The 7th Annual LRF Cares Horseplayer Contest runs today (7/18) — a $250 Pick & Pray on HorsePlayers.com over all of Del Mar’s races, awarding one 2027 NHC seat for every 40 entries (two guaranteed), with every dollar going to Thoroughbred aftercare.
The more players in, the more seats are awarded and the more raised for retired racehorses!! Click here to participate:
https://horseplayers.com/contest/2335342
Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 6-Koekkoek (GB) (Race 11)
Race #1: Selections: 3-5-6
3-Comedy Town slashes his claiming tag in half, exiting a beaten tepid favorite fourth on June 6 for the Papaprodromou barn. This veteran 8-year-old gelding has run well in both of his limited starts at Del Mar and figures to be on or close to the lead this afternoon with Rosario. The 6-for-19 5-Otto the Conqueror is an interesting shipper from Churchill and Oaklawn for a new barn. He also gets some class relief, moves back to dirt, and has speed figures that match up well. 6-Special Club goes turf-to-dirt for conditioner Craig Lewis and rallied well for the place spot in his most recent turf sprint try at Santa Anita. He’s been just as effective over the main track.
Race #2: Selections: 10-6-9
10-Ms Grainger Danger is by Grade 1-winner Pavel, who gets a solid 19% with his juvenile-debuting prodigy. This filly has shown some speedy drills over at San Luis Rey for trainer George Papaprodromou, and Rispoli has a high percentage when riding for this outfit. 6-Thirsty Caitlin is the most experienced juvenile filly in the field, with three career starts, and has shown ability in each try. The daughter of Stay Thirsty has flashed good speed in each outing, only to come up short. A logical fit again, despite having Beyers that have come up on the light side. 9-Take Revenge (by Clubhouse Ride) has trained steadily for today’s unveiling, luring Hernandez. This barn is only 4-for-66 (6%) with firsters the past five years, however.
Race #3: Selections: 3-5-7
The D’Amato-trained 3-Ellen Jorth returns after a year layoff and is back on her preferred surface after being outrun in the Fleet Treat S. when last seen last July. Her first two grass tries were sharp, and this barn can get them ready off the bench. This conditioner is 8-for-32 (25%) with a lofty $3.66 ROI, with turf sprinters at Del Mar returning off >180 days in the past five years. The speedy 5-Fancy Facts was a maiden winner over this grass course last August and looks quick enough to clear this field with an alert break. The Mike Puype-trained 4-year-old makes his second start off the bench after flashing speed and tiring badly in his last start against better on June 15, but is likely to improve today. The lightly raced 7-Zip Me Up was a solid short-priced maiden winner last time, with a competitive Beyer, and looks well-placed for her first crack at winners for Carla Gaines.
Race #4: Selections: 5-6-9
Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair of debuting juvenile fillies. 5-Holmby is by freshman multiple Grade-winning sire Corniche, who is 3-for-11 (27%) with firsters according to DRF Formulator stats. This filly has trained with purpose in the a.m. and gets the barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, for this afternoon’s unveiling. 6-Janie Not Jeanie was no match for race winner Pickitupthatsgood on debut but was able to secure the place spot in a solid debut on June 11, and is a logical threat with any normal second-out progression. The other Baffert filly, 9-Quattro Passi (by Girvin), has also shown ability in her morning drills. Girvin gets an above-average 19% with his juvenile firsters, and Hall of Famer Mike Smith gets the call.
Race #5: Selections: 4-6-8
4-Kid Dynasty steps up in class off a career-best (79) Beyer and 5 1/2-length romp on June 19. The 4-year-old goes first off the claim for conditioner Jorge Farias, who has solid stats with new acquisitions. He’s the speed of this field, and a repeat is well within reach. 6-Ya’ll Come has been a popular commodity in the claiming box and exits a troubled trip fourth when last seen back on May 25, a race that’s since produced a pair of next-out winners. Trainer Victor Garcia has strong stats with new claims overall, but is 0-for-5 at Del Mar. 8-B Grayson was overmatched in his last, but drops to a more realistic level today on the turnback, and was a sharp winner at Santa Anita two back.
Race #6: Selections: 9-5-7
There’s an $80,363 Pick Six Carryover that begins here. 9-Net Par finished third in a well-bet June 14 debut when breaking a step slow, rushing into contention between horses, and then finishing up well late to just miss the place spot. The juvenile colt by win-early sire Pavel switches to Hernandez for career try number two and should prove a handful with any normal second-out improvement. The Charlie Treece-trained 5-Fumo Grigio ran a decent hard-trying third two weeks ago on debut at Los Alamitos at 17-1 and adds blinkers for start number two. Of the new shooters, 7-Golden Club might offer the most appeal for trainer Craig Lewis. The juvenile colt by Clubhouse Ride has trained solidly at Santa Anita for today’s unveiling but this barn is only 1 for 25 (65) with debut runners at Del Mar the past five years.
Race #7: Selections: 4-6-1
A competitive optional $50k claiming grass route kicks off the $3 Turf Pick 3. A multiple winner over this turf course, 4-Packs a Wahlop looks like today’s likely frontrunner with Rosario and is a serious gate-to-wire threat for Sadler. Four solid five-furlong synthetic drills at Santa Anita since that last effort add to the appeal. 6-Centrodelantero was a sharp turf winner in his lone try over the Del Mar grass course last fall and takes a sizable class drop today for trainer Jeff Mullins. He’s worked three times since that last subpar wide trip seventh-place finish on June 7. 1-Mr. Leasure finished a game third when just missing on June 5, and now goes first off the Knapp claim. This gelded son of Distorted Humor has run well over this turf course and should trip out nicely from the fence.
Race #8: Selections: 2-5-6
2-Mirahmadi returns off nearly a year-long layoff for Team Baffert off a solid a.m. work tab and looks like the speed of this year’s Garde 2 San Diego Handicap. The 5-year-old son of Into Mischief is still looking for his first graded stakes score, but he has had several close-up finishes against top-class foes, and he may prove tough to reel in late with Hernandez. The multiple Grade 1 winner 5-Journalism has been somewhat disappointing since his Haskell (G1) win last summer, but in his defense, he’s faced the likes of Forever Young, White Abarrio and Sovereignty while posting triple-digit Beyers in nine of his last ten starts. A winner of over $4.5 million, he’s the class of this field and likely a single on most pick-six tickets. The 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner, 6-Full Serrano, is training as if he may be back to top form after three consecutive flat efforts for Sadler. Some of his best efforts have come at Del Mar, and he should get first run on Mirahmadi.
Race #9: Selections: 9-1-3
Of the four rivals returning from the June 6 Honeymoon S., 9-Lookin At Diamond may have run best with a wide trip for most of the one-mile journey, while still showing strong closing gear to grab the show spot. The improving filly switches to Rispoli this afternoon and could post the mild upset for trainer Leonard Powell with the right trip. Kentucky Invader 1-Raiding Party (Ire) has run well in all three career turf route tries for trainer Brendan Walsh, improving Beyer-wise in each subsequent start. The daughter of G1 winner Sioux Nation moves inside this afternoon and should be able to save a ton of ground before unleashing her giant late kick. 3-Ground Support has good positional speed and ships back to Southern California after finishing an even fifth at Churchill in the June 27 Tepin S. The daughter of Army Mule was third in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and should be much tighter this afternoon, second off the bench.
Race #10: Selections: 4-3-1
4-Magnify has hit the board in six of seven lifetime tries and has run some of the swiftest Beyer figures in this field. The 5-year-old son of Justify has run well in both Del Mar starts and should sit a favorable stalking journey this afternoon. The son of Not This Time 3-Faran ran to his lofty $3.4 million price tag when securing a win on debut as the odds-on choice for Baffert on June 27. He adds Lasix today, stretches out to a mile, and takes the next logical step up the class ladder. 1-Vitruvian Man drops out of the Belmont (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) into this softer spot today for Team O’Neill and has the field’s best late-pace figure in a field projected to have a spirited early-race flow. He removes the blinkers today and gets Lasix.
Race #11: Selections: 6-4-3
Trainer Phil D’Amato sends out a pair of 3-year-old geldings in the Saturday nightcap. 6-Koekkoek (GB) is likely to clear this field on the stretch out, second off the bench, and has run well in two of his three Stateside tries. He’s by multiple Group 1 winner Pinatubo (Ire) and switches to Hernandez this afternoon. His stablemate 4-Yep (GB) makes his U.S. unveiling today, having run well over in France on turf and synthetic, and gets Lasix. The Simon Callaghan-trained 3-Conquer We Must (Ire) rallied nicely for the place spot at 22-1 on debut back on April 18, despite a sluggish beginning, and today’s stretch-out to a mile should be within his wheelhouse.
