Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 4-Charmz Away (Race 7)
Race #1: Selections: 1-6-5
1-So There She Was returns to Southern California off a second-place effort in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill on June 30 and drops back down to face straight Maiden Special Weight types today for Team O’Neill. The third career start is usually a juvenile’s best effort. 6-Showers is by multiple G1 winner Ghostzapper, who gets an ordinary 10% with his debuting 2-year-old prodigy. The filly hails from the Baffert barn off steady a.m. drills and lures Hernandez for today’s unveiling. This lucrative jockey-trainer combo has a pair of wins and three runner-up finishes this current meet with their first-time starters. 5-Power Connection (by Authentic) finished a good second in his Los Al debut to a well-meant Sadler firster A.Z. Wildcat and is eligible to move forward today in start number two.
Race #2: Selections: 4-8-6
Gulfstream invader 4-Mamba On Three adds blinkers today for his new barn and Southern California unveiling. This gelding has run some turf sprint figures in Florida that match up well against this group. He should be on or close to the lead in here. 8-My Summer Dream returns off a 10-month layoff for Mullins after back-to-back voided claims last fall. This barn has solid stats with their long absentee runners, and this 6-year-old gelding retains Hernandez today, who has had good success when teamed up with this 5-time winner. 6-Forgiving Spirit drops in class and shortens up in distance today for Team Miller off a troubled trip ninth and last back 0n May 27.
Race #3: Selections: 6-2-4
6-For All Mankind returns off a 16-month hiatus for trainer John Sadler after only one stateside grass start last April. The 6-year-old Into Mischief gelding has trained exceptionally well for today’s return to action and should handle dirt just fine based on his pedigree and solid :46.4 gate drill over the local strip on August 2. The speedy stakes-winning 2-Tranche shortens up from 6 ½ to five furlongs this afternoon and makes his second start off the nine-month layoff for conditioner Adam Kitchingman. He’ll be tough to reel in if able to shake free from Corso’s Pick. 4-Manitowish is back racing off an eight-month layoff with some sharp morning drills. This gelding has run some Beyer figures in the 90s last spring that would bury these.
Race #4: Selections: 5-7-1
5-Nesso’s Lastharrah goes two sprints to a route today for trainer Jeff Mullins and should establish the lead quite easily today in a race that’s come up light on frontrunners. The consistent 3-year-old colt has hit the board in eight of 10 career starts. Blinkers on 7-Cathal (Ire) should be positioned to get the first run on the top choice if that one comes back to the field. This 3-year-old colt exits a nice one-mile grass Maiden score on June 1 that’s produced a pair of next-out winners. Blinkers off 1-Rastaman Vibe moves inside today off a troubled trip third when checking off the heels of a rival at the five-eighths pole. He’ll likely get a favorable ground-saving journey today and will be motoring home late on the cutback.
Race #5: Selections: 1-4-2
The pricey $1.8 million filly 1-Nooni delivered as advertised for Team Baffert with a 9 ½-length blowout Maiden win on June 13 at Santa Anita. The daughter of Grade 1 winner Win Win Win has trained well since that sharp debut score and looks tough today, making her stakes unveiling for Zedan Racing. The Phil D’Amato-trained 4-Vodka With a Twist won the Debutante Stakes at Churchill on June 30 in only her third career start and has come back to fire some snappy a.m. drills since that win. She’ll likely give the top choice all she can handle. Baffert’s other filly, 2-Casalu, disposed of seven other rivals in an impressive 5 ½-length five-furlong Del Mar debut win on July 21. Hernandez sticks with Nooni.
Race #6: Selections: 3-8-1
3-Sea of Cortez (Ire) stretches back out for D’Amato off a $50k Maiden Claiming win on June 15 when returning off a 5-month freshening. That race has since produced three next-out winners and this 4-year-old gelding lands in a suspect allowance route on the class rise. A repeat is well within reach. Blinkers on 8-Nashoba’s Joy returns off the mini-freshening for conditioner Carla Gaines and should get a live race flow to close into. The 5-year-old gelding by Kitten’s Joy broke his maiden going this one-mile trip at Santa Anita. D’Amato’s second entrant is the lightly raced 1-Jack Kerouac, who moves back to the turf while making his third start of the form cycle.
Race #7: Selections: 4-2-5
4-Charmz Away makes the all-important third career start today exiting a beaten favorite troubled trip fourth in his most recent start on June 16. The colt was a good second in his May 26 Santa Anita debut with a solid (70) Beyer. 2-Winds of Freedom is by Standford, who gets a solid 18% with his juvenile debuting prodigy. This 2-year-old colt has trained sharply for Team O’Neill, but this jockey-trainer combo is a chilly 0 for 22 the past two years with first-time starters. 5-Hothead (by Grade 1 winner Bodexpress) has trained steadily for conditioner Mark Glatt. This jockey-trainer combo is 3 for 9 (33%) with a $3 ROI with dirt sprint starts at Del Mar.
Race #8: Selections: 2-5-1
The super talented 2-Anisette (GB) exits back-to-back Grade 1 wins and is 2 for 2 over the Del Mar turf course, having won the G1 Del Mar Oaks and G2 San Clemente last summer. She’s (6-3-0) from 10 career starts and manages to adjust to varied pace scenarios. The 4-year-old filly will be tough to overhaul at short odds. 5-Bellabel (Ire) has been plagued by layoff lines but has run well over this grass course, and it looks like she’ll try and bottom out this field for D’Amato. Her stablemate 1-Uncorked (Aus) finished well behind Anisette in the G1 Gamely in her most recent start on May 27 but was a decisive 5-1 mild upset winner of the G3 Royal Heroine two-back. She likes this 1 1/16 mile trip (5-2-2-1).
Race #9: Selections: 7-11-3
7-The Big Cheeseola lost all chance when stumbling and unseating his rider at the start on July 21 and now makes his first start off the Steve Knapp claim. The 4-year-old gelding might fall into a nice stalking trip today, shortening up to 5 ½ furlongs. 11-Goldensunrise returns off the two-month freshening for trainer Andy Mathis with plenty of early zip from today’s outside draw. The 4-year-old gelding drops in for a career-low claiming tag and ran well when last trying the Del Mar main track last September. 3-Pop d’Oro has finished third in back-to-back efforts at this level and gets in light again this afternoon with seven-pound bug Welfin Orantes taking over the riding assignment.
Race #10: Selections: 4-7-2
Dirt to turf 4-Blissterinthesun set swift fractions before tiring in her June 23 return race and should be much tighter in her second start off the bench for D’Amato. This daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Mitole will be tough to reel in, shortening up to five panels today. 7-Not A Sinner (GB) (8 for 9 ITM) exits four consecutive runner-up grass sprint finishes for trainer Simon Callaghan. She’ll break through one of these afternoons. 2-Above All Else shortens up for a new barn exiting two route grass tries at Churchill where she flashed early speed and tired. This Hard Spun filly might sit back and make one big run late.
