Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Iron Man Cal (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 7-2-4
The 31-day Del Mar race meet kicks off with an ultra-competitive 10-race card on Friday. First post is 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The Sadler-trained 7-Ready to Pounce was a solid 3 ½-length winner going this one-mile trip over this strip last September with a (87) Beyer. The gelding defeated a trio of today’s returning rivals on June 7 with a solid runner-up effort. A beaten favorite in last, 2-Mongolian Max goes first off the claim for trainer Doug O’Neill, exiting an even third-place finish in a short field at Santa Anita on June 13. This barn is 3 for 10 (30%) with new acquisitions at DMR when using jockey Antonio Fresu. 4-Fireman Dan defeated the top choice in the aforementioned June 13 event and now goes first off the claim for conditioner Dean Pederson, who had a torrid meet here in 2022. A repeat win is well within reach. 9-Joint Venture has enough early zip to work out an OK trip from today’s outside post and lures Rispoli on the class plunge.
Race #2: Selections: 2-6-1
Blinkers on 2-Mr. Leasure lost all chance when stumbling badly at the start on June 6 and now moves back to turf for trainer Tim Yakteen. The 4-year-old gelding looks like the commanding speed. 6-Night Out had a perfect prep for this when returning from an eight-month layoff on June 7 and should be much tighter for his second try off the bench for D’Amato. 1-Blamethegoodtimes hasn’t hit the board in eight straight route turf tries but has consistently run above par for this class level.
Race #3: Selections: 2-6-1
2-Invincible goes turf to dirt off the Mullins claim, and while this gelding has done most of his running on grass, his last two main track sprint efforts were excellent. The son of Uncle Mo is projected to get a favorable stalking journey this afternoon. 6-Toughness has good speed for Team Baffert, exiting a pressing trip and fade, when facing tougher allowance foes on the grass. He was a voided claim two-back when crushing claimers by 4 ½-lengths with Hernandez aboard. The colt has fired off three straight solid drills since that last effort, including a second-best of 115 workers on July 13 when going four furlongs in sub :47. 1-Western Avenue was a solid winner when last trying dirt three back.
Race #4: Selections: 2-6-1
2-Betterdaysrcoming (Ire) has been freshened since a solid allowance score on May 16 over a pair of next-out winners and sports the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (94). Berrios is back for the return mount. 6-Anmer Hall returns off a year layoff for the Peter Eurton barn and has run exceptionally well over this grass course. These connections excel with turf sprinters, and winning pilot Fresu is back in the stirrups. His stablemate, 1-Vancougar, has not been out since September 2023 but makes his first start for the barn off a spirited work tab, and the gelding figures to come running late if the early pace collapses.
Race #5: Selections: 2-4-1
Baffert firster 2-Lannister is by Not This Time, who gets an above-average 17% with his 3-year-old & up debuting prodigy. The colt debuts with Lasix, lures Hernandez, and has shown the barn’s typical speedy a.m. drills. A pair of contenders who earned solid figures finishing close to each other in their May 10 debut include 4-Vasa and 1-Legal Heir. Vasa earned the slightly better Beyer (81) for conditioner Mark Glatt and gets a better post for his second career try. Legal Heir must negotiate the tricky rail draw but flashed some speed before tiring to fifth in an encouraging unveiling. The son of Nyquist has trained well in recent weeks, and this barn has solid stats with second-time starters.
Race #6: Selections: 1-4-2
A well-matched field of eleven geldings line up for this N2X optional $80k claiming turf route. A solid case could be made for most. 1-City Exile (GB) returns off the mini-freshening for D’Amato off a better-than-looks fifth (beaten less than two lengths) in the Grade 2 Charlie Whittingham on May 3. The 5-year-old gelding was a winner in his lone try over this grass course and fits well on speed figures. The speedy 4-Genius Jimmy exits back-to-back (91) turf Beyers for trainer Michael McCarthy with a win two-back and a near-miss in his most recent try on June 8. The gelding is a much better racehorse than he was when finishing fifth over this grass course back in 2022 and figures to be tough on the frontend over a course that can be speed-friendly. 2-Sarwar (Fr) may fall into a favorable pocket trip behind the early pace and is a three-time winner over this grass course. 5-Dandy Man Shines goes two sprints to a route for Mullins, is fresh, and is proven over this grass course.
Race #7: Selections: 5-8-2
5-Druliner rallied well to just miss the show spot after hopping at the start and missing the break in her June 14 debut. The daughter of Clubhouse Ride is eligible to move forward with that racing experience behind her, and this barn has solid stats with second-time starters. 8-Cara Rose is the most experienced filly in this field and moves back to the main track for career try number three after two sharp tries. She defeated a next-out winner in her May 2 debut. 2-Kiss Me Coco (by Stay Thirsty) debuts for the Koriner barn off a solid work tab, and these connections can score at first asking.
Race #8: Selections 3-5-7
3-Iron Man Cal was runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year when a fast-closing second at 29-1 and was a wide trip sixth in his first start of the year at Churchill in the bulky Grade 1 American Turf. The son of Collected should be much tighter for his second try off the bench, and four horses have already returned out of American Turf to win—Zulu Kingdom, Test Score, Golden Afternoon, and Megalodon. The multiple Grade 3-winning 5-Artislas returns off the mini-freshening for trainer Jeff Mullins and should get plenty of early pace to help utilize his strong late kick. The colt switches to Hernandez this afternoon and is likely to rebound off a disappointing try in the Cinema S. 7-Game Warrior adds blinkers back on after racing without them in his most recent try on June 13 and was third in the aforementioned Cinema two back. He’s another who should benefit from a livelier race flow.
Race #9: Selections 5-4-8
5-Minister Shane returns off an extended layoff for conditioner Carla Gaines but shows a solid work tab for his return to action and is proven off the bench. The 7-year-old gelding should get a spirited pace to close into for go-to pilot Antonio Fresu. The lightly raced 4-The G M is a logical fit off his recent runner-up finish at this level, off a six-month layoff for trainer Mike Puype. 8-Letmein has finished ITM in six of seven career tries for Glatt and is proven over this racetrack.
Race #10: Selections 3-2-6
3-Unbinding (GB) was off slow with a wide journey in her first stateside start for conditioner Mark Glatt on June 8 and is eligible to move forward off that try on the stretch out. She’s by multiple G2 winner Iffraaj. 2-Nafisa has finished second or third in seven of nine career tries for Team Baffert and shortens back up to a mile after a two-month freshening. She lands in another competitive MDSW grass heat but figures to get yet another favorable upfront pressing trip with Hernandez back for the return mount. 6-Lady Chic improved dramatically in her second start when moved to turf for Sadler when flashing good speed and coming up a head short. She stretches back out today for her second try off the eight-month layoff and switches to Rispoli, who replaces Hernandez, who sticks with Nafisa.
