Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 5-Astronomically (Ire) (Race 5)
Race #1: Selections: 1-6-4
The 8-time winning 1-Code Duello was a sharp gate-to-wire odds-on choice winner against similar at this level on May 8 and figures to be hustled along for position from the rail again this afternoon for trainer Craig Dollase. The hard-hitting veteran 8-year-old gelding rarely misfires. 6-Donic made a nice run to briefly grab the front but had to settle for second after being overhauled by race winner Dakota Country, though he looks to have been a timely claim for the Mullins barn. The aforementioned 4-Dakota Country posted a career-best turf Beyer (90) in an 11-1 upset win and figures to make up solid ground late again.
Race #2: Selections: 2-3-4
The Grade 3 winner 2-Nooni has been sidelined for 551 days for team Baffert but is training like she’s returned to form and is back sprinting, where she began her career with much success. The 4-year-old daughter of Win Win Win is reunited with the barn’s go-to pilot, Juan Hernandez, off the long hiatus. 3-Revera goes turf-to-dirt for the lucrative Rosario/Sadler jockey-trainer combo, exiting a recent fourth in the Senorita (G3). The sophomore filly’s dirt sprint tries have been sharp, including a win in the Desi Arnaz S. last fall at Del Mar. The lightly raced, and recent turf winner 4-Magnificat has won half her starts and has only been off the board once in six tries, while proving equally effective on dirt and turf. She moves back to the main track and fired a sharp “best of 83” bullet four furlongs in :46.3 in the interim.
Race #3: Selections: 1-6-2
1-Will Happen drops back down in class after finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Senorita (G3), but both turf sprint tries two and three-back were decent to start her 2026 campaign. 6-Peppermint Dash swept to the front from the back of the pack to post a 14-1 upset on debut over a bulky field for trainer Richard Baltas, and that maiden event has already produced a pair of next-out winners. The daughter of Twirling Candy takes the next step up the class ladder. 2-Queen Bay returns off a seven-month freshening but has done little running since a promising maiden victory in a short-priced debut last spring. The blinkers come off this afternoon with the addition of Lasix.
Race #4: Selections: 8-3-7
Trainer Luis Mendez sends out three fillies in here. The top choice from the trio is 8-Allons Y, who has been working swiftly for this afternoon’s unveiling, including back-to-back three-furlong main-track bullets on May 24 and June 5. The daughter of Upstart is well-drawn outside with good gate speed, and her sire gets a solid 16% with juvenile-debuting prodigy. 3-Pickitupthatsgood debuts for the Michael McCarthy barn. This daughter of Girvin has looked sharp in the morning with a series of snappy drills, and Girvin gets an above-average 20% with 2-year-old debuting prodigy. Mendez-trained filly 7-Chaseher (by multiple Grade 1 winner Corniche) is 2-for-3 from a tiny sample of winning juveniles and is also drawn outside for a potential clean getaway.
Race #5: Selections: 5-1-8
The Irish import 5-Astronomically (Ire) (by No Nay Never) has finished second in four straight starts over at Dundalk in big fields and looks well-spotted for her U.S. unveiling for trainer Paddy Gallagher. The filly gets Lasix today and picks up Hernandez, who is 5-for-12 (42%) with a $7.93 ROI when riding for these connections in the past five years. 1-Grey Matter goes from two sprints to a route for the all-important third career try off an improving Beyer pattern and gets a major post upgrade with the move to the rail this afternoon. The 4-year-old filly by Classic Empire is likely to show more early speed today on the stretch-out. 8-Cortina d’Amperezzo (Ire) has finished third in two of her three starts in the States for D’Amato while coming up a flat fifth in her most recent try. She gets her sixth different jockey today but is back at a mile, where she’s run her better races.
Race #6: Selections: 11-5-1
11-Shady Gem has flashed speed and tired in all three career starts for trainer Jeff Bonde but takes a sizable class plunge from maiden $50k claimers down to today’s $20,000 level. She posted an eye-catching four furlongs in :46 flat on June 4. The 9-start maiden 5-Chapter One goes from turf to dirt on the class drop and cutback, with the addition of blinkers, as Team O’Neill looks for a form reversal. He figures to be forwardly placed like the top choice. Not a move you see often from this elite barn, but 1-Pecos River drops in for a tag in start number two after a non-threatening fifth on debut when “cold” on the board and not well-backed for these top connections. Nonetheless, Baffert’s still 3-for-8 (38%) with this class drop angle in start number two the past five years, and Hernandez takes over.
Race #7: Selections: 5-4-7
5-Hey Lil Lady was a game turf sprint winner when last seen back on Feb. 8 for trainer Bob Hess and has had plenty of recovery time for this afternoon’s return to action. The 4-year-old filly grabbed the lead early on in that event, something she hadn’t done in previous starts, but she may be best served sitting off today with Rosario in what’s projected to be a lively tempo. The D’Amato-trained 4-Nikolina kicked away to a decisive 3 ½-length win on April 19, and that event has since produced three next-out winners. The 4-year-old filly has been much-improved since switching to the sod and should sit another favorable stalking trip. The other Hess runner is 7-Miss Mandalay (GB), who returns off a 10-month layoff and has proven she can fire fresh. She lures Hernandez off the bench and has looked well in her a.m. morning drills.
Race #8: Selections: 4-3-1
4-Decisive Win was a dominant 5 ½-length winner in start number two on the stretch-out for Team O’Neill with a lofty (90) Beyer and looks primed to tackle stakes competition in career start number three. The $600k Nyquist colt figures to go gate-to-wire again in here at a short number. 3-Secured Freedom drops out of three straight graded stakes into this softer spot today for conditioner Tim Yakteen, and the colt’s recent bullet five-furlong drill on June 5 catches the eye. Rosario on. 1-One More Freud was a troubled trip seventh after a slow start in the Pat Day Mile (G2) and now heads west for his first Southern California start. The Tonalist colt looked to have a bright future after a blowout 14 ½-length maiden score at Saratoga on debut and a short-priced Sapling S. score at Monmouth in start number two.
Race #9: Selections: 8-10-9
The Mark Glatt-trained 8-Warm Sun and Brew has never been off the board in six lifetime starts (6-1-4-1) and is also shortening up in distance today while just falling short on April 4 in a race that’s produced three next-out winners. The gelding’s versatile running style gives Fresu plenty of options. 10-Frank Bullit is drawn way outside without a ton of gate speed but is a logical fit in the Thursday afternoon nightcap, exiting back-to-back close-up grass sprint second-place finishes at this level and co-topping the field’s best last-out turf Beyer. The 4-year-old gelding switches to red-hot Rosario. 9-Sogo Di Vino goes dirt to turf on the turnback for trainer Peter Miller, while returning off a nine-month freshening for a good layoff barn. The 4-year-old gelding lures Hernandez off the bench.
