ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, P R RADIO STAR

FIRST RACE

The sharp runner-up debut by EAGLE IN THE SKY stamps him the one to beat in this maiden race for Cal-bred 2-year-olds that is a split of race 7. ‘SKY was no match for romping winner Bolden, but finished more than two lengths clear of third and should move forward for a trainer whose runners typically improve with racing. ‘SKY faces a formidable rival in GOOD WITH PEOPLE. The latter blazed a bullet half from the gate early this week in :46.40, which supports his win-early pedigree. Juvenile progeny of stallion Curlin to Mischief have won 3 of 9 first time out; ‘PEOPLE is a sibling to four winners including three that won their career debut. Top stable, ready to fire. INGEST bombed without a visible alibi as the favorite in his debut, but worked well since and adds blinkers. Expect a better effort second time out. INVESTMENT ACCOUNT ran well first out finishing third at Santa Anita, then regressed second time out with a low-rated runner-up finish at Los Alamitos. Based on his debut, the late-running has a shot from off the pace.

SECOND RACE

KAZAN was in over his head last time in a N2X won by Hit the Road, favored to win the Oceanside Stakes on Friday. KAZAN finished sixth in the N2X. But his $50k claiming win two back was solid, he has a long history of running well on Del Mar turf, and if he reproduces his win two back, he should be tough. The challenge is pace. He is a laterunner, and this field does not have much speed. WINNING ELEMENT is a 6-for-19 pro who misfired in both recent N1X starts at Santa Anita, but could return to form back with claiming company and returning the course on which he won last fall. Reunited with Flavien Prat is a positive. DUBBY DUBBIE is a seven-time winner from the East Coast arriving for the ship-and-win bonus program. He scored a sharp win last out at Tampa Bay Downs and has a pressing style that should play well in a field conspicuously void of pace.

THIRD RACE

Midwest shipper JEWEL THIEF arrives in California with a speed-figure advantage over her rivals in this small field. She is a model of consistency, one-two all five starts, and finished nearly four lengths clear of third last out in a highly rated starter allowance at Oaklawn. Tough to beat if she reproduces that effort at Del Mar. Perhaps a similar comment applies to DEHYDRATION, who dusted $20k claiming rivals at Churchill Downs last out. Four of the five rivals she defeated improved their speed figures by eight points or more when they ran back. QUEEN OF THE TRACK ran well last out finishing a decent third after breaking from the undesirable inside post at Los Alamitos. HOT ON THE TRAIL is sharp, and will be rolling late.

FOURTH RACE

A promising third-place dirt debut by LIL RICHARDS BELLO stamps him the one to beat switching to turf. He appeared uncomfortable early in the race while perhaps disliking the kickback, uncorked a middle move through the turn, and finished willingly to miss by just slightly more than two lengths. Solid effort. The switch to turf should be fine. Progeny of Richard’s Kid win at an okay 13 percent rate on turf; the dam of ‘BELLO was a three-time turf winner. However, FOOTHILL looms an interesting upset candidate going route to sprint. He pressed the pace and faltered his first two starts, both routes, a style that suggests he might prefer one turn. Third time out, first time short, upset contender. MASTER RYAN finished an okay fourth in his comeback last month, a race won by Saturday race-6 contender Duplicity. ‘RYAN ran well finishing third on this turf course last summer.

STREET IMAGE and STREET BEHAVIOR are tough to separate in this maiden-20 sprint. STREET IMAGE gets the call based on back-to-back runnerup finishes at this level. He pressed strong fractions both recent starts, and faces a similar pace scenario here because dropper STREET BEHAVIOR is drawn directly to his outside. ‘BEHAVIOR drops from Cal-bred maiden special-weight to rock bottom, he returns from a four-month freshening and should fire his best shot first start back. BEDROCK returns to a dirt sprint and drops in class. His third-place finish two starts back in his only dirt race was the best race of his career. Look for him to rally from off the pace. POISE TO STRIKE adds speed and enters with the highest last-out speed figure.

SIXTH RACE

SUPER PATRIOT returned to form last out with a sharp stakes win over Cal-breds. The gradedplaced mare is arguably the “class” of this restricted stakes race, 3-for-7 on the Del Mar turf, and a deserving favorite to win from off the pace. Her best races are simply faster than her rivals. DON’T BLAME JUDY is basically second-level allowance-caliber, which makes her a fit in this minor stakes race. Runner-up last time in a similar stakes at a mile and one-quarter, she shortens to a mile and will be rolling late. ZIARAH won four straight main-track races in Northern California, she also can handle turf. Her tactical speed should land her in a cozy trip setting or pressing easy splits with CORDIALITY. The latter is a 7yo veteran who ran like she needed a start last out, her first in a year. She set the pace to deep stretch and then tired. With a race under belt, proven form at Del Mar, she has a shot to steal it. SEDAMAR might be ranked too low by this handicapper, she is 3-for-5 on the Del Mar turf and finished a sharp second last out in the stakes won by top choice SUPER PATRIOT.

SEVENTH RACE

This 2yo Calbred maiden race is a split of race 1. TACOFLAVOREDKISSES worked a bullet :35.20 from the gate one week ago, and should come out firing for trainer Simon Callaghan. Debut progeny of Distorted Humor have won 16 percent of their starts; ‘TACO is the first runner produced by a sprint dam. WHAT’S UP SURFER debuts for trainer Peter Miller, who entered the weekend having already won three races this year with debut 2yos. The apparently sharp workout July 3 by ‘SURFER reportedly was in company with Taming the Tigress, 2yo program favorite to win her debut in race 6 on Friday. A good effort by ‘Tigress would flatter the July 3 team work. COLAVITO finished an okay third in his debut as the favorite at Golden Gate Fields. Maiden 2yos trained by Blaine Wright generally improve second time out. LEMON ZINGER and TETON VALLEY also are likely to improve second time out.

EIGHTH RACE

Last-out stakes runners-up RED LARK and CALIFORNIA KOOK are tough to separate in this N1X turf mile for 3yo fillies. RED LARK gets the call dropping from a G3 vs. older. That race was won by Toinette, a contender in the G1 Jenny Wiley on Saturday at Keeneland (race 8). Each start by RED LARK is better than the start before. CALIFORNIA KOOK followed a blowout Cal-bred N1X win with a better performance finishing second against Calbred 3yo males in the Snow Chief Stakes. ‘KOOK broke slowly, finished fast, and also has improved each start this season. It’s a virtual coin flip between the top pair. GOING TO VEGAS has won three of her last four starts, albeit claiming caliber. Northern California-based MYLITTLERUNAWAY is speed, dropping from a stakes race vs. 3yo males into a N1X for 3yo fillies. Also-eligible APPLECROSS would be returning from a layoff for an excellent layoff stable, and also dropping in class.

NINTH RACE

P R RADIO STAR, a sharp claiming veteran in the Midwest, makes his California debut as one of fastest horses in this N2X/optional claiming sprint. ‘RADIO STAR has won eight races; he was claimed for $25k last out from a sharp second at Churchill Downs. The winner of that race returned to finish second for a $40k tag, the third-place finisher returned to win a fast allowance. Since arriving in California, ‘RADIO STAR posted two sharp works for trainer Phil D’Amato, 8-for-33 first-off-claim the past five years. FIGHT ON returned to form last out with a solid second in an allowance/optional claiming race similar to this. Outside post, pressing trip likely. PRINCIPE CARLO is speed. He gave TIGER DAD a battle last time out in a Cal-bred stakes race. BLAMEITONTHELAW is a Del Mar horse for course that will be rolling late.

TENTH RACE

SEA OF LIBERTY had been off three months when he returned with an okay third in a similar Cal-bred N1X. With that comeback race out of the way, and ascending speed figures, ‘LIBERTY enters this turf mile as the deserving choice. KING EDDIE is a sharp claiming runner from Northern California, arriving with a three-race win streak on synthetic and turf. He will be among the pacesetters, but he