The first open-company juvenile stakes of the Del Mar season takes place Saturday with the Best Pal, co-featured on a 10-race card that includes the Yellow Ribbon for Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf divisional prospects.
Each day this summer at Del Mar, I’ll be handicapping the action with my top plays on the card – including full-card selections for a featured program each week (this week’s full-card will be Saturday).
Let’s get to work.
Del Mar: Race 1 | maiden / optional claiming
#4 Billy Goat and #5 High Pronto chased winners who will match up in the co-featured Best Pal Stakes a few races later. Tough to separate those Doug O’Neill stablemates who could be dueling up front, while top choice #6 Boss Man Bolt exits a good second July 17 over the track and continued the success we’ve seen from the Bolt d’Oro stock locally in past seasons. Blinkers off could get Boss Man Bolt over the top after being his own worst mental enemy late in his last start. Picks 6-5-4.
Del Mar: Race 2 | starter / optional claiming
Solid lean to top pick #2 Hannah Buckle, who is beautifully drawn for a turf mile and returns to her favorite course (2-5 here, 0-8 elsewhere). The Bated Breath offspring relish this lawn and she’s no exception. Note the mare who beat her at Santa Anita in June already has returned to win the Osunitas Stakes at this meet. #1 Eternal Reign is a public darling while favored in 8 of her last 12 starts, but she’s won just 1 of her last 10 and has settled far too many minor awards to take at a small price. #3 Nikolina might be stretched farther than her damside pedigree suggests, but intigues enough to include underneath. Picks 2-1-3.
Del Mar: Race 3 | $150,000 Best Pal Stakes
Not unexpected, the Best Pal has been dominated by Bob Baffert’s 12 career wins, including each of the last 4. #3 Hughes debuted like a 3-5 should at Los Al and has trained well since. Liked the gallop-out from his July 25 bullet work over this track as seen at 1st.tv. Speedball #2 He Is No Lie nearly parlayed a Santa Anita debut dash win into Churchill Downs’ Bashford Manor score. He dueled the favorite into a 12-length defeat, but was nailed late by a 31-1 shot. This looks like the right pair but short prices in an uncreative opinion. #6 Kennyten romped in his SA debut, while his 2-3 pursuers already have returned to finish second in maiden heats. Picks 3-2-6.
Del Mar: Race 4 | claiming
Turf sprint claimer has at least 4 runners on paper who could cook early, setting this up for a finisher. The slight cut-back for #4 Tigerhon should suit him for a stalk-and-pounce under Hector Berrios, riding turf with success this meeting. Another in a line of Bated Breath offspring who relish this grass. Best bet early in the card and will feather out some depth underneath for the exotics. #5 Code Duello is the early pace player I trust most, dropping in class and so consistent on grass. He’s often hammered in the betting, so be price sensitive. #7 Regal Patriot likes to win races (45% 9-20 lifetime) and returns from the long layoff while dropping in class for a Steve Knapp barn that has struggled. Big shot to #11 Doncic if that one draws in off the also-eligible list, even from a tough post. Picks 4/11-5-7-3-1-8.
Del Mar: Race 5 | claiming
The best maiden win in this non-winners of 2 lifetime claimer belongs to #2 Ima Track Star, and he’s merely 1-for-3 in a race loaded with horses mired at this condition for a long time. Pace looks fair, but if he’s simply faster than these it won’t be a surprise. Next door, #3 Desert Kat just missed for us at 13-1 earlier in the meet and returns in a similar spot. He’s part of a long line of tough beats for trainer George Papaprodromou this summer so far. Deserves a look, especially if price is right. #8 Chapter One has 1 “where’d that come from?” race surrounded by a bunch of lesser efforts. Hard to trust, but scary at his random best. Picks 2-3-8.
Del Mar: Race 6 | maiden special weight
Half of these 10 exit the same July 18 Del Mar maiden turf mile won by a prior 0-for-4 runner. Now extending to 9 furlongs, I’m apt to reach for a fresh face. #3 Khonsu hasn’t raced since December and never on turf, but I’ll take a shot he fires early fresh in a paceless heat. The American Pharoahs have been better on turf, and the damside pedigree from an unraced dam leans grass. Second dam was a Calder turf stakes winner and the dam was half-sister to a Del Mar Green Flash Stakes turf sprint runner-up. Working sharp and we nailed an Adam Kitchingman sharp worker last week. #9 Path to Power is the other fresh face I like. The British export has all-day genes for the 9 furlongs and returns gelded and with blinkers. #1 Corkscrew Andy preferred among the July 18 returnees – quickest to return to the workout tab after that race and gets a much better post than harpooned in 10-hole last time. Picks 3-9-1.
Del Mar: Race 7 | maiden special weight
A spread race with no overly confident options to this eye. #6 Her Strut and #8 Take Revenge tried to close July 18 in a common event where the 1-2 finishers led throughout. Former’s trainer George Papaprodromou has better second-start stats and gets the slight nod. #4 Big Blast seemed to get better as his July 23 Del Mar 3-horse team drill from the gate went along, as seen on video. Best of the rookies. #3 Just Work It Out, albeit green, has been fast from the gate on video and might get the front for sharp debut barn John Sadler. Picks 6-4-3-8-2.
Del Mar: Race 8 | $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes
#4 Princess Moche could get loose on the lead while making another sprint-to-route bid. Note she’s 2-for-2 when immediately extending the trip since arriving in the US from Peru. Those wins came on 17 and 21-day quick returns, so her 14-day rebound from the Daisycutter earlier this meet might be right on plan for hot-going Doug O’Neill. #5 Take a Breath gives herself a lot to overcome late but fits well with this group and should be firing in the lane like she was in last year’s Del Mar Oaks. Another Bated Breath offspring to fear on this course. Mike Maker doesn’t ship many west but #2 Sweet Rebecca was very good on a top-of-ground kind of turf at Lone Star and that will play well and similar to Del Mar. Shrewd road trip. #8 Whiskey Decision also comes west, and notably was runner-up last out to Gimme a Nother, who since returned to win last Saturday’s Beverly D at Colonial Downs. Good options in this race. Picks 4-5-2-8.
Del Mar: Race 9 | allowance / optional claiming
#4 Supernal won a similar condition at Los Al last out and returns Saturday for the optional claiming price to remain eligible. Six-time winner from 21 starts faces less-accomplished rivals. Has run well for Steve Knapp and Doug O’Neill through prior claims and looking for Isidro Tamayo to keep him in form. #9 Matt At Five was clearly second-best in his local unveiling July 17 and smoked a bullet since for Peter Miller. Remains on tilt and a big threat. #1 Special Club has run well over the track, but loses Juan Hernandez to #3 Miss Jo’s Curlin, perhaps a sneaky indicator on that turf runner coming off a year layoff. Picks 4-9-1-3.
Del Mar: Race 10 | maiden claiming
#3 Lucky Sniper didn’t want to settle when last seen in May, but since gelded and could be a different horse on the class drop if able to relax. Should be a lot of pace here drawn in the middle of the field and pace sets up for some patience. #1 Heroic Dose has been in drama through both starts but Jeff Mullins’ turfers are firing and could improve with a clean go. #5 Non Domicile might be best of a fast pace scenario but stamina comes into question. Leaning mostly on the top pair. Picks 3-1-5.
.svg){kind=logo}
