Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Eltonsingsanother(Race 2)
Race #1: Selections: 8-7-1-2
8-Dustem Too has good speed, moves outside, and drops another notch for conditioner Tim Yakteen. The 3-year-old daughter of Smokem sport’s the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (63) and figures to get a favorable upfront pressing journey. 7-Mischievous Bev scampered away to an impressive 8 ½-length $32k maiden claiming romp back on April 3 and now returns for considerably less, while not getting back to the published work tab until July 4. Second-pick nonetheless. The Mark Glatt-trained 1-Cotta Ride is exiting a 2 ¼-length maiden-claiming score on July 26. She’s eligible to improve further, making only her third start of the current form cycle. 2-Southern Anton was a wide-trip fourth against slightly better July 31, and her last pair of sprint Beyers match up well here.
Race #2: Selections: 3-7-8
The speedy 3-Eltonsingsanother drops in for a career-low claiming tag this afternoon, posted the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (65) on Aug. 1, and should prove tough to reel in late at this reduced level. Blinkers on 7-Baytown Butterfly was badly outrun in the last pair for Miller but drops to a career-low $7k claiming tag and has been facing far better than what she’s up against this afternoon. That fact alone makes her a main contender against this inferior group. 8-Perfect Life is another filly dropping a notch and exits the same race as the top choice. This gal has the opposite running style and will be making up ground late.
Race #3: Selections: 7-3-6
7-Hard to Figure looks fastest off the blocks off the July 17 recent claim for trainer Tim Yakteen, who gets a sharp 4-for-14 (29%) with a $2.17 ROI with recent dirt acquisitions in the past five years. Rosario hops aboard and has done well overall (5/13, 38%) riding for this outfit. 3-Mighty Kai steps up in class off the claim, and July 17 win for his new connections, where he earned a top-best last-out (80) dirt Beyer. The gelding is a definite repeat candidate if able to replicate that speed figure. Trainer Antonio Garcia is having a fabulous 2026 stand, notching his sixth win last week. Turf-to-dirt 6-Joint Venture returns to the main track where he was a 3 ¾ winner two-back going this one-mile trip over Mighty Kai, with a competitive Beyer for this level, just short of par.
Race #4: Selections: 8-4-6
The Steve Miyadi-trained 8-Bo Diddley is a logical fit off his runner-up effort on July 24 against $50k maiden claimers and now drops down to $20,000 off an improving Beyer pattern. Another progressive move forward makes this gray son of Grazen the colt to beat in this softer spot this afternoon. 4-Windsor George adds blinkers and drops again after flashing improved speed and tiring to fifth as the beaten odds-on choice in the aforementioned July 24 event. The Smiling Tiger juvenile now makes the all-important third career try for trainer Jorge Periban and figures for another favorable upfront pressing trip. 6-Mrsaintpatrick has a limited worktab for Team O’Neill, but is by Pavel, who is an impressive 10-for-44 (22%) with juvenile-debuting prodigy, according to DRF Formulator sire stats.
Race #5: Selections: 6-11-2
6-Alittletoofabulous (by Liam’s Map) debuts for trainer Carla Gaines off a steady and solid work tab. Liam’s Map gets 13% with 3-year-old & up debut runners and 15% with grass sprinters. This barn has been firing well all summer meet and has teamed up with Kimura to win their last three of five starters at Del Mar. 11-Maggles McGee has hit the board in four of five career turf tries for trainer George Papaprodromou and exits a solid third on Aug. 1. Rispoli gets the return mount, but she’s hampered by a tough outside draw today, however. Turf Paradise shipper 2-Elegant Emma is by Mo Forza—a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, so this juvenile filly is eligible to improve in start number two with the surface switch and addition of blinkers.
Race #6: Selections: 3-6-1
3-Che (Ire) was overmatched against $25k claimers on Aug. 14, but drops down to face $10,000-caliber foes this afternoon for leading trainer Doug O’Neill. The gelding was an 11 ½-length runaway maiden winner two back with a (77) Beyer, which is above par for this class level. 6-Forza Azzurri rallied from far back to secure the place spot while gaining quickly on the race winner on Aug. 1, and now drops another notch for Miller. He’s a logical threat right back. A late threat in this race, 1-Sterling Sea wasn’t all that impressive in his lone two main-track tries, but he takes a sizable class plunge today for D’Amato on the surface switch and is eligible for a wakeup call facing vastly inferior competition.
Race #7: Selections: 1-4-8-7
The $3 Late Low Takeout Pick Three Starts here. 1-Proletariat has won two straight, including a 5 ¾-length score in the Oceanside S. over a handful of today’s returning rivals on opening day. The 3-year-old gelding has never been better for trainer Jeff Mullins and looks primed to potentially notch his first graded stakes win if able to run back to that lofty (96) turf Beyer. The rail draw gives jockey Kyle Frey several tactical options. The lightly raced 4-Tribalism (Ire) is quickly on the improve for trainer Michael McCarthy and steps up into the stakes ranks off a pair of sharp efforts this current campaign. By hot sire No Nay Never, he has good positional early zip off an improving Beyer pattern. Trainer Phil D’Amato sends out a pair in here. He won the 2025 edition with The Padre and in 2023 with Conclude. 8-Melismatic (Ire) gets the nod over 7-Jordi Bear (Ire). The former has won two straight and steps up to face stakes competitors today in excellent career form while looking like the further the distance, the better. Today’s additional eighth of a mile should serve him well, and his Beyer figures are continuing on the upward swing. Jordi Bear was a troubled trip sixth in the aforementioned Oceanside and can improve today, second off the bench.
Race #8: Selections: 6-4-1
6-Anti Slapp (by Smiling Tiger) goes turf to dirt on the class drop for conditioner Jeff Bonde, and this filly’s “best of 89” bullet four furlongs in :47 flat over the main track on Aug. 14 indicates she should have zero problems transitioning over to dirt. 4-Sophia Mija hasn’t run all that poorly in all three lifetime tries for trainer Craig Dollase and now drops from $50k maiden claimers down to today’s $16,000 level. A significant plunge. Lasix on. 1-Stormy Gal is a 13-start maiden but has speed and the rail draw while dropping in for a career-low claiming tag. The 5-year-old mare makes her third start off an extended break.
Race #9: Selections: 4-5-2
4-Wild West Coast rallied sharply for the runner-up spot from far back on July 26 behind next-out winner Fibonaccis Ride while finishing in front of several of these, and projects to get another live race flow to close into. 5-Myperfection is 0-for 4 at Del Mar, but finished a troubled trip fifth behind the top choice in the aforementioned July 26 event, and is another who figures to be one of the beneficiaries of a projected spirited, contested early pace. 2-Whopper Factor showed solid early zip from an outside slot through some taxing early splits when trying grass for the first time against the top pair in last, but now moves all the way inside today while making the third start of the current form cycle. This gal’s main speed threats are drawn outside.
