Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 9-Hot Girl Walk (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 7-4-5
7-Barbtourage showed wicked early speed at Ellis in her most recent turf sprint try on July 15, blazing away with a :20.3 opening quarter and :43 flat half-mile splits before understandably tiring to fifth. Trainer Wesley Ward is a sharp 6 for 14 (43%) with a $3.37 ROI with grass sprint starters at Del Mar for the past five years. 4-Judicious goes dirt to turf in start number two for D’Amato after a wide trip fifth in her July 5 debut effort at Los Al. The 3-year-old filly is by multiple G1 winner Constitution, who gets 13% with his grass sprint prodigy. She’s eligible to improve substantially with that race under her belt. 5-Cyprus Moon (by Malibu Moon) has not been seen since an encouraging debut 11 months ago when flashing good speed and tiring to third over this local strip. She adds Lasix and lures Rispoli this afternoon for a barn that was a chilly 1 for 36 as of this writing.
Race #2: Selections 4-5-3
4-Omnificent debuts for Team O’Neill off a steady work pattern and could come out running today. This filly is by Om, who is (9-2-1-1) with his 3-year-old & up debuting offspring, and this jockey-trainer combo is 2 for 4 with a $12.60 ROI when teamed up with the barn’s firsters. The board may offer further clues regarding his readiness. 5-Smokem If U Gottem is a logical threat in career start number three off back-to-back runner-up efforts at Santa Anita with competitive Beyers (71,70). Blinkers off 3-No More Ding Dongs moves back to the main track for conditioner Sean McCarthy where he ran his best race two-back at Los Al. 2-Brunchandcrunch is by multiple G1 winner Richard’s Kid, who gets 13% with his 3-year-old & up-debuting prodigy. This colt debuts with Lasix off a spirited worktab.
Race #3: Selections: 5-3-4
5-Getaway Car (a $700k Keeneland purchase by Curlin) was an impressive 3 ¼-length Maiden debut winner on July 20 for Team Baffert. The colt draws a cozy outside post for his first stakes try. 3-White Sands is a daughter of Into Mischief shipping in for trainer Wesley Ward, having won both starts at Belterra and Prairie Meadows by a combined 23 lengths. It will be interesting to see how she matches up here with the boys. 4-Mischief River defeated a decent Maiden group with his 7-1 upset debut score at Los Al on June 29, and has come back to train well since that sharp debut effort. He fired five furlongs in :58.3 on August 24.
Race #4: Selections: 2-3-4
The multiple stakes-placed 2-Getthemoney drops into a softer spot this afternoon for conditioner Brian Koriner while making her two-turn debut. This daughter of Midnight Lute should find today’s 1 1/16-mile trip well within her wheelhouse and could take this group gate-to-wire this afternoon with Hernandez back at the realm. 3-Royal Charter easily disposed of cheaper in her first stateside start for trainer Leonard Powell in April of this year, earning a lofty (87) Beyer with a big late kick. She’s been training steadily since that solid victory. 4-Yerwanthere (Ire) exits back-to-back runner-up finishes at this level at Santa Anita.
Race #5: Selections: 9-2-5
9-Hot Girl Walk was a good second in her first start here on July 20 when breaking a step slow and very wide early on before running on for the place spot. Trainer Carla Gaines has had an excellent meet thus far, and jockey Antonio Fresu has heated up in recent days. 2-Lil’ Boom Boom is slowly improving for trainer Steve Miyadi and exits back-to-back second-place finishes over at Los Al. 5-Amelia’s Echo closed well for third behind Lil’ Boom Boom in her July 6 debut and is eligible to move forward off that effort.
Race #6: Selections: 6-7-1
6-One Time Mark makes career start number ten today but drops back down into the $50k Maiden Claiming level, having run par or better for this class division on multiple occasions. The 5-year-old gelding figures for another favorable upfront pressing trip. 7-In Suspense has flashed speed and tired against straight MDSW types in his last two starts and now drops in for a tag today for trainer Ryan Hanson. He could forget to stop this afternoon with Maldonado climbing back aboard. 1-Sir Maximus has shown little thus far but returns as a first-time gelding off the mini-freshening for McCarthy and drops in for a first-time tag. Hernandez sticks here.
Race #7: Selections: 6-3-5
Calumet Farm’s 6-Rank ran on well for fourth despite a tardy break in his July 20 unveiling for Team O’Neill. This son of Honor A. P. is eligible to move forward off that try in start number two, stretching out from five to 6 ½ furlongs. 3-Gaming is by multiple G1 winner Game Winner, who is 0 for 18 thus far with his debuting prodigy. Nonetheless, this juvenile colt hails from the Baffert barn off some solid a.m. drills and figures to come out running with Hernandez signed on. 5-Arrakis is by multiple G1 winner Bernardini, who gets 8% with his debuting juvenile prodigy. His morning drills have been solid, and this barn scored with firster Shea Brennan at 8-1 earlier in the meet. He lures Rispoli for today’s initial start. The other Baffert is 7-Authentic Spirit, who has been battling with his stablemate to prepare for this.
Race #8: Selections: 5-3-1
The stakes-winning 5-Antifona (Fr) adds Lasix and stretches out this afternoon, making her second start off the bench for trainer John Sadler. She drops in for a $80K claiming tag today and projects to get a live race flow to close into. 3-Alluring goes two sprints to a route for Mandella and drops out of the Grade 3 Senorita into this softer spot. This daughter of Ghostzapper should handle two turns. 1-Invincible Molly (GB) is 3 for 8 lifetime and drops out of the G2 San Clemente into this optional claimer. Maldonado sticks here for Mullins while having a couple of other options in this competitive turf route.
Race #9: Selections: 8-3-6
8-Bag’s Gold returns off a five-month freshening for a good layoff barn and was a decisive 7 ½-length blowout winner at 5 ½ furlongs over this course last August. The 5-year-old gelding fired a swift five furlongs in :59.3 on August 24, indicating his readiness off the bench. The red-hot Tim McCanna barn has won four of his last five starts and ships in here with class-dropping 3-Debs Tiz. The 4-year-old gelding should get plenty of pace to close into. 6-Kell’s Bells was a sharp gate-to-wire winner at Lone Star on July 3 and sports the field’s best last-out Beyer (76) with that win. The colt has trained well locally for new conditioner Todd Fincher and hopes to cash in on the popular ship-in-to-win program.
Race #10: Selections: 3-7-4
3-Middleburg flashed speed and tired to just miss in the most recent effort for Team Baffert on July 20 and now must negotiate an additional eighth of a mile. The Tapit colts last pair of turf route Beyers fit well here. 7-Glandford (GB) had a troubled trip fourth on July 25 when making his first start in 10 months for trainer George Papaprodromou and is likely to move forward off that effort. First-time gelded 4-Dealers Special moves back up to face MDSW types off a game runner-up try against the $50k Maiden Claiming level on June 14. He makes his third start of the form cycle today for conditioner Richard Baltas.
