from four tries. The multiple G3-winning 8-Balnikhov (Ire) surely got a confidence booster on the class drop and sharp win on Nov. 2 over this turf course when storming home late, and is a solid repeat candidate if able to move forward off that encouraging effort. The hard-hitting gelding closes in on $2 million career earnings.

Race #8: Selections: 2-6-1

2-Chief Resident is by G1 winner Basin and debuts for conditioner Mark Glatt off a steady work tab. This juvenile gelding meets a weak field for his unveiling, and this barn is a strong 3 for 6 (50%) with a lofty $6.77 ROI with maiden claiming firsters the past four years. 6-Wave With Envy has hit the board in all four tries at this level to start his career for trainer Jorge Periban and makes his second start off the bench today. The juvenile gelding followed up his most recent effort with a bullet four-furlong drill on Nov. 21. 1-Matts Advisor ships in from Emerald Downs off the mini-freshening, having hit the board in all three-career dirt sprint starts to date. It is hard to gauge where he fits with his Southern California rivals, but the (49) Beyer he earned two-back makes it appear this could be the right spot.

Race #9: Selections: 5-7-4

The speedy 5-Jetovator shortens up to five panels this afternoon, exiting a sharp second, facing similar, on Oct. 10. The veteran 9-year-old gelding does not meet much other early zip in the Friday nightcap and should be able to clear these and run away late for Fresu and Eurton. Blinkers off 7-McGregor Lake hasn’t been out a year for trainer Doug O’Neil, but has trained well enough for today’s return to action and picks up the red-hot Demuro, who is 4 for 9 (44%) with a $11.76 ROI when riding for this conditioner this past three months. 4-Glorious Life is back at Del Mar and shortens up to his preferred five-furlong trip for conditioner Carla Gaines. The Vronsky gelding was a maiden winner over this strip to start his 2025 campaign and followed up that effort with a game third against winners.