Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 6-Here on Business (Race 8)
Race #1: Selections: 6-2-5
Indy shipper 6-Elusive Con returns as a first-time gelding on the drop into maiden claimers and turnback in distance for trainer Christopher David. The Charlatan 3-year-old looks well-spotted for his Southern California unveiling. A troubled trip fifth at Ellis last August, 2-Howie’s Law returns off an 11-month freshening for Team O’Neill, off a spirited work tab that includes a “best of 38” four-furlong bullet drill in :46.1 on July 8. Lasix on. The lone 4-year-old 5-Pharoah’s Candy (by American Pharoah) debuts for trainer Jeff Bonde with Lasix off some snappy a.m. drills, which include a trio of five-furlong bullets. The colt looks well-meant.
Race #2: Selections: 5-7-8
The Doug O’Neill-trained 5-Phone Booth is by Grade 1-winning Pavel, who gets a solid 19% with his juvenile-debuting prodigy. The juvenile colt has trained steadily for today’s initial try for Reddam Racing and lures Rispoli. 7-Scam Alert is one of three juveniles entered here with prior racing experience. The Mo Forza gelding took a step backward in career try number two after an encouraging runner-up finish on debut, and may have simply disliked the rail draw. He moves outside this afternoon and should improve. 8-Little King by freshman sire One Bad Boy is one of several 2-year-olds in the Papaprodromou barn ready to go this summer meet at Del Mar. The colt is nicely drawn outside and has been working over at San Luis Rey in preparation for this.
Race #3: Selections: 2-6-1
The multiple stakes-winning 2-Flyover is 6-for-11 lifetime for trainer John Sadler and has won two straight in gate-to-wire fashion. The 5-year-old has proven to be just as effective sprinting as up to a mile while also showing an affinity for this turf course. He figures on another forward trip. The veteran 8-year-old 6-Motorious (GB) is a multiple graded-stakes winner for D’Amato, who is back for another season. The gelding loves this grass course, evidenced by his 6-4-1-0 mark, and is training like he’s ready to rumble off the seven-month layoff. 1-Nesso’s Lastharrah lost all chance when stumbling badly at the break on June 13, but is eligible to bounce back today over a course he’s had prior success at. The 5-year-old followed up that latest mishap with a solid bullet five furlongs on July 9.
Race #4: Selections: 7-3-4
The Team O’Neill-trained 7-Che (Ire) was a 4-5 beaten favorite runner-up when dropped in for a first-time tag on June 20 at Los Al, making his initial start over dirt. The Galileo gelding was well clear of the third-place finisher in that heat and is the horse to beat based on the field’s best Beyer (64). 3-Dane the Great goes two sprints to a route today and has every right to move forward with the stretch out being by Richard’s Kid. The Mike Puype-trained gelding drops from $50k maiden claimers to $16k this afternoon while making the all-important third start of the form cycle. The Craig Lewis-trained 4-Kiki Ride is the likely frontrunner but has had several close-up finishes and chances, and makes career try number 12 this afternoon. The gelded son of Clubhouse Ride drops again, but was outrun badly in his two Del Mar tries last fall.
Race #5: Selections: 1-2-3
1-Sammy Davis got off to a fast start last summer, winning both sprint main-track starts to begin his career, but has been winless since for the Sadler barn. The 3-year-old gelding returns to turf this afternoon after a disappointing, tiring sixth as the even-money chalk in the April 4 Echo Eddie S. Rosario climbs aboard, and he’s a solid rebound candidate stretching out on grass for the first time from a cozy inside draw. 2-Savage Warden is one of two going out for the D’Amato barn. This gelding has run well in both grass-route tries this campaign since arriving from Gulfstream, with a win off the layoff, followed by a good starter allowance second. He’s a logical fit off that career-best (87) turf Beyer. 3-Tiz All That has improved Beyer-wise with each subsequent start and exits a strong, troubled trip, finishing a fast-closing second at 36-1 when last seen on June 14. His breeding and running style suggest that today’s stretch-out to a mile should be right within his wheelhouse and that last-out grass Beyer (88) is the field’s best.
Race #6: Selections: 6-10-1
6-Harbor Code goes turf to dirt while slashing his claiming tag in half for trainer Carla Gaines, making the third start of the current form cycle. A 4 ½-length maiden winner over this course last summer, the 4-year-old gelded son of Desert Code looks well-spotted for a strong try here with Kimura back for the return ride. 10-Beneficial has been sidelined since being claimed last October for Mullins, after scampering to a 4 ¾-length maiden claiming victory. He’s worked steadily for today’s return try, and this barn is 4-for-14 (29%) with a $2.53 Roi with dirt runners returning off >180 days. Second off the claim, 1-Next Trick ran an even fourth on June 19 for the new barn, but is eligible to move forward off that effort, returning to Del Mar, where he’s run well in the past. The 5-year-old gelding is reunited with winning pilot Jaramillo this afternoon.
Race #7: Selections: 1-6-3
1-Proof He Goes goes dirt to turf after flashing good debut speed on June 6 before tiring to fourth for his low-profile connections. The 3-year-old gelding is by Grade 1 winner Idiot Proof, who gets a strong 22% with grass sprinters, and he figures to take these as far as he can with an alert break from the rail and shortening up to five furlongs. 6-Sirnami has run a pair of turf sprints that match up well here, including a runner-up over this grass course on debut last fall. The Sir Prancealot gelding has trained steadily off the four-month freshening and lures Rosario off the bench. 3-Mendezlebank debuts for conditioner Luis Mendez off minimal but snappy a.m. drills. The barn is only 2-for-29 (7%) with firsters at Del Mar over the past five years, but his sire Straight Fire is an impressive 33% with 3-year-old-and-up debut runners and 20% with grass sprinters.
Race #8: Selections: 6-2-5
The ever-growing popular low-takeout late $3 Pick 3 starts here. 6-Here on Business did not have an alert break when well-backed on debut May 22 for conditioner Dean Pederson when finishing fifth, but has trained sharply since then, including a “best of 95” bullet five furlongs in :59 flat on July 6. He’s been gelded since and should improve immensely in start number two for a barn that has solid second-time starter stats. 2-Gabriel’s Gift debuts for trainer Richard Baltas off a series of solid a.m. works at San Luis Rey. He’s by Straight Fire, who is an impressive 6-for-18 (33%) with his 3-year-old & up debuting prodigy according to DRF Formulator. Rosario on adds to the appeal. 5-Cornealeusthegreat is the most experienced sophomore maiden in the field with six career tries, and exits a troubled trip third at Los Al on June 26. The Grazen gelding rallied for the place spot over this course last fall.
Race #9: Selections: 5-2-4-7
The Grade 1-winning 5-King of Gosford(GB) is a standout class-wise in this edition of the Wickerr S. and exits a recent third in the Shoemaker (G1), a race he won last year. The 5-year-old has run well over the DMR turf course, makes his third start of the current form cycle, and should sit a midpack trip before motoring home late. The multiple Grade 2 winner 2-Atitlan returns for his 2026 campaign after an 11-month hiatus for trainer Richard Mandella. He sports some of the swiftest grass Beyer speed figures in the field and has trained like he’s ready to fire off the bench. 4-Artislas rallied gamely for the show spot in the Siren Lure S. when returning off a nine-month layoff for Mullins. The 4-year-old should be much tighter today, second off the bench, and should appreciate stretching back out to a mile. 7-Captain Choochies saw his six-race win streak halted when stepping up to face stakes competition when last seen back in mid-April. The 6-year-old gelding has had nearly three months to freshen for the Papaprodromou barn and looks like the speed of the speed with Maldonado.
Race #10: Selections: 6-1-3
6-Cruisin for Cali returns off the mini-freshening and May 17 claim for new conditioner Mike Puype. The sophomore colt dead-heated for the place spot when last seen at Santa Anita and drew off to a 4 ¼-length maiden win when last trying seven panels. He gets Juan Hernandez’s services this afternoon. 1-Got’m Cot’m is winless since November 2024, but in his defense, he hasn’t exactly had the best setups in recent tries. He moves back to the main track today, second off the bench, and sports the best late-pace figure in the field in what should be a spirited race. Rosario on a big upgrade. 3-Chapter One drew off to an impressive 10 ½-length maiden romp on June 15 in career try number nine when getting back to dirt and co-tops the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (80), facing winners for the first time.
Race #11: Selections: 5-7-1
A competitive full field of $25k claiming geldings routing on turf closes out the multi-race exotics. The D’Amato-trained 5-Enterdadragon finished a better-than-looks fifth when last seen on June 5, routing one mile over the Santa Anita turf. The gelding gets some class relief, retains Rosario, and gets a little more real estate to work with. 7-Ah Jeez is a logical fit for Team O’Neill, exiting a runner-up turf finish against similar when last seen back at the end of May and earning a modest (85) Beyer. A multiple winner over the track and distance. 1-Empire Classic gets an additional sixteenth of a mile to work with this afternoon from the advantageous rail draw and should get plenty of pace to run into for trainer Mike Puype.
