Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 6-Just as Fancy (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 3-5-1
Turf to dirt 3-Mission Beach goes second off the claim for trainer Leonard Powell and is the class of this short field. The 3-year-old Curlin gelding has run well over this Del Mar main track and is 2 for 2 at six furlongs. 5-Haywood steps up in class off a strong 6 ¾-length blowout gate-to-wire victory at Santa Anita for Team O’Neill. Class-dropping 1-Where’s the Loot has good early speed to coincide with today’s rail draw and figures to be aggressively sent from the gate by Kimura.
Race #2: Selections: 4-5-1
4-Practical Dazzle adds blinkers this afternoon after flashing good early speed before tiring late and going longer when facing both Naturally Blonde and Play My Speed on Oct. 12. Perhaps the equipment chance and turnback to five furlongs puts her in the winner’s circle. The aforementioned 5-Naturally Blonde exits back-to-back runner-up finishes for conditioner Carla Gaines against this caliber of fillies and is a logical threat, making her third try of the form cycle. 1-Bessie Coleman shortens back up to a sprint today after showing speed and fading late when trying two turns for the first time in her most recent start.
Race #3: Selections: 2-5-1
A winner of two of his last three starts, 2-Shot of Courage returns to Del Mar this afternoon, where he was a decisive main track victor two and three-back for trainer George Papaprodromou. The Hard Spun gelding takes a solid class drop from N3L allowance ranks into a $20k claimer and should be tough to beat at short odds. 5-Lone Scout returns to dirt, where he registered his long-awaited second career win two-back over this strip. The 6-year-old gelding only makes his third start of 2024 and is eligible to bounce back in this spot. 1-Eight Clap goes two sprints to a route, and someone needs to finish third in this N3L $20,000 claiming dirt route.
Race #4: Selections: 2-6-3
2-Smiling Molly ships down from Northern California off an eight-week freshening for conditioner Wayne Baker and draws inside with good gate speed. The 5-year-old mare has run well over the Del Mar turf course in the past and has trained well for this turf sprint, including a “best of 39” four-furlong main track gate drill in 47 flat on Oct. 27. 6-Proof She Zips ran well to finish a wide third off a six-month break for trainer Michael McCarthy on Oct. 11 and should be much tighter in her second start off the bench. She’s never tried the Del Mar turf, but it is a must-use running back at this reduced class level. 3-Dorie Miller finished a game second in front of Proof She Zips at 14-1 in the aforementioned Oct. 11 event.
Race #5: Selections: 6-2-1
6-Just as Fancy stumbled shortly after the start in her Oct. 6 debut for conditioner Michael McCarthy before regrouping and finishing an even fifth. This daughter of G1 winner Volatile draws a cozy spot outside today, and this barn is a solid 5 for 20 (25%) with a positive $2.31 ROI with second-time dirt sprint starters at Santa Anita in the past four years. 2-Alanis steps back up to face Maiden Special Weight types after a much-improved runner-up finish for Miller in career start number two. 1-Look Forward is by multiple G1 winner Bolt d’Oro, who gets a solid 16% with his debuting juvenile prodigy. This 2-year-old filly has trained swiftly in her a.m. drills, but this barn is a chilly 0 for 19 with debut runners.
Race #6: Selections: 2-6-1
Beaten favorite 2-Gem Mine adds blinkers for today’s stretch-out in her second start off the mini-freshening and looks primed for a big effort this afternoon for conditioner Richard Baltas. She’s a solid gate-to-wire threat. The lightly raced 6-Rashmi ships in from Woodbine for trainer Jonathan Thomas off two solid turf route efforts. She sports the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (76), off her most recent second-place finish on Oct. 5. That “key” race has since produced three next-out winners. 1-She’s Splendid steps up in class off a good second in her first two-turn turf start in Southern California on Oct. 13. She makes the third try of the form cycle today and is eligible for another forward move.
Race #7: Selections: 1-4-5
1-California Tiger finished a good second off the 10-week mini-freshening on Oct. 18 and now goes first off the claim fort conditioner George Papaprodromou. This barn is 10 for 35 (29%) with dirt sprint new acquisitions in the past four years, and this gelding is proven over this racetrack. The 9 for 30 7-year-old gelding 4-Cajun Brother steps up in class off a sharp 2 ½-length win on Oct. 11 over Worth Looking and a pair of next-out winners. The gritty gelding loves the Del Mar main track and figures to sit a favorable upfront pressing trip. A multiple winner over the track and distance, 5-Joe Don Looney holds the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (81) off his recent runner-up try against returning rivals.
Race #8: Selections 1-2-8
1-Ashley is a 9-time starting Maiden for trainer John Shirreffs, who sports a double turf Beyer advantage based on her two most recent runner-up finishes on Sept. 6 and Oct. 6. The 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief breaks from the rail with top turf pilot and is the horse to beat in the Friday nightcap. 2-Girvin Gal makes the all-important third career start for trainer Eoin Harty and has run decently in both grass sprint tries. 8-Glamora (Ire) makes her second stateside start off a 5 ½-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato. She finished a troubled trip third when last seen back on May 27 when stymied behind traffic late and recently returned to the work tab mid-October.
