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Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 11-Frog (Race 5)

Race #1: Selections: 4-1-2

A winner of three of his last four starts, 4-Tariff dug in for the game nose victory against similar on Aug. 7, going today’s one-mile trip, and projects to fall into another favorable stalking trip for trainer Peter Eurton. 1-Comininalittlehot was stuck in tight amongst traffic before shaking free late and rallying for the show spot behind the top choice in the aforementioned Aug. 7 turf route. The 3-year-old colt makes his third start of the form cycle today for conditioner Tim Yakteen, and is likely to be able to save a ton of ground moving to the rail. The Glatt-trained 2-Earned Not Given was involved in the tight photo with Tariff in his last start when moving back to Southern California and co-tops the field’s best last-out Beyer. This gelding, however, may be left with too much to do late if a swift pace doesn’t materialize.

Race #2: Selections: 5-1-3

Trainer Bob Baffert has three of the five colts entered in this year’s edition of the Shared Belief S. Multiple grade 1 winner 5-Citizen Bull returns off the mini-freshening after three subpar efforts against arguably much tougher competition at Churchill, Saratoga, and Santa Anita. The BC Juvenile winner over this racetrack has trained sharply for his return to action, and lures the barn’s go-to pilot Hernandez off the bench. This looks like a good spot for the champion colt to get back on track and restore his winning ways. Stablemate 1-Privman exits a career-best (97) Beyer after stringing together back-to-back wins and has now run first or second in all five career starts. The $625k purchase by Justify takes the next logical step up into stakes competition today and appears to be getting stronger and more focused with each try. The stable’s third runner, 3-Gaming, exits a sharp score in the June 8 Affirmed S. and trained smartly since that gate-to-wire victory. The Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner and BC Juvenile runner-up behind Citizen Bull sports a solid record (3-2-1-0) over this racetrack.

Race #3: Selections: 4-5-9

4-What a Gift is by Grade 1 winner Gift Box, who gets an ordinary 11% with his juvenile debuting firsters. Trainer Dean Pederson is 7 for 21 (23%) with a positive ROI with dirt sprint first-time starters the past five years, and this gelding has shown enough life in his a.m. drills to get top billing this afternoon. Blinkers on 5-Stanford Dropout finished a much-improved runner-up in his second career start on July 27 over this oval when dropped in for today’s $50k tag for trainer Brian Koriner. The juvenile colt should be all set for a career-best run today and is a substantial gate-to-wire threat. 9-Cielitos Wish makes his first start since transferring over to the Luis Mendez barn, exiting an encouraging July 12 debut over at Wyoming Downs when off slowly and finishing up with a decent late kick. The 2-year-old colt posted a “best of 58” four-furlong bullet gate drill in his only work over the local surface.

Race #4: Selections: 4-9-7

Class dropping 4-Resemblance shortens up to a sprint today off a non-threatening even fourth against much better on July 20. The Knapp gelding was a winner at the $10k level two back at Los Al, and should get plenty of early pace today to flatter his late running style. 9-Zombo Bombo goes first off the claim today off a beaten favorite fifth on Aug. 10 when finishing behind a trio of today’s returning rivals. This Munnings gelding finished a sharp second two back when facing better competition with a top (80) main track Beyer, and is dangerous if able to run back to that positive figure. The 1 for 19 7-Naismith was a wide closing third behind next-out winner Broadway Unions when moved back to the main track and dropped in for this $10k claiming level in his most recent Del Mar start.

Race #5: Selections: 11-9-1

The six-start maiden 11-Frog has flashed speed and tired in all her races to date, but adds blinkers today, is nicely drawn outside, and turns back in distance from a mile to today’s five furlongs. This 3-year-old daughter of Frosted could be long gone with an alert break. 9-Infinity Dream has run well enough in all three grass sprint tries for Baltas at this $50k maiden claiming level and has been freshened for this. 1-Wildfire Princess was an even fifth against MDSW types on Aug. 8, going this distance for trainer Bob Hess, and now drops in for a first-time tag today, making her second try off the bench. The filly blew out a snappy three furlongs in :35.1 on Aug. 22.

Race #6: Selections: 5-7-6

Yet another juvenile Maiden Special Weight sprint over the main track featuring several well-bred Baffert 2-year-olds. 5-Kristofferson is a $1.15 million Keeneland purchase by Nyquist, who arrives on the scene with the barn’s typical snappy a.m. drills. The SF and Starlight Racing pricey juvenile lures Hernandez and has the makings of a potential stakes runner. His stablemate 7-Falcon Jet (by Justify) makes the all-important third career try off back-to-back runner-up efforts this current meet with matching (76) Beyer speed figures. He’s a logical fit; however, it may be asking a lot of this young colt to make three starts within a month. The barn’s third entrant is another Justify juvenile. 6-Rio Grande, who is a $750K Keeneland May purchase by a multiple stakes-winning mare Kram. He’s trained sharply over the local footing.

Race #7: Selections: 1-3-10

1-Giggle Giggle has turned the corner since returning from the mini-freshening in May for trainer Peter Eurton with a pair of victories and a sharp second in his last three grass route tries. The 3-year-old daughter of Practical Joke was a game nose winner in her most recent try on Aug. 1 over Upcharge, who came back to score Thursday afternoon. 3-Mayacama rallied belatedly from far back to finish fifth when facing several of these on Aug. 8 and now makes her second try off the bench for Mullins. She’s a logical fit with Hernandez back in the saddle if she can revert to that top effort from two-back and (75) grass Beyer. 10-Port Ellen (Ire) is strapped with a tough post but has enough speed to gather decent position in a race that appears (at least on paper) to be void of any serious early zip. The 5-year-old mare shortens back up to her preferred one-mile trip and goes first off the claim for trainer Blaine Wright.

Race #8: Selections 2-5-6

2-Tiger Fire has shown good gate speed in all three starts to date for trainer Brian Koriner and has managed to hit the board in two of those efforts when facing better. The daughter of Smiling Tiger takes a key class drop from MDSW to today’s $50k maiden claimers and may prove challenging to reel in late with an alert break. A beaten tepid favorite in last, 5-Ride Elbow Ranch goes turf to dirt on the turnback for Glatt and removes the blinkers today on the class drop. Improvement is likely. 6-Pretty Prancealot by Sir Prancealot (8% with 3-year-old & up debuting prodigy) debuts for trainer Isidoro Tamayp off a flashy work tab. She adds Lasix for today’s unveiling and does not need much to be competitive with this group of fillies.

Race #9: Selections 4-2-5

The multiple graded stakes-placed 4-Iron Man Cal was a short-priced beaten favorite runner-up in a tough trip Oceanside on July 18, when off slowly and then making up sizable ground late to fall just a ½-length short. He figures to rally strongly from behind again for the D’Amato barn. The ultra-consistent 2-Freedom’s Not Free, unproven at this 1 1/8-mile distance, has hit the board in seven of eight career tries for trainer Mark Glatt and exits a runner-up effort in the La Jolla H. on Aug. 3, behind race winner and another D’Amato-trained rival 5-The Padre (Ire). The Omaha Beach sophomore should find himself on a clear lead this afternoon on the stretch out. The aforementioned The Padre was a stakes winner in only his second stateside effort for D’Amato and co-tops the field’s best last-out grass Beyer (85).

Race #10: Selections 7-5-1

7-Good With People ran ok to finish a decent third when returning off a year layoff on Aug. 2 for conditioner Mark Glatt behind next-out repeat winner Awesome Rhythm. The 5-time winning 7-year-old gelding figures to be much tighter in his second try off the extended break. His stablemate, 5-Captain Sparrow, steps up in class off a solid 5 ¼-length runaway six-furlong score against cheaper on July 26. The gelded son of Speightstown is dangerous right back if he can replicate that top (91) main track Beyer. 1-Grubauer flashed speed and tired to a well-beaten sixth when finishing behind Good With People in the aforementioned Aug. 2 event in a disappointing effort, but had hit the board in nine straight starts prior to the latest mishap.

Race #11: Selections 1-6-4

1-Theresasilverlinin has never run on grass in 16 career tries for conditioner Steve Knapp, but has enough turf pedigree on both sides to suspect that he’ll take to the new footing. The 5-year-old daughter of Stanford exits a good second over the DMR main track on July 27, going one mile, and lures top turf pilot Hector Berrios second off the mini-freshening. She figures to be on or close to the lead this afternoon with the advantageous rail draw. 6-Kikuride has hit the board in all four lifetime grass tries for conditioner Craig Lewis and exits a career and field’s best last-out turf Beyer (74) on July 31 when finishing second over several of today’s returning rivals. 4-Hey Demps adds blinkers back on following the Aug. 7 $25k Glatt purchase and returned to work sharply on Aug. 21 when firing a :59.3 five-furlongs. This 5-year-old mare has finished fourth in her last three tries, but makes her third start of the form cycle today for the new barn and could be set for a top effort with Desormeaux taking the return mount.