The fifth Saturday of the Del Mar stand presents a pair of minor listed stakes in Races 6 and 8 on a 10-race card that gets underway at 5 pm ET. But it’s the Race 7 maiden for 2-year-olds that intrigues most as a potential springboard to the Del Mar Futurity.
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 is Saturday).
Del Mar Race 1 | maiden
Modest field of 6 to open as #6 Harmonique makes her second start of the year and should match up well after facing the boys here last year and facing eventual G1 La Brea winner Usha in separate Del Mar appearances. Jockey Joel Rosario has put together consecutive weeks riding at a higher level than we’ve seen him at in some time. #5 Wolf Hill is 8-for-9 among minor placings and 0-3 as an odds-on favorite. The one to beat but has had plenty of chances (cold barn makes short price-shopping even less appealing). #1 Apples Y Peaches adds blinkers in a third try at fending off the likely favorite and gets a favorable draw. Picks 6-5-1.
Del Mar Race 2 | maiden
Seven of 8 runners exit just 2 races, July 25 or 26 affairs, the former a dirt sprint and the latter a turf route that would seem the more apples-to-applies application Saturday. #4 Wildcatter was well-bet at 7-2 in the turf mile last out and ran credible while suffering a wide trip from the outside post. Moves in and has a sharp 47-2/5 drill since. Dam Wild At Heart was a second-start winner for Richard Mandella and her son will try to do the same for the same outfit. #3 Whiskey Bridge didn’t run as well as projected in his debut for Doug O’Neill after I loved what he showed on video going into that dirt sprint July 25. Half-brother to this year’s San Felipe runner-up and Kentucky Derby/Preakness alum Robusta doesn’t scream turf but should route. I’ll lean heavily on this pair. Picks 4-3-2.
Del Mar Race 3 | claiming
Unappealing group of 6 on paper lacks quality and quantity to get too excited. But you’ll need to navigate this in the early pick 5 if playing. #8 Van Cougar makes a drastic class drop that might be enough to best these, but a 3-week gap in the workout tab after a July 19 bullet does raise some red flags. #1 B Grayson should be running late and has 6 straight superfecta finishes when running sprint distances like this. #2 Lead Pipe Joe won back-to-back in Spring ’25 before going on the shelf. He’s worked fast but just once in the last 5 weeks and has obvious issues like many of these, not excluding #5 Will Be, who returns from an 11-length victory a mere 14 months ago for hot-going Phil D’Amato. Picks 6-1-2-5.
Del Mar Race 4 | maiden
Brian Koriner barn is cooking right now and #10 Fair Question just missed in a similar spot to open the meet at 14-1 odds. Also outran 37-1 price here in a similar spot last summer and should be tough vs. a modest group. My most clear-cut choice in the front half of the card and a deep field size to key in exotics intra-race. #4 Mo Diamentes has a strong debut tab and is worth a look in the paddock/post parade and on the tote; Mike Puype barn has been icy at the meet. Picks 10/4-12-11-7-9
Del Mar Race 5 | starter / optional claiming
Just a field of 7 but the outside 4 runners all figure to lock up in a pace battle, setting the table for a runner who can show a bit of patience. #3 Egyptian Mistress has been exclusively turf in 7 career starts, but Cairo Prince offspring win a strong 19% on the Del Mar dirt in recent years and this one could be traveling best late. #4 Miss Hellfire blew away Santa Anita maidens in her debut May 30, but her runner-up was a dull sixth earlier in the Del Mar meet vs. a slightly weaker optional claiming group. #7 Bourbon and Spice has been consistent in Kentucky and Indiana but it’s difficult to trust that form continues on a barn change to a cold Leonard Powell. Lean on the top pair for the early/late pace tactic. Picks 3-4-7.
Del Mar Race 6 | $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes
Big field of 12 and quality stakes veterans provide the best betting race on the program. #5 Take Another Card is 4: 1-3-0 in California-bred stakes and runs well short or long, at Santa Anita or Del Mar. #6 Grand Slam Smile is the defending champ in the Solana Beach, wiring last year at 6-5 odds and she’s got one way to motor: fast early. It’s worked for her with a remarkable 6: 5-1-0 in Cal-bred stakes. She should get pace pressure from #4 Liberation, #7 Can’t Sleep and #8 Clubhouse Cutie, the latter pair drawn just to her outside to turn up the heat. #9 Wink and a Grin rallied last to fourth in this race last year and gets a more favorable pace set-up Saturday. Broke her maiden going sprint-to-route and second start of her form cycle like this and Carla Gaines’ horses are firing right now. Really working in the 5,9 combinations in the exotics spots intra-race. Picks 5-6-9.
Del Mar Race 7 | maiden
All eyes will be on $2.1 million Flightline rookie #5 Inshallah, a son of Breeders’ Cup F&M Sprint winner Bar of Gold. The John Sadler trainee has worked right on cue since arriving at the track in June. My video study of his works indicates that he’s got a touch of greenness still to him and there’s a turfy stride that might be a card to play down the road. But there’s also a wow factor. He’s been working with older horses and looked devastating at times. If not the likely chalk, Bob Baffert went 4-4 at Del Mar last week and his maidens are typically potent in the juvenile races. #1 Emancipate and #3 Absolution rep the barn here. Emancipate is a half-brother to Hope Road, a Grade 1 winner at age 4 who dropped all 3 local juvenile decisions in 2023. He has been working with some barn beasts like Hughes, winner of the Best Pal last week. Absolution has shown to be a very clean breaker on video at 1st.tv and not speed-crazy. Neither would shock. All that talent said, the play could be debut runner #8 Domenici as he likely gets overlooked among the big names. He’s ready-made, costing $350K this April despite $12,500 sire Early Voting. His dam Bruised Orange was a Wesley Ward win-early baby dash winner at 2 at Keeneland. And, wow, what a work July 12 at Santa Anita from the gate when staying toe-to-toe with elder Listenupshance, who would win the Bing Crosby Stakes earlier this Del Mar meeting. The value player in me will be drawn to him, despite the uphill test that likely looms. Picks 8-5-1-3.
Del Mar Race 8 | $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes
Despite a 1-3/8 miles distance, you could surmise that 6 of these 11 entrants are essentially miler-types and the distance will be a massive hurdle. That’s not the case for #5 Vronti, loaded with European stamina pedigree and a Saratoga runner-up last out at this 11-furlong trip. The Graham Motion barn is popping all over the country right now and won last week’s Yellow Ribbon on the flight west to Del Mar. Looks to be a standout to me over the local cast and will be a multi-race wager single. #9 Kentucky Gal just might be better at Santa Anita than Del Mar, but feeling is she’ll run better than she did in this race a summer ago as the Phil D’Amato barn has been on point lately. #6 Resolve has 5 straight superfecta finishes in races 9 furlongs or longer and can get a share. Picks 5-9-6.
Del Mar Race 9 | maiden claiming
Six of these 11 basement-level maidens exit the same Del Mar race July 25 in which the winner rallied from last of 12 to win after 2 uncompetitive tries in maiden special weights. That a 52-1 and 30-1 rounded out the tri gives me bad vibes about that race and I’ll go to all fresh faces. #1 Captain Gabe faced much, much tougher in Kentucky and should be a standout at this class level for a Michael McCarthy barn that had a fast opening-weekend start and has hit the skids since. No excuses for this one as an obvious favorite. #2 Attack Now didn’t show anything locally over a mile, but his 1-turn races are solid and Doug O’Neill has been making all the right moves this meeting and removes blinkers. #6 Maxxander is a coinflip to use underneath off poor Gulfstream form at a higher class. Jose D’Angelo’s shippers have been hit-or-miss locally. Picks. 1-2-6.
Del Mar Race 10 | allowance / optional claiming
Another big Kentucky class dropper could have run of the field late in the card Saturday when #8 Beyond Stoked brings stakes-placed turf miler form west. Three local works since settling in for high-percentage Brian Lynch. #11 Catch the Breeze had zero shot behind walking fractions here July 18 when rallying strong for third against the classy veteran Packs a Whallop. #9 Lyle the Crocodile has a couple minor stakes placings over this course and returns from a February layoff with a steady workout tab for a Phil D’Amato barn doing good things of late. Any of this trio makes sense and merit coverage in the multi-race bets. Picks 8-11-9.
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