The Grade 1 Clement Hirsch in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff division headlines the Saturday slate, an 11-race card that begins at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT. But it’s a rather blue-collar undercard for a Saturday this early in the Del Mar summer stand with 2 claiming and 3 maiden claiming affairs scheduled.
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Del Mar: Race 1 | maiden special weight
With early speed expected from the inside pair of runners #3 Balaza could get a dynamite, pocket trip in this turf sprint under jockey Hector Berrios, who is riding lights-out on turf so far this Del Mar stand. Filly is experienced over the course and trip and adds Lasix in her first start of the year. Trainer Jeff Mullins’ turfers are firing. #2 Sacred Sound makes plenty of sense but may need to outbreak her rail rival to do her best work – can she pass anyone? #6 Maggles McGee runs fresh while cutting back in trip, a typically solid combo for turf sprints. Picks 3-6-2.
Del Mar: Race 2 | claiming
Bottom-level claimers dash 5-1/2 furlongs and this distance has been a green light for west coast visitor #7 Pop Rox (7: 4-1-0). First local spin but note sire Munnings gets a strong 21% Dmr dirt winners in recent years coming into the meet. #5 Miz Clubcali tops the locals and was a winner here in the ’24 autumn meet, so proven over the track. Rallied to win a similar class/trip at Santa Anita this spring and needs it to cook early for her late run. Picks 7-5-3.
Del Mar: Race 3 | maiden special weight
In Del Mar juvenile turf sprint maiden special weight races, experienced horses have a 17% win rate while rookies have won 9% over the last 5 summer meets. The experienced lean goes to #2 Ocean Club and #7 High Ambition. One ships from the UK, the other from Florida. Ocean Club’s fourth in Ireland in May has proven to be quite a race. The 1-3 finishers were Aidan O’Brien trainees who have come back to both place at the Group 3 level, while 1 of those has a Group 2 win to his credit since. Meanwhile, High Ambition was giving away experience last time to a wire-to-wire winner who had the benefit of a prior start; now he’s the advantaged one. Among the rookies, #6 Bliksem looks strongest for a potent jockey-trainer tandem. Despite bullet drills, didn’t like the gassed finish by #3 Brockster on video at 1st.tv. Picks 2-7-5.
Del Mar: Race 4 | maiden claiming
The numbers show that outside posts have had tremendous success in these 5-furlong maiden claiming races at Del Mar over the years, so don’t mistake ground-saving as a premium. #10 Cross Fever debuts for a Vann Belvoir barn off to a sharp start at the meet, in possession of strong ROI with debut and debut maiden claiming runners and an even more-specific edge – Belvoir’s 9: 3-1-0 in this 2YO MCL 5F dash situation at Del Mar with $8, $16 and $19 winners (2-for-4 with such rookies with jockey Edgar Payeras aboard both). Wide-drawn #9 Red Raider also appeals in his debut for a plus ROI debut MCL barn in Craig Lewis, also off to a good start at the current meet. Lewis aims at these 2YO MCL 5F dashes at Del Mar, going 13: 2-2-2 ($24 and $66 winners…plus at 26-1 in the money!) and all 13 were first-time starters like this. #7 Keepsmesane is the one to beat among the experienced runners but hot-starting ’26 meet trainer Doug O’Neill’s charged failed as the even-money favorite last out. The barn is a wicked-good 9: 4-2-2 with experienced horses like this in Del Mar 2YO MCL 5F dashes. Expect #8 Romanticon to appreciate the Del Mar surface after a modest SA debut. Sire Bodexpress had 20% local winners coming into the meet. Lots to like on the stats end in a race with little to embrace on past performances. Picks 10-9-7-8.
Del Mar: Race 5 | $150,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes
#7 On the Whim won this same stakes 2 summers ago and could be on course for a return victory after a pair of runner-up finishes in his 2 Cal-bred stakes appearances so far this year. Mild lean in a wide-open affair where the rest of the field is 2-20 combined on the Del Mar lawn. #5 Old Pal returns from a layoff and should be moving best late, but there’s not a great deal of early pace to help his kick. #3 Prince Dolce continues to improve since moving to Steve Knapp and fits with these. Picks 7-5-3.
Del Mar: Race 6 | claiming
Not much to like about this non-winners of 2 lifetime claimer that sure doesn’t look like a Del Mar Saturday race. My top picks are both 1-for-19 lifetime, so consider yourself warned. #4 D Day Sky has the best win on paper, an Aqueduct maiden special weight back in 2024, and gets the nod. Eligible for the Ship & Win bonus money and seems to be well-placed by Peter Eurton. His sire Omaha Beach posted a strong 23% Dmr dirt winners coming into the meet, so he could like the track. #2 Audible Silence is by Dmr dirt super-sire Audible (31% winners, positive ROI coming into the meeting) and outran his 45-1 odds in a similar race opening weekend while turning back in distance. Could appreciate 2 turns with a great post and he has run a couple of solid efforts moving sprint-to-route in the past. #9 Noble Minded also should like the sprint-to-route maneuver, one he used in victory when breaking his maiden – but he starts from a disadvantageous post. Picks 4-2-9.
Del Mar: Race 7 | maiden claiming
Another race with little trust factor to embrace on paper with elder maiden claimers going a turf mile. #10 Sensational Dream has shown some ability to sit with patience and this race looks like it could fall apart up front. Hector Berrios has been fantastic on turf at the meet and we get a 4-year-old taking on a slew of sophomores. Maybe that’s enough. #8 Icons Only is the other elder in the lineup and ran a pair of decent-enough turf miles against tougher here last summer to be in the discussion. One of those came with blinkers on, which re-emerge today for the first time since. #3 Zuraya is likely the filly to catch, while #1 Silkie Sevie gets a very positive post-position swap from her last start and drops in for a tag for the first time where she should be more effective. Get some coverage here. Picks 10-8-3-1.
Del Mar: Race 8 | allowance/optional claiming
#1 San Saba has been working fast for the return, but trainer Bob Baffert is 2-for-13 over the past decade-plus with Del Mar returnees who have been away more than 1 year like this. I’ll take my chances at what likely will be an underlay price and try to get him out of the ticket. #7 See Through It is a 16-time winner and old war horse entered for the $50,000 claiming tag in this optional condition. He won an even tougher condition here last summer and comes in off back-to-back wins. Trainer Genaro Vallejo, his winning trainer here last summer, dipped back in to reclaim him on July 5, a positive sign. #8 Decisive Win and #2 Duke Silver are very talented 3-year-olds whose running lines against the star Crude Velocity give them a lot of respect. Neither would be a surprise, but take on elder winners for the first time. Consider both in conjunction with the warhorse See Through It in exotics and multi-race bets. Picks 7-8-2.
Del Mar: Race 9 | allowance/optional claiming
Loved the work on video at 1st.tv for #1 Wiki Kane, who appears to be sitting on tilt for his first start of 2026. Proven over the course and distance and won from the rail with ease in his debut. Not messing around as they go to top pilot Juan Hernandez and Lasix added for first time. One of my keys to the card. Will feather underneath Wiki Kane with the likes of #10 Miles Finch, who may finish stronger on the cut-back in trip in a race with plenty of early speed; also-eligible consideration #12 Jetovator, who won a similar race here in the Fall for a Peter Eurton barn that excels with Del Mar turf sprint allowance spots; and #8 Grey’s Boy, who benefits if he can show some patience off the April layoff and not be too fresh. Picks 1-10-12-8.
Del Mar: Race 10 | Grade 1 $400,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes
The Santa Margarita Stakes was a disaster for #8 Seismic Beauty as the 3-5 favorite. She over-did it early in what looked like a match race in a miniscule field size and was left with her tongue dragging. But the works for this indicate a bounce-back result could in store for the defending champ in this race. Juan Hernandez won 30% on dirt the first 2 weeks of the meet and is on point #6 Simply Joking was the pace pest against Seismic Beauty last time and helped set the table for #3 Om N Joy. A fuller field size here should change the race dynamics to a more traditional pace and that could help both Simply Joking and Seismic Beauty run better. #1 Chasten comes west for Brad Cox and should save ground here after several outings having to overcome ground loss. Ton of respect for #5 Majestic Oops over her career, but she was terrible in the BC Distaff locally and hasn’t impressed in 2 works I watched on video at 1st.tv over the Del Mar track for this – perhaps she just doesn’t get over the ground as well? Picks 8-1-6.
Del Mar: Race 11 | maiden claiming
A big field of MCL turf routers wrap the action and #11 Born to Rock has to overcome a tough post from the infield chute to start but is the horse to beat. His Del Mar miles last year match up well here and the drop to the claiming ranks for the first time should be enough to get him over the top. Trainer Michael McCarthy’s runners are 7-15 in the exacta in MCL turf routes at Del Mar the last 5 summers. Umberto Rispoli is riding in his best form. I’ll key that one on top of several options, including #10 Timayyy, #2 Lorenzo Bernini, #1 Fausto, #6 Heavenly Match and also-eligible #13 Mighty Toro if he draws in. It’s a classic single-or-spread situation and I nearly always lean to the single option in that dilemma. Picks. 11-10-2-13-1-6
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