Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 7-Final Table Lady (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 7-6-2
7-Leyas Candy was a sharp gate-to-wire winner in his lone try over this layout and turns back to a sprint this afternoon, having posted the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (76). 6-Devil Be Me is 0-for-3 over the course, but returns from a two-month freshening on the class drop for trainer Steve Knapp and should be able to clear this field early on after a speed-and-fade through taxing fractions when last seen back in April. 2-So I’m Told is 3 for 36 lifetime and has done most of his recent running on grass, but has had modest success on both the afternoon and evening Los Al courses. The gelding goes turf to dirt, drops in class, and shortens back up to a sprint this afternoon.
Race #2: Selections: 1-6-3
Recent maiden winner under the lights, 1-Never Not Once, appears to be well-placed while facing a suspect $8,000 claiming group. The 6-year-old mare makes her third start off the extended layoff this afternoon and could potentially have another forward move forthcoming. 6-Rythem Girl returns from a two-month mini-freshening with decent early zip and takes a sizable class drop for conditioner Bill McClean. 3-Breville makes her second try off the year layoff after flashing good positional speed and fading to fourth on June 7 over the smaller course. She could fall into a favorable stalking trip today, but will need to show more stretch punch late.
Race #3: Selections: 2-3-1
Turf to dirt 2-Mongolian Altai takes a substantial class plunge from $25k claimers to today’s $6,250 level this afternoon and should prove best late. 3-Naftis is wheeled back on short rest, making his second try off the claim. The gelding finished an even fifth here last week and gets jockey Edgar Payeras back in the saddle. 1-Begin Again finally broke through in career try number 12 on May 17, while going this one-mile trip, and this looks like the right level for his first crack against winners. The gelding makes his third start off the bench today and figures to be hustled along from the fence.
Race #4: Selections: 5-7-6
Class dropping 5-Lady Lollipop goes turf to dirt, making her second try off the eight-month layoff for trainer Michael McCarthy. The daughter of Street Boss continues to train well in the a.m. and should move forward from that last sixth-place effort. 7-Oscar Night goes two sprints to a route today while making the all-important third career try. The sophomore filly is eligible to move forward on the stretch-out. 6-A Clear Behest hasn’t shown much in both starts in 2025, but adds Lasix and blinkers today on the stretch-out in distance and gets in light again.
Race #5: Selections: 7-3-6
7-Final Table Lady flashed good early zip before tiring to third in a well-backed, encouraging debut at Santa Anita two weeks ago. The daughter of Stay Thirsty should be a handful in here with any normal second-out progression. Trainer Jorge Periban is 3 for 6 (50%) with a lofty $11.17 ROI with second-time starters at Los Al the past three years. 3-Jasmina broke slowly in her May 30 grass sprint debut for conditioner Simon Callaghan but showed some late interest when finishing up. This barn has above-average numbers with their second-time starters, and Frey sticks around for the return mount. The Ed Freeman-trained 6-Keep the Pavels is by Grade 1 winner Pavel, who is (20-4-3-2) with his juvenile debuting prodigy according to DRF Formulator.
Race #6: Selections: 4-2-7
The speedy 4-Devil Among Us goes first off the claim for conditioner Librado Barocio off a sharp runner-up try on May 18 and has two wins and two seconds in four tries over this afternoon’s Los Al layout. The 5-year-old gelding shows two sharp a.m. drills since that last effort, including a bullet “best of 98” four furlongs in a snappy :45.1 on June 8. 2-Geezer was overmatched in his most recent effort in the Thor’s Echo S. on May 24, but can bounce back here over a surface he has run well on. He drilled a bullet four furlongs in :46 flat on June 16. 7-Awesome Rhythm has been plagued by layoff lines throughout his career, but goes turf to dirt this afternoon on the cutback in distance and was a winner two-back sprinting on an off-the-turf 6 ½-furlong affair at SA.
Race #7: Selections: 3-2-6
3-Grand Slam Smile is a five-time stakes winner for new trainer Michael McCarthy, returning off a seven-month layoff. The super consistent daughter of Smiling Tiger is (11-6-4-1) lifetime and usually fires off the bench. She gets Lasix today and figures to come out running off the bench. The stakes-winning 2-Prancingthruparis goes turf to dirt on the turnback today and was a sprint winner at today’s 6 ½-furlong journey in lone try over this racetrack. She switches to Hernandez this afternoon off a spirited work tab over the SA synthetic track. Turf to dirt 6-Ma Rae’s Girl has good speed to coincide with today’s outside draw and returns off the mini-freshening for team O’Neill. This barn is off to a fast start in this mini-meet. She finished a close-up third (beaten less than two lengths) when trying this level over this course last December.
Race #8: Selections 4-5-2
Trainer Bob Baffert has 60% of this five-horse edition of the Los Al Derby, which he has won nine times. 4-Varney scampered away to an impressive 5 ½-length maiden score on Preakness Day at Pimlico when making his first try around two turns. The $775k son of Vekoma has trained well since returning to his home Southern California base and looks like a strong gate-to-wire threat moving up to face stakes foes. His stablemate 5-Nevada Beach, has run well in both career route tries and was a recent second in the short field Affirmed S. on June 8 behind his barnmate, Gaming. Baffert’s third runner 2-Tiz Secure, exits a key allowance optional claimer at Churchill on May 3 that has since produced three next-out winners. He returns as a first-time gelding today.
Race #9: Selections 8-11-6
8-Charley Pride just missed by a head in a tough trip second when dropped to this level at Santa Anita on May 9, when finishing in front of a trio of today’s returning rivals, and should be tough in the Saturday nightcap with a similar effort for D’Amato. 11-Glass of Jameson has yet to hit the board in five career tries for trainer Peter Eurton but takes a sizable class drop today, exiting a series of grass route tries. The gelded son of Clubhouse Ride blew out three furlongs in :35.3 on June 23. 6-Far Over Loaded is an 11-start maiden with excellent gate speed that’s finished second six times. The gelding fired a “best of 56” four-furlong bullet in :46.4 on June 23. 9-Robarando ships in from Turf Paradise, having finished third in three career main track sprint tries and co-tops the field’s best last-out Beyer.
