Del Mar (Thursday-8/22/24) By Dean Keppler

Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 2-Divin Propos (Fr) (Race 6)

Race #1: Selections: 3-4-5

3-Terry’s Service is by Om, who gets 15% with his juvenile debuting prodigy. This 2-year-old gelding has trained smartly for trainer Luis Mendez, and this lucrative jockey-trainer combo is 3 for 8 (38%) with a $2.95 ROI with Maiden Claiming first-time starters. Blinkers on 4-Deeply Hidden drops back in for a tag and shows two improved a.m. drills since that last subpar sixth-place finish when facing better on July 20. Improvement is likely. 5-Cardinal Spirit gets a complete makeover this afternoon for Team O’Neill. The 2-year-old son of Street Boss returns as a first-time gelding, goes turf to dirt, and drops in for a first-time tag.

Race #2: Selections: 4-3-1

This is a tricky $50k Claiming five-furlong turf sprint for older geldings that can go in several different directions. 4-Tigerhon (Fr) gets the tepid vote for the repeat win for trainer Mark Glatt. The 6-year-old gelding parlayed a perfect trip into the winner’s circle with a game score on July 20. He could get a similar journey this afternoon with red-hot Rispoli. East Coast invader 3-Sigiloso had one prior Southern California start at Del Mar back in 2022 but has spent the last couple of seasons in Florida racing mainly on synthetic. He worked well over the track on August 15, has some back class, and consistently runs his race. 1-Rexford returned from a nine-month layoff with a sharp six-furlong gate-to-wire 10-1 upset score at Santa Anita on May 4, earning a career-best Beyer. The 4-year-old gelding has worked well since that effort and has run well over this grass course. His stablemate, 7-Standing O, lost all chance at the break on August 3 when pinched back at the start. He drops in class today for D’Amato.

Selections: 7-3-2

Race #3: Selections: 6-4-1

6-Canada Gate has seen his Beyer figures improve with each subsequent start for Team Baffert and now makes the third start off the bench today. The son of Constitution finished behind Abitmischievous on July 25, battling gamely with that rival throughout the mile. A better trip helps him reverse that decision. 4-Abitmischievous earned a career-best (85) Beyer figure on the stretch-out for Miller on the aforementioned July 25 event when flashing improved early speed. He looms the one to beat again with a similar effort. 1-Concord Bridge adds Lasix off the 10-month layoff for trainer John Sadler and has trained steadily for this afternoon’s return to action. The son of Medaglia d’Oro was an $850K 2022 September Keeneland purchase, so expectations were high.

Race #4: Selections: 2-9-5

2-Sophistry (by multiple G1 winner Mitole) flashed good speed to run second at this level on August 1 when making her first grass start. She should be tough to overhaul with a similar trip in the all-important start number three. 9-Twirling Light is a $600K OBS purchase by Twirling Candy debuting for trainer Peter Miller off a spirited worktab. His sire gets a solid 18% with his debuting juvenile offspring, and this filly will likely come out running. 5-Kitty Marren is by Munnings, who gets 14% with his juvenile debuting prodigy and turf sprint runners. This filly attracts Rispoli for today’s unveiling.

Race #5: Selections: 1-2-8

1-Gypsy Lynn draws the rail with good gate speed and exits a runner-up finish at this level on July 27 when squandering a four-length lead late. The 5-year-old mare goes out for a new barn this afternoon off the recent claim and co-tops the field’s best last-out Beyer. 2-Why Behave makes her second start off the 10-month layoff for conditioner George Papaprodromou and can move forward off that last subpar effort when finishing behind the top choice. 8-Morning Addiction was eased and pulled up in her most recent start as the beaten favorite in the aforementioned July 27 event. She tossed her head and was off slowly. This 7-year-old mare is a three-time winner over this racetrack and distance and could bounce back here if minding her manners. She had two local gate drills since that last debacle.

Race #6: Selections: 2-7-1

The French-bred 2-Divin Propos (Fr) finished a better-than-looks fifth after a troubled trip when facing several of these on July 21 as the beaten favorite. The 4-year-old gelding makes his third stateside start this afternoon for D’Amato and has already proven his talent when dusting rivals at Santa Anita two-back in his first U.S. start. He should get a live pace to close into this afternoon. His stablemate, 7-City Exile, steps up off a sharp win on July 27, and Hernandez stays aboard. This 4-year-old owns the field’s best last-out turf Beyer (90). 1-Old Pal makes his second start off the bench for conditioner Mark Glatt. He had no realistic chance when finishing a wide sixth in the California Dreamin’s Stakes on August 3 when stuck behind a sluggish pace. The consistent son of Grazen is (3-1-2) from seven starts and should get a better set-up today.

Race #7: Selections: 4-3-6

The 1 for 16 4-Mucino exits back-to-back strong runner-up efforts for trainer Doug O’Neill against similar and now makes the third start of the form cycle this afternoon. The Nyquist gelding figures to work out another favorable upfront pressing trip. 3-Hondo Crouch goes two sprints to a route for trainer Mark Glatt today off the five-month freshening. The 4-year-old gelding is a habitual slow breaker. 6-Mischelof (Chi) slugged up for third behind Mucino in his last start on July 20 and will pass horses late for his typical minor share of the vertical exotics. However, the 5-year-old is impossible to endorse on the winning end, having lost 19 straight.

Race #8: Selections: 6-1-9

6-Get Kraken has been freshened since 2 ¼-length turf route Maiden win at Golden Gate back on May 12 and appears appropriately placed making his first start against winners. This gelding’s grass Beyer figures match up well here, and he might offer some inflated value off the 3-1 ML. Dirt to turf 1-Rhino has hit the board in six of seven tries for conditioner Dan Blacker and figures to come away quickly with today’s rail draw. He broke his Maiden two-back going this one-mile trip at Santa Anita. 9-Jack Kerouac drops in class this afternoon for D’Amato exiting a troubled trip sixth on August 10. The 3-year-old colt had some traffic issues when stymied behind rivals and shook free too late. He’ll need to work out a trip with this outside post.