Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Jack Fish (Race 7)
Race #1: Selections: 7-3-4
7-Hypergamy is a daughter of American Pharoah, who has trained well for Team O’Neill and is nicely drawn outside. Jockey Juan Hernandez takes the call, and she’s likely to come out running. 3-South Bay is by multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, who gets a solid 17% with his debut prodigy and 15% with grass sprint starters. The Yakteen-trained juvenile filly has worked well for today’s unveiling, attracts Berrios, but this barn is only 2 for 32 the past five years with turf firsters. 4-Miss Donna (by Rushie), fired an eye-catching four-furlong gate drill in sub :47 on July 25.
Race #2: Selections: 1-5-3
1-Veracruz was claimed out of his May 23 debut by trainer John Sadler and now switches to dirt for start number two. The 5-year-old maiden has trained sharply over the main track since his unveiling, including a pair of five-furlong bullet drills on July 7 and 21. Berrios takes over the riding assignment. 5-Charlie Foxtrot returns off the mini-freshening as a first-time gelding for Glatt, and has run some of the fastest dirt Beyers in the field. 3-Beneficial has not been out in nearly 600 days for conditioner Tim Yakteen. The gelded son of Malibu Moon adds Lasix today, removes the blinkers, and drops in for a first-time tag. He showed strong early zip in both main track sprint efforts before hitting the sidelines.
Race #3: Selections: 7-2-1
The Sadler-trained 7-Packs a Wahlop’s latest effort on the main track in the Gold Cup (G2) is a complete toss, but he returns to his preferred grass surface today. The 5-year-old gelding was a solid runner-up in the 1 ¼-mile Grade 2 Charlie Whittingham two-back and figures to be on or close to the lead this afternoon with Demuro. 2-Lahaina Flavor steps up in class off a sharp 14-1 upset on June 7, where he posted the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (94). This gelding makes his third start of the form cycle today for conditioner Paddy Gallagher and could potentially move forward again with Hernandez retaining the mount. 1-Dicey Mo Chara (GB) is wheeled back on short rest, exiting a non-threatening fifth in the Grade 2 Eddie Read on July 27. The 7-year-old gelding gets substantial class relief today but is winless since December 2022.
Race #4: Selections: 3-6-9
3-Perfect Smile was a much improved second with the addition of blinkers in career start number two after running into the temporary rail and unseating his jockey on debut. The daughter of Mitole makes the all-important third start this afternoon for trainer Peter Miller and looks best of this suspect group of $20k maiden claiming fillies. 6-Pocket Venus gives away valuable racing experience to several others in here, but has trained sharply in his a.m. drills for conditioner Mark Glatt. He’s by Grade 1 winner Spun to Run, who is only 3 for 73 (4%) overall with debuting prodigy, however. 9-Ponytail Pete has flashed speed and tired in both career main track sprint tries but meets softer this afternoon as one of two gals from the Papaprodromou barn.
Race #5: Selections: 6-3-5
The multiple stakes-placed 6-Guy Named Joe gets some substantial class relief today, making his second start off the bench for trainer Doug O’Neill. The (80) Beyer he posted in his most recent seventh-place finish is not only par for this level, but also quicker than the rest of this field. Recent runner-up 3-Hawker stretches out of the June 14 claim for trainer George Papaprodromou, who is a solid 8 for 34 (24%) with a $2.62 ROI with newly acquired turf starters the past four years. The late closing 5-Spearfish moves back to turf and drops in for a career-low claiming tag while making his third start off the bench.
Race #6: Selections: 6-8-3
6-Misstrial is by multiple Grade 1 winner Constitution, who gets a respectable 15% with his 2-year-old first-time starters. The Baffert filly has looked sharp in her a.m. drills and gets barn’s go-to pilot Hernandez in the stirrups. 8-Golden Two Step debuts for Team O’Neill off a spirited work tab. This juvenile filly is by multiple Grade 1 winner Goldencents, who was a blowout maiden winner on debut over this racetrack. Don Alberto Stable’s 3-Umbralle is a $250k daughter of Into Mischief going out for conditioner John Sadler, who has solid debut stats.
Race #7: Selections: 4-7-3
4-Jack Fish sprinted clear and looked home free before getting leg weary late in his runner-up July 6 Los Al unveiling for trainer Peter Miller and now switches to turf for career try number two. The 3-year-old gelding is by Bodexpress, who has a strong (10-2-1-1) mark with grass sprinters. Jockey Juan Hernandez takes over today for a barn that is off to a fast start. The Richard Baltas-trained 7-Little Raymond (by Sir Prancealot) debuts with Lasix and has trained swiftly over at San Luis Rey for today’s unveiling. This barn is a strong 4 for 16 (25%) with a $4.71 ROI with grass sprint debut runners at Del Mar the past five years. 3-Tiger Smiling (by Smiling Tiger) debuts for trainer Brian Koriner, who is a solid 3 for 13 (23%) with a $2.52 ROI with turf sprint firsters at Del Mar the past five years.
Race #8: Selections 1-2-6
The $725K OBS purchase 1-Southern Gentleman was a strong winner on debut (98 Beyer) for Baffert on May 10 over a pair of next-out winners, including stablemate Sierra Silver, who came back to fire a winning (95) Beyer. This Mitole 3-year-old looks tough right back facing winners. 2-Grubauer is untested over the Del Mar strip but sports an impressive (5-2-2) mark from nine career tries for conditioner Tim McCanna with a handful of swift main track Beyer figures. 6-Wayne the Brain has not been out in 11 months for Glatt, but broke his maiden over this course last August and has trained sharply for today’s return to action. The 4-year-old returns as a first-time gelding this afternoon and gets Kimura, who has two wins and a second on this barn’s last three layoff runners.
Race #9: Selections 2-9-5
2-Aligato has not been out in nearly seven months for trainer Mark Glatt, but is proven off the bench and should get a live race flow to help utilize his late kick. The veteran 8-year-old gelding by Kitten’s Joy sports the field’s top late pace figure and could post the minor upset with the right setup. He will need to be at his best today, however, to defeat 9-Kings River Knight, who has finished first or second in 17 of 19 career tries for Sadler. The multiple stakes winner has proven to be equally effective on dirt and turf and will be tough to overhaul if able to run back to that (94) winning Beyer from two-back in the Crystal Water S. Blinkers off 5-Mr. Disrespectful has been first or second in his last five starts, including a runner-up to Kings River Knight in the Bertrando S. at Los Al on June 21.
Race #10: Selections 1-7-4
Grade 2 Santa Margarita victress 1-Seismic Beauty has never been off the board in six career starts for Baffert and exits back-to-back wins by a combined 15 lengths. The daughter of Uncle Mo is already proven going two turns, and figures to be sent along aggressively by Hernandez from the rail. The multiple Grade 1-winning filly 7-Kopion had her three-race win streak snapped in the Grade 2 Great Lady M at Los Al on July 5 by Sweet Azteca, but should rebound this afternoon in a big way for trainer Richard Mandella. The daughter of Omaha Beach has posted some of the fastest Beyers in the field and will look to stretch out around two turns again today. This could be the one chink in her armor, however, as she finished a well-beaten fourth in her lone try going this 1 1/16-mile trip in the G2 Santa Anita Oaks. Baffert’s other filly, 4-Nothing Like You, returns off an 11-month layoff today but has likely matured substantially over the past year and would be no surprise if she fired a huge effort off the bench.
Race #11: Selections 12-6-13
Recent maiden winner 12-Miles Finch stretches back out for Sadler for his first crack against winners. The son of Vronsky has hit the board in all five lifetime starts and still has room for further improvement. 6-Prince Dolce has not been out in over eight months for conditioner Carla Gaines but has been training well for this afternoon’s return to action, including firing a sharp main track four furlongs in :47 flat on July 27. This barn can fire fresh. 13-Brazenly is stuck on the AE’s and needs a scratch to get into the body of this race, but has the strongest late pace figure in the field and projects to get a live race flow to close into moving back to turf. He’s hit the board in seven consecutive races.
