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Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner

BEST BET: 8-What a Gift (Race 5)

Race #1: Selections: 1-5-7

Second off the claim, 1-No More Ding Dongs sports the field’s best last-out dirt Beyer (71), and this claiming maneuver is highly productive for this barn—12-for-34 (35%) over the past four years. The 4-year-old gelding gets the tepid vote in the Saturday opener. 5-Last Call Paul is 1-for-29 and 0-for-14 at six furlongs. He prefers to finish underneath the exotics but did finish in front of the top choice two-back. 7-Tee N Off was overmatched in the last pair but drops down this afternoon to a more suitable level and was a maiden-breaking winner over this course three back.

Race #2: Selections: 3-6-8

3-The Big Cheeseola was shuffled back some in not the cleanest of trips when returning here last week for owner/trainer Steve Knapp, finishing a disappointing eighth, but deserves another rebound chance today against a softer field, and Kimura sticks around for the return mount. 6-Distant Fleet has been equally effective over the afternoon and evening Los Al programs and has run well in the last three 1,000-yard efforts under the lights. 8-Grazen Sun has had a long 2025 season, running a dozen times, but gets back to the bigger course and 5 ½ furlongs (where he’s 4-for-9) and did fire a nice three-furlong blowout bullet in :36.1 on Nov. 28.

Race #3: Selections: 4-5-7

4-Resemblance exits both a career and field’s best last-out Beyer (79) with his most recent runner-up try at Del Mar on Nov. 7 for conditioner Steve Knapp and has never been off the board (5-1-1-3) over the bigger Los Al afternoon layout. The 4-year-old gelding figures to be rallying strongly through the lane. As is 5-Doo Wop Don, who goes first off the claim for trainer Jeff Mullins on the stretch-out back to his preferred one-mile trip. The veteran 7-year-old gelding is a 13-time winner and has run above par for this class level on numerous occasions. The Victor Garcia-trained 7-Mighty Kai was a winner against $16k claimers when last seen here back on Sept. 21 in his lone try over this course and has been training steadily for today’s return to action.

Race #4: Selections: 1-3-4

1-How Lovely (Ire) has never tried dirt but is by top sire No Nay Never (19% dirt sprinters) and takes a sizable class drop today from allowance company down to this $20k claiming level this afternoon for Team O’Neill. 3-Eltonsingsanother goes turf to dirt and returns to the Los Al afternoon course, where he was a gate-to-wire winner three-back going this 5 ½-furlong trip. 4-Petite Treat has never tried this course but finished third against slightly better on Nov. 24 at Del Mar and now makes his second try off the mini-freshening for trainer Mike Puype.

Race #5: Selections: 8-9-6

The Dean Pederson-trained 8-What a Gift moves back to the main track on the stretch out and could find routing over the main track to his liking. His sire Gift Box was a G1 winner going two turns on dirt, and this gray gelding makes the all-important third career start. It’s never easy to win at first-asking going one mile, but 9-My Favorite Felon (by Grazen) debuts for trainer Luis Mendez, who is a solid 5 for 23 (22%) the past four years with MDNCLM debut runners. The juvenile gelding will be drawn outside this afternoon, but should come out running. 6-Mr. Tariff got bounced around a bit on debut, Nov. 7 at Del Mar, and now drops a notch for his second start for trainer Jeff Bonde. The gelding is eligible to move forward in start number two.

Race #6: Selections: 2-5-7

2-Que Bella Luna finished a bang-up second off the 11-month layoff on Nov. 22 for trainer Ron Ellis, earning a career-best Beyer, and proved she can handle this course when running third before hitting the sidelines last December. The daughter of Stanford should prove tough to beat with similar effort and has the potential to move forward, second off the bench. 5-Subtle Knowledge (by multiple G2 winner Informed) debuts for Mullins in a weak spot and does not need to be much to win here off plenty of a.m. drills. A third behind the top choice in last, 7-Dixie’s Delight has hit the board in four of seven career tries with competitive figures for this level. A logical inclusion for the start of the pick 4.

Race #7: Selections: 1-7-3

1-Grainne O’Malley drops in for a first-time tag, second start off the long layoff, and figures to be hustled along today from the fence. The 4-year-old filly flashed good speed at long odds and finished second against MDSW types back in July 2024 over this racetrack and should prove to be too much for this group. 7-Going Great Guns has yet to hit the board in four career tries but gets in light this afternoon and fired back-to-back bullet drills over this course Nov. 26 and Dec. 7. 3-Free Nomination backed up to finish ninth at 77-1 against this same level back on Nov. 22 at Del Mar, but did run a (46) Beyer over this strip back in September, which may be fast enough to win this weak heat.

Race #8: Selections: 3-4-1

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Los Al Futurity (G2) a record 14 times (8 times at Los Al and six times when it was known as the Hollywood Futurity). He has three bullets in this year’s edition. 3-Litmus Test is a pricey $875k son of Nyquist that has improved Beyer-wise in each subsequent start and exits three consecutive G1 efforts, including a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile behind arguably the best juvenile in the country, Ted Noffey. The juvenile colt has trained sharply over the last month and is reunited with winning rider, Juan Herandez. His stablemate, 4-Blacksmith, goes two sprints to a route for his first stakes try and should relish the additional real estate. The $525k Keeneland purchase is bred top and bottom for routing. 1-Acknowledgemeplz has been super sharp in both sprint tries for Team O’Neill, posting swift Beyers, but does not necessarily have a pedigree that screams two turns. O’Neill won the 2021 edition with Slow Down Andy.

Race #9: Selections: 1-3-8

1-The Gypsy Cowboy shortens back up to a sprint after a series of several one-mile route tries over the past several months and exits a career-best Beyer (79) when finishing second on Oct. 26. The 3-year-old gelding was a good-looking victor over this course back in late June and should sit a stalk and pounce trip this afternoon with Baze. A winner of two of his last three starts, including a maiden victory over this course, 3-Horizon Wildcat enters her in top form, exiting a career-best Beyer (81). 8-Last Call Zondlo has good early speed and may prove the quickest of this group out of the gate, and ran well in both local tries here. This 6 ½-furlong trip is probably a tad too far for him to go, however.