Del Mar (Sunday-9/8/24) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 6-Dealer’s Special  (Race 5)

 Race #1: Selections: 4-2-1

Sunday is the closing day for Del Mar. Thanks to everyone who followed along and supported the column this 2024 season. You’re greatly appreciated. The Los Alamitos afternoon Thoroughbred meet begins on Friday, September 13. We’ll have complete coverage.

 4-Smile Baby Smile shortens back to six furlongs off the August 15 Hess claim, where she was runner-up to repeat winner Love Our Family. The 3-year-old filly projects to get a favorable stalking trip today. 2-Sky Sailing was overmatched in her most recent start when beaten double digits but drops to a more realistic level this afternoon and fits well here if she can run back to her winning Maiden effort two-back. The Maiden win two-back for 1-Respect the Crown gives her a chance in here, but this barn is a chilly 1 for 31 (3%) the past five years with new acquisitions. 

Race #2: Selections 8-1-6

The speedy 8-It’s My House opened up a big lead before tiring on August 1 and now slices his claiming tag in half today for conditioner Steve Knapp. The 6-year-old looks like the clear-cut speed in this one-mile affair this afternoon, and was a strong gate-to-wire winner two-back against better. The 8-year-old veteran gelding 1-Mobou was a solid second in his most recent start on August 18 and shortens back up to a mile where he’s 4 for 9 lifetime. 6-Keen Heir finished a wide trip sixth in his first start over this racetrack when finishing behind Mobou but shortens back up to his preferred one-mile distance today and can improve.

Race #3: Selections: 9-7-2

9-Cyprus Moon ran extremely well to finish third when returning from an 11-month layoff. The 3-year-old filly flashed good speed before tiring on August 11. The daughter of Malibu Moon goes second-time Lasix today and should be tough to reel in with another alert break. Blinkers on 7-Lovin’ On the Run didn’t have any visible excuse when a beaten tepid favorite on August 2 for trainer Carla Gaines, but cuts back to the five-furlong dash today and is likely to improve. 2-Step It Out (Ire) was outrun in his first stateside effort for D’Amato on July 27 but cuts back to a sprint this afternoon and is eligible to move forward off that subpar performance.

Race #4: Selections: 2-6-9

2-Cash Call (by G1 winner McKinzie) debuts for Team Baffert off a solid worktab for a trainer-jockey combo with five wins and four seconds with their last nine first-time starters at Del Mar. The $600k OBS April purchase should come out running. 6-Pura Vida Princesa has trained swiftly for Team O’Neill and is by G1 winner Complexity, who gets a strong 22% with his debuting juvenile prodigy. 9-Practical Dream is by multiple G1 winner Practical Joke and has trained well for conditioner Tim Yakteen. This jockey-trainer combo has teamed up for two winning first-time starters this meet—September Magic (8-1 on 8/9) and McKenzie Street (4-1 on 7/28).

Race #5: Selections: 6-8-3

Recent sharp Maiden winner 6-Dealers Special looks like a potential solid repeat candidate for trainer Richard Baltas. The 3-year-old gelding shortens up off his game 1 1/8-mile win on August 11, and came back to fire a “best of 70” four-furlong bullet drill in :47 flat on September 1. 8-Nashoba’s Joy rallied well for the runner-up spot on August 10 against similar and should get a live race flow to close into this afternoon for conditioner Carla Gaines. 3-Phosphorescence (Fr) stretches out off a decent third-place finish on July 27 and makes his second start off the seven-month layoff. Hernandez takes over for Rispoli, who sticks with our top choice.

Race #6: Selections: 2-7-12

2-Abitmischievous goes two routes to a sprint for trainer Peter Miller after flashing good speed and tiring in the last pair. The 3-year-old colt should appreciate the turnback. 7-Mirahmadi has had several close chances in his seven career starts (0-4-1), but has lacked a winning desire on many occasions, settling for the underneath exotics. The pricey Into Mischief colt makes the third start of the form cycle for Team Baffert this afternoon. 12-Nassau Circle (by Flatter) debuts with Lasix for the Gary Mandella barn off some spirited a.m. drills. This top barn is capable of firing with a first-time starter.

Race #7: Selections: 2-5-1

The lightly raced 4-year-old gelding 2-Red Pill flashed good speed to finish second in his August 17 turf debut against similar, and figures to be on or close to the front again this afternoon. A strong gate-to-wire threat. 5-Disko Tribute steps up off a sharp score for the red-hot Craig Dollase barn. 1-Will Be doesn’t have much turf pedigree to speak of but returns off a seven-month freshening for D’Amato and does have one local lawn drill.

Race #8: Selections: 4-9-2

4-Coach Cronin was a non-factor when he switched to grass in his most recent effort on July 27 against better. The 4-year-old gelding moves back to the main track this afternoon on the class drop and was a sharp winner-two-back at Los Al with a respectable (81) Beyer. He should get a live race flow to close into. Turf to dirt 9-Irish Corn didn’t perform well in his lone main track try but has a ton of early zip and deserves another chance over the local dirt footing. Trainer Librado Barocio was still looking for his first win of the meet as of this writing. He sends out 2-Tiger in My Tank, who goes turf to dirt off a recent fourth-place effort at Santa Rosa. This barn is a solid 4 for 15 (27%) with a $2.91 ROI with the first off-the-claim dirt sprint runners in the past three years.

Race #9: Selections: 3-8-11

3-An Chorr Dubh (Ire) broke his Maiden in a bulky field of 16 at Gowran Park overseas at 33-1 and now makes his first stateside start for trainer Mark Glatt. The 2-year-old filly attracts Prat for today’s U.S. unveiling. The Maiden 8-Scipio closed well despite a tardy break in his August 2 debut and should appreciate the stretch-out to two turns. Recent Maiden main track winner 11-Pali Kitten moves back to the turf on the stretch-out for Team O’Neill and lures Hernandez. Her dam breeding suggests two turns on grass is where he might feel most comfortable. His stablemate, 7-Tiz Happy, returns to the grass where he broke his Maiden two-back after a recent poor effort in the August 11 Grade 3 Best Pal.

Race #10: Selections: 1-2-6

Trainer Bob Baffert has three talented juvenile colts in this year’s G1 Del Mar Futurity. The 2 for 2 1-Getaway Car won the August 11 Grade 3 Best Pal by 5 ½ lengths and should only get better as the distances increase. The son of Curlin looks to have a bright future ahead of him, and leading rider J J Hernandez sticks here while having several other options. His stablemate, 2-Gaming, scampered away to an impressive 5 ½-length Maiden win on August 11 and has shown two solid a.m. drills since that winning debut performance. Prat takes over for Hernandez. 4-McKinzie Street looked super professional in his July 28 debut win, defeating the Baffert-trained runner-up Emerald Bay, who came back to score on August 24.

Race #11: Selections: 3-11-4

Recent claim 3-Rugelach is a perfect 3 for 3 over the Del Mar turf course and exits a sharp win on August 9. This barn is 4 for 14 (29%) with a $4.57 ROI with first off-the-claim turf route runners. 11-Special Flower returns off a six-month freshening for Team O’Neill and was a Maiden debut sprint turf winner when last seen back in March. The 5-year-old mare lures Hernandez and is bred to route. Blinkers on 4-Abhita drops out of the Salana Beach into this softer spot for trainer Antonio Garcia and is reunited with winning rider Hector Berrios.