Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 3-Dial a Friend (Race 3)
Race #1: Selections: 3-4-1
3-Tiz Grace (by Kantharos) debuts for conditioner Tim Yakteen off steady drills. This jockey-trainer combo is 3 for 9 (33%) with a $5.91 ROI the past year with dirt sprint firsters at Del Mar. 4-Revera is by G1 winner Lexitonian. The juvenile colt has caught the eye in the a.m. for trainer John Sadler and lures Hernandez at first asking. 5-Stuffy Mist holds the experience edge over the rest of these juvenile fillies, flashing good speed and tiring to fourth in a well-backed June 12 unveiling. The daughter of Maximus Mischief drops in for the $150k tag this afternoon.
Race #2: Selections: 3-1-2
3-Ultimate Gamble was a well-beaten third in a short field at Santa Anita on June 12 when bobbling at the break, but is likely to show more speed this afternoon, making his third start of the form cycle for Glatt. 1-Katonah ship back in from Churchill and was a winner of the G2 San Pasqual when last seen in Southern California in January. The 6-year-old gelding sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (89) and deserves respect for Team O’Neill. 2-Lure Him In has been rejuvenated since switching to dirt in recent years and is 3-for-4 in 2025. The veteran 8-year-old shortens back up to a mile, where he is a 5-time winner. He’s likely to be a pace factor today.
Race #3: Selections: 3-8-5
3-Dial a Friend returns to Del Mar off a series of sharp efforts under the Los Al lights in shorter heats, but was a main track winner here last November and looks to be the quickest of this group out of the gate. The lightly raced 4-year-old filly is reunited with winning pilot Edwin Maldonado, switching back to turf. 8-September Magic just missed by a neck at this level when last seen back on May 2, when finishing second to repeat winner Over Attracted. The 4-year-old filly fired a “best of 71” bullet four-furlong drill in :46.4 on July 18 in preparation for today’s return off the mini-freshening. A beaten favorite in last, 5-Invincible Molly (GB) shortens up to five panels today, takes a class drop, and makes her third start off the bench for Mullins.
Race #4: Selections: 7-2-5
The Tim Yakteen-trained 7-Columnist is by multiple Grade 1 winner Dads Caps and has shown some solid zip in his a.m. drills for a lucrative debut jockey-trainer combo. 2-Wave With Envy is a logical fit off a strong, well-backed runner-up debut finish at Los Al last month, but loses Kimura to our top selection. 5-Three Putt was a decent fourth in his June 22 Emerald debut, for a barn that popped with 37-1 shipper Golden Ale on opening weekend. The juvenile gelding is likely to move forward off that unveiling.
Race #5: Selections: 8-4-2
8-Born to Rock is one of two juvenile colts debuting for trainer Michael McCarthy. He’s by Grade 1 winner Rock Your World, who is an impressive 3 for 12 (25%) with his juvenile debuting prodigy according to DRF Formulator. A positive sign to see Rispoli land here for the colt’s initial try. 4-Won for Lou stretches out in career try number two, exiting an even third in a five-furlong grass dash June 1. The Bucchero colt switches to red-hot Hector Berrios. 2-Sleeper Sullivan makes the all-important third career try for conditioner Luis Mendez on the stretch out and switch to turf and looms a solid upset candidate. He’s by Halladay, who was a Grade 1 winner going long on grass.
Race #6: Selections: 8-4-1
The D’Amato-trained 8-Ole Silver steps up in class, exiting a sharp 5 ¼-length romp against softer at Santa Anita back on May 31, going today’s one-mile trip. The 8-year-old mare has trained steadily since that score, and is eligible to move forward today, only making her second try off the extended break. 4-Valkyrian (Ire) has never tried dirt in 32 career starts, but exits a pair of decent tries against better routing on grass, and has some main track pedigree to suggest she will successfully handle the surface change. 1-Madeira Wine goes turf to dirt on the class plunge and has strong early zip to coincide with this afternoon’s rail draw.
Race #7: Selections: 2-4-9
The lightly raced 2-Bit’s Tiger Magic has never been worse than first or second in four career tries for Miller and has rattled off three consecutive victories by a combined winning margin of 11 lengths. The daughter of Smiling Tiger moves back to turf today and should prove tough to reel in late with an alert break. 4-Yellow Sun Dress has shown the ability to sit, stalk, and pounce late, which should serve her well in this spot if a spirited pace battle ensues. 9-Can’t Sleep ran exceptionally well to grab the place spot behind Bit’s Tiger Magic after stumbling badly at the break on June 22 at Los Al and now moves back to the turf for conditioner Carla Gaines. She’s never been off the board in four career tries and will be closing strongly late.
Race #8: Selections 5-7-9
Turf to dirt 5-Cooey posted a strong (89) Beyer when last trying the main track two-back for Team Baffert and could find herself on the lead this afternoon with a fast start. A beaten favorite in all four career tries, 7-Margarita Girl appears to be the main rival to our top choice off back-to-back solid dirt Beyers for trainer Mark Glatt. She shortens up this afternoon off a runner-up one-mile finish at Churchill. Baffert’s other filly, 9-Usha, returns off a nine-month hiatus but teams up with the barn’s go-to rider, Juan Hernandez, and is likely to come out firing. The $600,000 daughter of Tiz the Law, who adds Lasix today, has trained well, despite posting Beyer figures that have been on the light side in all four of her ITM finishes.
Race #9: Selections 4-5-1
The multiple Grade 1-winning 4-Formidable Man is the class of this field and a perfect 4-for-4 over the Del Mar sod. The 6-for-13 son of City of Light should fall into a favorable upfront pressing trip this afternoon and take over late with regular rider Umberto Rispoli. 5-Gold Phoenix (Ire) is the only runner in the field that’s posted triple-digit Beyers on three separate occasions, and the reliable veteran gelding always comes with his late run. He exits an even fourth in Churchill’s May 3 Turf Classic (G1), which has since produced a pair of next-out winners. The Leonard Powell-trained 1-Dicey Mo Chara (GB) finished second in this event last year and makes his third start off the bench today, switching to Hernandez. This is arguably a better field than the 2024 edition, however.
Race #10: Selections 3-2-6
3-Mrazek’s Old Dream goes two sprints to a route today on the slight class drop and should get a live race flow to close into. A recent Maiden winner two back, she does not need to improve much on the Beyer scale to win here against a suspect group. Kentucky invader 2-Tennesseehoneybee was beaten by double digits in his last pair at Churchill, but takes a substantial class plunge this afternoon and drilled a sharp three furlongs over the local footing on July 24. It took 15 tries, but 6-Petite Ange motored home to an impressive 6 ½-length maiden score back on May 16 at Santa Anita and has trained sharply since that effort. The filly appears well-placed by trainer Ryan Hanson for her first crack against winners.
Race #11: Selections 4-5-3
4-Goatski rallied strongly for the runner-up spot in a sharp grass sprint debut effort back on May 25 for trainer Dan Blacker, earning a field’s best (73) grass Beyer. The daughter of Vronsky stretches out for start number two and should prove tough to handle if she takes to two turns. Blinkers off 5-Hello Kid O Kid O is a 10-start maiden, exiting a second-place finish on June 14, and has now hit the board in five of her last six turf route tries. Hernandez is her fifth different rider. 3-Sparta F. C. hasn’t been seen in nearly 500 days for Mullins, but has been training well over the Santa Anita synthetic track. Like Hello Kid O Kid O, she should fall into a favorable upfront pressing trip.
