Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 7-City Lady (Race 7)
Race #1: Selections: 3-4-1
The D’Amato-trained 3-Broski (Ire) has had several close finishes without breaking through the maiden ranks, having hit the board in 8 of 9 career tries. The gelding arguably exits a career-best try (84 Beyer) when leading the entire one-mile trip and getting nailed on the wire. 4-Tempus Volat makes his first start in Southern California in the Leonard Powell barn off a mini-freshening after showing a pair of promising grass route tries at Fairgrounds and Keeneland. 1-Lorenzo Bernini goes dirt to turf on the stretch-out this afternoon, exiting an even fourth-place finish at long odds on June 14. This 3-year-old colt has plenty of grass pedigree on the dam side to suggest he will handle the surface switch and move forward in start number two.
Race #2: Selections: 7-5-12
Repole Stable’s 7-Self Sufficient returns as a first-time gelding off a 10-week break and takes a substantial class drop for McCarthy. He fired an eye-catching “best of 162” bullet four-furlong drill in :46.2 on July 19, and should sit a favorable stalking trip. 5-City of Angels returns off a year’s layoff for trainer Mike Puype but shortens up to a sprint this afternoon and projects to unleash a strong rally late into a projected spirited pace. 12-Captain Sparrow goes turf to dirt, making his second try off the bench for Glatt, and was a sharp maiden winner over this main track two-back. Improvement likely.
Race #3: Selections: 8-5-3
8-No Cap didn’t hit the board in her two previous grass sprint tries over this course last year, but has been super sharp at this level on dirt this season and exits a 7-1 game score on May 24. The 4-year-old daughter of Dad’s Caps sports the field’s best top late pace rating and should get the required swift pace to close into. 5-Mirinda is super-fast off the blocks and could prove tough to reel in late with a clean break, under the aggressive handling of Edwin Maldonado. 3-Summer Lake has been plagued by layoff lines for trainer Carla Gaines, but drops in for a career-low claiming tag off a steady and solid work tab and may appreciate the turnback to five furlongs.
Race #4: Selections: 2-3-1
5-Balboa is a $875,000 Keeneland purchase by Not This Time, who earns an above-average 18% with his debuting juvenile prodigy. The 2-year-old colt has trained smartly for Hernandez-Baffert and should come out running. Equally intimidating is his stablemate 8-Brant, a lofty $3 million purchase by Gun Runner. This pricey colt has trained swiftly in his morning drills and will be ridden by Flavien Prat. Another Baffert 2-year-old exacta is well within reach. 7-A. P. Again is by G1 winner Honor A.P., debuting for Team O’Neill. This jockey-trainer combo scored with firster Thirty Rebel opening weekend.
Race #5: Selections: 1-5-6
1-Dorie Miller goes second off the claim for trainer Leonard Powell and was a sharp runner-up, earning par for this level when last trying grass two-back. The 4-year-old Grazen filly has run well enough over the Del Mar grass course. 5-Blue Wildcat has hit the board in five consecutive grass sprint tries for trainer Isidro Tamayo and may appreciate shortening up to five panels. 6-Press Your Luck adds blinkers this afternoon, exiting a fast-closing second at 21-1 on June 13, where she earned a career-best Beyer.
Race #6: Selections: 5-2-8
5-Nothing Is Forever is certainly no slam dunk in a wide-open main track, optional $20k claimer, but she can be effective when catching the right race flow. She exits a wide trip fourth at Los Al, facing better on June 29, and can win from off the pace this afternoon for conditioner Andy Mathis. Class dropping 2-Issa Court has good positional speed and a favorable inside draw. The 5-time winning 7-year-old mare makes her third start of the form cycle this afternoon for trainer Bob Hess and is reunited with winning pilot, Umberto Rispoli. 8-I Had That One Too doesn’t win often, but consistently comes with her late run to pick up the underneath pieces. She returns to Southern California after racing in the Midwest for the past two seasons.
Race #7: Selections: 7-6-8
7-City Lady is by multiple Grade 1 winner City of Light, debuting for trainer Michael McCarthy. She arrives on the scene with a steady work tab and lures Prat. This jockey-trainer combo is 3 for 4 (75%) with a $9.35 ROI with debut runners on turf in Southern California the past three years. 6-Got the Ring holds the experience edge over several of these juvenile fillies lined up this afternoon for trainer Peter Miller. She ran decently enough in her May 30 debut, although a bit green and jumping the tracks a couple of times. She stretches out today and should find the additional real estate helpful, as Liam’s Map gets a respectable 14% with grass route starters. 8-Soaring Angel is one of two Tim Yakteen-trained fillies entered this afternoon. She’s by multiple G1 winner Knicks Go, and this barn has done well when using Kimura.
Race #8: Selections 2-3-5
The multiple Grade 3-winning 2-Nysos has never finished worse than first or second in five career tries for Baffert. The talented 4-year-old son of Nyquist exits a smashing 5 ½-length romp in the seven-furlong Triple Bend (G3) on May 31 when arriving back in Southern California and posted a lofty (108) Beyer when doing so. He should be able to stretch out to two turns successfully and has trained sharply since his last stake score. His stablemate, 3-Mirahmadi, is inconsistent, but can get brave when left alone on an uncontested lead and may get that scenario this afternoon. His last two tries against graded stakes competition have resulted in double-digit defeats, however. 5-Hall of Fame is an interesting newcomer for new conditioner Michael McCarthy. The graded stakes winner arrives from Churchill and the Asmussen barn, having posted multiple triple-digit Beyers in dirt routes and facing stiff competition.
Race #9: Selections 7-10-6
Trainer Michael McCarthy sends out two leading contenders in here. 7-Spicybug hasn’t been out since June of last year, but has proven effective off the bench and projects to receive a favorable stalking trip today. An encouraging sign that Rispoli lands her instead of Pushiness. One significant concern, however, is that this mare loses Lasix today and has clearly run better with the medication. The ultra-consistent 10-Pushiness has hit the board in seven straight and is a two-time stakes winner. She is a need-the-lead type who will be flying from the start with today’s outside draw and should prove tough to reel in late if left unopposed. The 4-year-old filly is reunited with Hernandez, who was aboard for her debut score. 6-Uncorked (Aus) shortens off the mini-freshening for D’Amato, has trained well, but might find this distance a tad too short. A winner of three of five career starts, 2-Imaboutago (Ire) returns off a seven-month layoff for trainer Leonard Powell, but was a sharp winner going five furlongs over this grass course two-back with a competitive Beyer. This barn, however, is 0-for-21 with turf sprinters the past four years at Del Mar.
Race #10: Selections 5-2-3
Grade 2 winning 5-World Record appears to be the speed of the speed in this year’s edition of the Bing Crosby for trainer Rodelphe Brisset. The 4-year-old son of Gun Runner has hit the board in eight of nine career tries and looks to rebound off a runner-up effort at Churchill on May 31 in the G3 Aristides. He makes his third start of the form cycle today and should be set for a strong performance. 2-Dr. Venkman exits with back-to-back sharp tries in the Grade 3 Kelly’s Landing and Triple Bend and is 3-for-4 at Del Mar. The 5-year-old 3-Hejazi has yet to earn black type on the resume, but returned off a five-month freshening with a strong effort for Baffert in a nice prep for this on June 13. He has finished second in a pair of Grade 1 tries, however, so this Bernardini son is certainly classy enough to handle this field.
Race #11: Selections 8-1-9
The Saturday nightcap is a wide-open N1x optional claiming grass route for 3-year-olds and up, and a good place to try a price play. 8-Big Bet Jafinsafa returns as a first-time gelding for trainer Carla Gaines off a spirited work tab and should get a very lively pace to close into. This barn is 3 for 16 (19%) (10 ITM finishes) with a $3.79 ROI the past five years with turf horses returning off >180 days at Del Mar. The French import 1-Suchet (Fr) makes his first stateside try for Sadler off a solid resume overseas. The gelding adds Lasix today, is nicely drawn inside, and trained well over the local sod with the dogs up on July 20. Recent maiden winner 9-A Day to Remember goes two sprints to a route today for Glatt and is bred to successfully handle today’s additional real estate. The gelding defeated three next-out winners on May 26 in that short field, including today’s rival, Cuban Confusion, from the D’Amato barn. The stakes-placed 2-Adios Cole ships back west off the five-month layoff and returns as a first-time gelding today. He’s worked well for trainer Sam Wilensky and lures Hernandez off the bench.
