Del Mar (Saturday-11/14/2026) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 3-Spanish Indy (Race 6)

Race #1: Selections: 2-3-5

The Ryan Hanson-trained 2-Eurydice is by Grade 1 winner Cistron, who is a strong 4-for-12 (33%) with firsters, and the juvenile filly lures Rosario at first asking. The Nov. 5 :59.1 gate drill over at Santa Anita was encouraging. 3-Not So Merry Mary removes the blinkers off back-to-back runner-up finishes for trainer Tim Yakteen and is a logical fit off that pair of efforts. 5-Princess Luna moves back to dirt with good gate speed, and two of her better efforts came over the main track sprinting to begin her career.

Race #2: Selections: 1-6-2

Back in Southern California, 1-Irish Corn has solid early zip to coincide with this afternoon’s rail draw, and this gelding is a multiple winner over this track and grass course. Runner-up in the last pair at five panels over the Del Mar lawn, 6-Harcyn has traded punches with Code Duello but has never been worse than first or second in four tries over this grass course and merits strong respect again today at the $25k claiming level. 2-Smart Code was forced to check out of a tight spot along the rail in last and never recovered, finishing a well-beaten eighth. Two back, the 6-year-old gelding won at this level over the Del Mar lawn with an (83) Beyer. A strong rebound candidate, reunited with Kimura.

Race #3: Selections: 1-3-5

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Desi Arnaz S. six times. He sends out a pair of fillies in this short field. 1-Holmby won the six-furlong Sorrento (G3) and followed up with placements in both the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Oak Leaf (G2) on Oct. 3. The daughter of Corniche is the filly to beat here, turning back to seven furlongs on the class drop. Her stablemate 3-Sea’s No Joke (by Practical Joke) exits a sharp gate-to-wire maiden win on Oct. 24 and still offers plenty of upside. 5-Mo Chuisle is a pricey $825 daughter of Omaha Beach who won as advertised on debut for Michael McCarthy, but her Beyer came up a tad on the light side.

Race #4: Selections: 3-5-4

A voided claim in last when flashing speed and tiring, 3-Battle School turns back to sprinting today for Knapp, where he’s done his best work, including a good second two-back behind next-out repeat winner Desert Kat. One of several exiting the Oct. 23 sprint, 5-Amador stumbled badly at the break, recovered, and then made a strong middle move into contention before faltering and tiring badly in the stretch drive. A solid rebound candidate for Mullins with a clean getaway. 4-Hankering was a well-beaten third last time (behind Crucible) in the aforementioned Oct. 23 event, but goes first off the claim today for a barn with above-average stats with new acquisitions, and Hernandez hops aboard.

Race #5: Selections: 2-6-4

2-Dream Seeker had little excuse when he finished a dull seventh and last in his most recent turf route try on Oct. 3, but returns as a first-time gelding today for McCarthy. A much-improved five-furlong main-track drill on Nov. 6 indicates the Girvin juvenile may revert to the better form he showed in his first two grass starts. Hernandez sticks. 6-Will Do One has not tried turf but has plenty of grass pedigree, top and bottom, to suggest he’ll handle the surface change for trainer Gary Mandella and also had a snappy :58.3 main-track drill over the local dirt in preparation for this. 4-Special Performer (by Oscar Performance) debuts for Mullins and Rosario off steady but uninspiring a.m. drills, but respect connections in a tricky Maiden Special Weight turf route to kick off the pick six.

Race #6: Selections: 3-6-7

3-Spanish Indy goes turf to dirt in start number two after flashing speed and tiring on debut against far better Maiden Special Weight-caliber foes. By Straight Fire (20% dirt sprints), this juvenile filly should prove tough to reel in last with the class drop and surface change. 6-Fiery Tiger showed good early zip on debut before tiring and settling for the show spot in in last. Trainer Brian Koriner is 5-for-15 (33%) with a $2.73 ROI with second-time dirt starters at Del Mar in the past four years. Some steady but uninspiring a.m. drills 7-Roan Star debuts for the Mullins barn, which is 3-for-12 (25%) with a $3.33 ROI with maiden claiming firsters sprinting on dirt in the past four years. On the flip side, she’s by Grazen, who is only 11-for-176 (6%) with juvenile-debuting prodigy.

Race #7: Selections: 1-4-5

1-Trump Era has speed and the rail but has finished underneath in most of his lifetime tries, evidenced by his 8-1-5-0 career mark. The 3-year-old colt goes first off the Simon Callaghan claim today and switches to J.J. Hernandez for the return to the Del Mar sod. Perhaps the new barn and rider change can keep him together today. 4-Rostovsky is another gelding with far more underneath finishes than wins (15-1-4-5), but is expected to make his customary late run for Glatt, and his most recent (81) turf Beyer certainly matches up well. 5-Flamboyant was unhurried from the rail when facing several of these back on Oct. 17, content to trail, then made a belated wide rally from the far outside to pass some tired rivals late and galloped out well enough. The gray gelding switches back to Rosario for his second crack against winners.

Race #8: Selections: 2-5-7

A popular commodity in the claiming box the last several months, 2-Supernal now goes out for owner/trainer Ryan Hanson off a recent runner-up try on Oct. 18. This barn is only 2-for-29 with new acquisitions in the past four years, but this gelding has been a consistent performer at this level and fits again with Rosario. The 9-year-old gelding  A gate scratch in last 5-Big Vengeance took 12 starts to break through the maiden ranks but did so in a big way when switched back to dirt on Sept. 5, drawing off to a 4 ½-length upset win at 32-1. A repeat of that sharp effort gives him a strong chance today back at the same 6 ½-furlong trip. 7-Mr. Machupicchu goes second off the Knapp claim, exiting a disappointing fifth and last behind Supernal in last. A sharp winner two-back at Los Al, this gelding could bounce back for a barn that’s 15-for-76 (20%) with second off the claim, runners sprinting on dirt the past five years.

Race #9: Selections: 1-2-3

1-Royal Rumor has been inconsistent for trainer Carla Gaines but exits one of his better efforts on the Santa Anita lawn on Oct. 16, finishing a bang-up second. The 4-year-old gelding figures to be hustled along from the rail for position by Maldonado and is a logical win threat again in career try number eight. 2-Soul Force grinded away on the outside behind the top choice in the aforementioned Oct. 16 event before finding his best stride with about 20-30 yards to the finish, and galloped out decently for trainer Leonard Powell. The Mo Forza gelding is on the improve and makes the all-important third start today. 3-The Max Factor goes two sprints to a route for Glatt, exiting a troubled trip fifth on Oct. 10. Jockey Umberto Rispoli takes over the riding assignment today and is 8-for-36 (22%) overall riding turf route runners for this barn.