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Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 1-Youramystyle (Race 6)

Race #1: Selections: 2-4-6

Blinkers off 2-Penalty Box has seen his Beyer figures improve with each subsequent start for conditioner Michael McCarthy and exits a sharp runner-up effort to next-out-winner, Privman. The 3-year-old gelded son of Violence is dangerous with another progressive move forward, making the second try around two turns. 4-Westwood drops back down into the maiden ranks after back-to-back stake tries, which included the Santa Anita Derby (G1). He’s consistently run figures in the 80s in his last several route dirt starts and is a logical fit for trainer John Shirreffs. 6-Ballyhooligan stretches out in career start number two off an even fourth at 19-1 on July 18. This barn has solid stats with second-time starters, and improvement is likely.

Race #2: Selections: 5-3-1

Champion mare 5-Sweet Azteca returned off a nine-month layoff with an impressive score in the Great Lady M (G2) down at Los Al on July 5, posting her fourth triple-digit career Beyer. She’s 6-for-8 lifetime, 4-for-5 at the distance, and should prove tough to overhaul (second off the bench) at short odds looking for a repeat in this event. The lightly raced 3-Formula Rossa has won both career starts by a combined 10 ½ lengths for trainer Mark Glatt off two flashy Beyer figures (98,91) and looks ready to tackle stake foes. 1-Chismosa finished a well-beaten second to Sweet Azteca in last year’s edition and returns to dirt, her preferred surface, this afternoon. This 5-year-old mare has finished first or second at Del Mar in six of seven tries.

Race #3: Selections: 5-2-4

A beaten close runner-up in last, 5-Night Out makes his third start of the form cycle today for trainer Mark Glatt and should be all set for his best try of the 2025 campaign. The son of More Than Ready has worked three times since that last crisp effort and retains Rispoli. 2-Crazy Cavalier finally broke through in career try number 12 with a sharp 3 1/3-length score on Aug. 8 and appears to be peaking now for Team O’Neill in his first start against winners. 4-Special Club goes two sprints to a route for trainer Craig Lewis and should find himself with a favorable upfront pressing journey.

Race #4: Selections: 7-1-2

The Glatt-trained 7-Pocket Venus scampered away to an impressive 8 ½-length gate-to-wire maiden debut score on Aug. 2, earning a solid (77) Beyer, and looks primed for the repeat with a similar performance. 1-Sei Bella is another impressive last-out maiden winner for conditioner Sean McCarthy, exiting a career-best Beyer. 2-From Scratch ships in from Emerald Downs for conditioner Blaine Wright off an enticing work tab, which included a sub :46 four-furlong bullet drill at the end of last month. The 4-year-old filly lures Hernandez for her first Southern California try, and doesn’t meet the deepest of fields.

Race #5: Selections: 8-10-1

8-Will Happen is by multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma, who gets a sharp 19% with his juvenile debuting offspring. This 2-year-old filly has trained swiftly for conditioner Richard Baltas, including a “best of 124” bullet four-furlongs in :46.3 on Aug. 17. She could prove long gone with an alert break. 10-Miss Donna finished a wide third in her encouraging Aug. 2 turf sprint debut and is eligible to move forward off that top try for conditioner Michael McCarthy. The daughter of Into Mischief, 1-Umbralle goes dirt to turf in start number two after flashing solid early zip in her Aug. 2 unveiling before tiring to third. She figures to be hustled along from the fence by rider Antonio Fresu.

Race #6: Selections: 1-2-4

1-Youramystyle was overmatched in his first start over the track off a nine-month layoff for conditioner Bob Hess on July 26, but the Gulfstream shipper takes a sizable class drop today from $25k to $10,000 claimers on the stretch-out and was a maiden winner going this distance in Florida. The 4-year-old gelding figures to trip out nicely from the rail with veteran go-to pilot Kent Desormeaux in the saddle. His stablemate, 2-Silver N Black, is 1-for-21 lifetime but finished a well-beaten runner-up against several of these on Aug. 3. 4-Robarando was a strong 6 ¼-length runaway maiden winner over a bulky field in his first try over this racetrack on Aug. 3, and the gelding looks well-placed by trainer Vann Belvoir for his first crack against winners.

Race #7: Selections: 5-2-3

5-Fly At Knight (by Sir Prancealot) makes her first start in nearly a year for conditioner Mark Glatt but has shown strong early zip in her a.m. drills and hinted at her ability last summer with two ITM finishes over the main track. She’s likely to come out firing for an excellent layoff barn. 2-Naturally Blonde is a 10-start maiden that has had several close-up finishes, including three runner-up efforts sprinting on turf. She’s a logical fit after her recent second, when finishing in front of a quartet of today’s returning rivals on Aug. 3. Berrios sticks. 3-Mendelssohns Angel closed stoutly at 42-1 on debut to finish a good third behind Naturally Blonde in the aforementioned Aug. 3 event and is dangerous if she can move forward off that inspiring unveiling.

Race #8: Selections 6-9-2

6-Ghost of Midnight is returning after an extended 17-month hiatus for trainer Mark Glatt but sports a strong (5-2-0) career record from seven lifetime starts and has trained steadily for today’s return try. The 7-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper is 2-for-2 at Del Mar and has a devastating, strong late kick in a race that should unfold at a swift tempo. He finished second to champion multiple G1 winner The Chosen Vron, when last seen in the G3 San Carlos in March of 2024. Grade 1 Bing Crosby runner-up 9-Hejazi makes his third start of the form cycle today for Team Baffert and is the obvious horse to beat off consecutive second-place finishes. He exits the field’s best last-out Beyer (100) and is the class of this field. He should prove to be a tough customer for the top choice. However, he has shown his fair share of vulnerability with several disappointing runner-up efforts at short odds. 2-Red Flag returns to Southern California off a series of mixed results while sprinting on dirt at Churchill, Hawthorne, and Oaklawn, but is 4-for-5 at Del Mar and is reunited with winning pilot, Umberto Risploi.

Race #9: Selections 3-9-6

The Sunday nightcap is an ultra-competitive $25k claiming grass route with multiple directions one could potentially go. 3-Hudson Ridge finished a better-than-looks eighth when getting banged around a bit in the midstretch when facing several of these on July 20. The Baffert-trained gelding was a solid winner two back at Santa Anita going today’s one-mile trip with an (83) Beyer, and figures to work out a better journey on the turnback. 9-Margot’s Boy goes first off the claim for trainer Jeff Mullins after flashing speed, hitting the front, and then tiring to seventh off the 11-month layoff on July 20. The gritty 8-year-old gelding is a six-time winning mile specialist, multiple winner over this grass course, and figures to be much tighter second off the bench. 6-Megayacht shortens up to a mile today when left with way too much ground to make up late when facing off against several of these in the aforementioned July 20 1 1/16-mile event. The 4-time winner should have a better chance of making a late impact this afternoon if the projected swift early race flow comes to fruition. Top turf pilot Hector Berrios takes over from Hall of Famer Mike Smith.