If high-end LIVE MONEY Contests are your forte, and you’re visiting or close to DEL MAR this Saturday & Sunday, July 25-26, don’t forget the ON-TRACK BETTING CHALLENGE!!$250K in TOTAL PRIZES.
FULL DETAILS on how to enter, register, and the other contest format/specifics are available here:
https://www.dmtc.com/calendar/detail/del-mar-betting-challenge
Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 10-Ventry Strand (Race 7)
Race #1: Selections: 7-1-6
7-Kinzlee’scharisma makes career try number eight this afternoon, but she is a logical fit if able to replicate the (71) Beyer she earned when returning to dirt on June 19. The drop from MDSW to maiden claiming today should prove key. 1-My Girl Mia showed much-improved early zip with the class relief in start number two and now has had six months to recharge for Team O’Neill, who has kicked it into high gear, starting with four wins last Sunday afternoon. This 3-year-old daughter of Unified has trained exceptionally well in the interim. Midwest Invader 6-Smokin Hot Stuff drops another notch for new conditioner George Papaprodromou and has trained well since arriving in Southern California. This lucrative jockey-trainer combo clicks close to 30%.
Race #2: Selections: 2-6-5
Blinkers on 2-Bako Country goes turf to dirt while taking a sizable class plunge from Maiden Special Weight to today’s $16k maiden claiming for trainer Blaine Wright. The 4-year-old gelding by Union Rags (14% dirt sprints) figures to show more speed today with the equipment change and recent three-furlong blowout in :35.2 on July 17. The Ryan Hanson-trained 6-Treximo just missed by a nose when dueling on the lead on June 12, when back off a three-month freshening at this level. The (67) Beyer earned that afternoon is tops in this field, and a pair of runners have returned to win from that event. Beaten by double digits at Indy and Ellis, 5-Tacos and Tequila ships in from the Midwest for top conditioner Brian Lynch on the class plunge and is eligible to improve with the venue change, going second time Lasix.
Race #3: Selections: 3-1-4
Two sprints to a route, 3-Certitude figures to make the lead this afternoon for Rosario and Sadler, exiting a third-place finish in the Mizdirection S. back in mid-May. Back-to-back bullet five-furlong drills on turf and synthetic prove the ultra-consistent 5-time winner could prove tough to reel in late. 1-May Day Ready drops out of seven consecutive graded stakes into this softer spot today for Mandella off a two-month freshening and figures to work out a good trip with the rail draw. 4-Public Assembly returns off a 14-month layoff for the D’Amato barn in this softer spot after battling graded-stakes types all last year. The 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready has fired fresh in the past at this racetrack and lures Rispoli off the bench.
Race #4: Selections: 2-7-6
Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair of well-bred juvenile colts in this 5 ½-furlong main track sprint dash. 2-Domus is a son of Uncle Mo who has trained swiftly in his a.m. drills, including a “best of 107” bullet four furlongs in :47 flat on June 28 at Santa Anita and a similar timed drill at Del Mar on July 18. The barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, lands here after riding stablemate Zedan Racing’s 7-Nayar on debut June 12. The latter is an $850k OBS purchase by Tiz the Law, who lost at odds of 20 cents to a dollar at first asking when running into buzzsaw gate-to-wire winner Kennyten. The juvenile colt figures to be a handful with that race experience under his belt. The Gary Mandella-trained 6-Will Do One is by multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, who gets a solid 15% with his juvenile-debuting prodigy. The colt looks to have excellent gate speed based on some snappy morning drills and gets Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the saddle.
Race #5: Selections: 5-8-1
Two sprints to a route, 5-Steak Fries has hit the board in four of five lifetime starts for trainer Craig Lewis and has finished second in both starts off an extended break. The Sir Prancealot colt has the pedigree to suggest one mile is in his wheelhouse as far as distance limitations, and picks up Rosario for his third try of the form cycle. 8-Chromeflash put it all together with a solid allowance score over the Santa Anita downhill layout on June 15, earning a career-best (90) turf Beyer over next-out winner Frank Bullitt. Today’s stretch out and the fact that he’s never strung wins together in the past might make him somewhat vulnerable, however. 1-King of Dragons goes second off the claim after stepping up and running a non-threatening sixth at Santa Anita back on May 29. The gelding can improve today, facing softer and returning to a turf course he’s run well over in two of three tries.
Race #6: Selections: 4-7-9
4-Prety Cecy finished a much-improved second on the class drop to this level on July 3 at Los Alamitos and now shortens back up to a sprint today over a track she broke his maiden at sprinting back in 2024. This barn sent out a winner last Saturday. The Jeff Bonde-trained 7-Shady Stripes broke through in a big way in start number seven with an 8 ½-length maiden romp on June 14 with a career-best (69) Beyer and looks well-placed for her first start against winners. Route to sprint 9-A Fleet Ride returns off the mini-freshening after being claimed for $10k back on May 22 for a barn that has solid stats with new acquisitions. The Clubhouse Ride 4-year-old is a threat from off the pace today if she can settle early on and make a big run late.
Race #7: Selections: 10-3-9
10-Ventry Strand, facing older, should run down this group from off the pace with Rispoli, back off a two-month mini-freshening, after a close-up third in the May 23 Snow Chief S. The Bolt d’Oro sophomore was a maiden-breaking sprint turf winner on debut over this course last September and should get the right pace scenario with Lasix back on. 3-Allequin Summer rallied for the sharp 2 ½-length turf score at this one-mile trip on June 7 for trainer Paula Capestro and figures to get a similar stalking journey this afternoon. 9-Double Jab has never gone this far for conditioner Andy Mathis, but exits back-to-back sharp turf sprint tries with competitive Beyers for this level, and has enough speed to secure position with this afternoon’s outside draw. The 6-year-old gelding likes this grass course, as evidenced by his 5-1-3-0 mark.
Race #8: Selections: 7-9-3
If the projected TimeformUS swift early race flow comes to fruition, things could set up nicely for returnee 7-Indispensable, who is back off a seven-month freshening for the Sadler barn. A multiple winner over the track and distance, the 5-year-old lands in a softer spot, shortening up to his preferred mile trip and gets Rosario. His stablemate, 9-Midway Lane, has won two straight, including posting a lifetime best Beyer (95) on June 5 when stepping up to face winners, and the gelded son of Quality Road has seen his speed figures increase with each subsequent try. Plagued by layoff lines, the lightly raced 3-March of Time returned off an extended break to win for the Baffert barn on June 28 and has never run off the board in four career tries while going favorite in all his lifetime starts. The 5-year-old son of Justify stretches out to two turns for the first time today and should relish the additional real estate, given his pedigree.
Race #9: Selections: 6-4-2
A competitive stakes grass turf sprint stake to kick off the $3 late Pick Three. 6-Amorita shortens up from 6 ½ furlongs to five panels this afternoon for the Mandella barn off a three-month freshening and looks ready to fire big off the mini-break. The 4-year-old filly blasted a “best of 95” four furlongs in :46.3 over the main track July 17 in preparation for this. A multiple winner over the Del Mar lawn, 4-Tahini is a logical fit off her recent runner-up effort on June 14, where she earned a solid (89) turf Beyer. Rispoli replaces Fresu, who lands on our top choice. The speedy 2-Bit’s Tiger Magic returns off a six-month layoff for Team Miller and has run well in both local appearances over this grass course. The 5-year-old Smiling Tiger mare figures to be hustled along from the get-go by Hernandez and take these as far as she can on the front end.
Race #10: Selections: 6-1-5
The multiple Grade 3-winning 6-Cornucopian exits a career-best Beyer (103) for trainer Bob Baffert with his recent victory in the Aristides at Churchill back on May 30, and has trained well in the interim at Churchill before shipping west. The Into Mischief colt figures to run big in his first try at Del Mar. Baffert has won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby three times. The lightly raced 1-Maximum Bourbon ships in for the D’Amato barn off back-to-back triple-digit Beyers earned over at Churchill and Fairgrounds. A 5 ¾-length blowout win in the Matthews Overnight S. in sub-1:09 makes this gelding a serious win threat, facing graded-stakes competition for the first time. His stablemate, 5-Stronghold, has won two straight to start his 2026 campaign and was a solid runner-up in the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien (G2) last August over this main track. Another forward move might be forthcoming for this son of Ghostzapper, making the third try of the current form cycle.
Race #11: Selections: 3-2-10
A multiple winner overseas, 3-Lady In Paris (GB) landed on the wrong side of the head bob in a solid U.S. unveiling off an eight-month layoff for conditioner Phil D’Amato back on May 25. The 4-year-old filly figures to move forward off that effort, returning off the mini-freshening. Overmatched in the last. 2-Kikuride goes two sprints to a route this afternoon for trainer Craig Lewis and drops into a more realistic spot on the stretch out. The 4-year-old daughter of Clubhouse Ride has run well in both turf tries at Del Mar and is reunited with winning jockey Juan Hernandez. 10-Take Another Card has hit the board in nine of 11 career starts for conditioner Simon Callaghan and exits three consecutive runner-up efforts. The 4-year-old filly is hindered by a tricky outside post, but figures to make her traditional late run with Rispoli to at least grab a piece of the trifecta.
