ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, BEAU RECALL

FIRST RACE

YOUR ROYAL COIL moves up a notch in class to $20k claiming N3L after a sharp N2L victory over a field that produced two next-out winners. Drawn outside her pace rivals and shortening to five and a half, ‘COIL figures for a comfortable trip pressing the pace in the clear. DEHYDRATION broke poorly, stumbled and lost all chance in her California debut. But her claiming win vs. 3yo fillies two starts back in Kentucky is one of the fastest recent races by any in this field. She returns to the claiming ranks, and gets a weight break under seven-pound apprentice Alexis Centeno. SUPER KLAUS will be rolling late, first start since February. SOUTH BOOTH SHIRLEY adds speed to the field; she won her only start over this track in fall 2018.

SECOND RACE

Lightly raced, improving each start including a runner-up finish last out in a fast sprint, A MELIS is the horse to beat stretching to a mile at the same Cal-bred N1X level, even while wheeling back in just 12 days. She finished more than seven lengths clear of third and is quick enough to make the lead if she wants. Speed has been holding better lately around two turns. Four of the five dirt routes last weekend were won wire to wire. SHANGHAI BARBIE is the only true main-track distance runner in a field otherwise filled with sprinters including the top choice. ‘BARBIE is a two-time dirt-route winner with in-the-money finishes under similar conditions in her last two starts. TIME FOR EBBY is probably best as a closing sprinter, but her sixwin total tops the field. She is the only starter entered for the $20k optional claim tag.

THIRD RACE

Based on his promising fourth-place debut, SPUD gets the call in this Cal-bred maiden turf sprint. He hopped at the break in his debut, unleashed a small burst of speed to reach contention, rallied extremely wide into the lane and finished evenly. Solid debut; SPUD has more speed than he showed first out and can post a minor upset second out. He will have to defeat a horse that finished in front of him. That is MASTER RYAN, whose runner-upby-a-head debut was the best effort of his career. He set the pace from the rail, hung tough to deep stretch and got collared late. Inside post again, therefore he must “go” again. Obvious contender. FLY BUDDY FLY is a half-sibling to stakes winner graded stakes-placed Fly to Mars. Workouts modest, at least on paper, and this stable rarely pops with firsters in turf sprints (1-for-25 past five years). Nonetheless, must respect the gelding’s pedigree and normally high-percent outfit. CROOKED FINGER RAY showed promise in his runner-up debut a year ago on dirt. This stable can fire with comebackers.

FOURTH RACE

The 8yo veteran EL HUERFANO is the one to beat in this $12.5k claiming route, based on his fifthplace finish in the opening race of the meet. The pace was fast, he tired late and was re-claimed for $16k by a former trainer. EL HUERFANO won four races for Peter Miller in 2016-2018; Miller drops the gelding one level off the claim. The move makes sense; ‘HUERFANO has been running fast enough to win at this level. KYLEMORE, 2-for-4 at Del Mar, meets easier after finishing nowhere in a tough turf claiming race two weeks ago and an allowance in May. His winter-spring form puts him in the hunt; this is his second start back from a layoff. Improvement likely vs. easier company. WILSHIRE DUDE ran better than the top choice last out. ‘DUDE set/pressed a fast pace and did not give up until deep stretch. He finished fourth.

Good try by a front-runner rounding back into form. The past three years, trainer Kristin Mulhall is 5-for-13 second start off the claim.

FIFTH RACE

MERNEITH stretches back to a route as likely pacesetter in this N1X turf mile. Sired by American Pharoah, grass should be fine. Come and catch her. Lightly raced MIND OUT has improved each subsequent start based on figures; she returns to the allowance ranks after a respectable runner-up finish in a $75k stakes at Golden Gate. MOONHALL MILLY did not have a great trip last time in a similar turf route. Rank early, blocked form the quarter pole to the eighth pole, okay fourth. She is reunited with the meet’s leading turf rider Umberto Rispoli. SUMMER LOVE makes her California debut after a maiden win at Tampa bay Downs. The filly she beat won her next start by 11 lengths.

SIXTH RACE

Favorites won 17 of the last 25 editions of this Grade 2 for juveniles, and shipper RODERICK can continue the trend based on his debut at Belmont Park. It was only a four-horse field, but he dueled through a fast pace, shook clear and won with plenty left. Big win by a full sibling to G3 winner One Liner. RODERICK arrived at Del Mar on Monday and enters as the horse to beat. WESTON might be best of the locals. Overlooked at 21-1 first out, he popped the gate and wired the field. Rock solid. He has worked well at Del Mar since his debut at Santa Anita. HERD IMMUNITY followed his off-the- pace debut win with an okay third behind hotshot Cazadero in a G3 at Churchill Downs. Plenty of pace to set it up for blinkers-off HERD IMMUNITY. As for Cazadero, he entered a G2 Friday at Saratoga. AMBIVALENT finished an okay second in his debut; he benefits by the stretch-out from four and one-half furlongs to six.

SEVENTH RACE

CUPID’S CLAWS lost ground finishing fourth here opening weekend. Good try under the widetrip circumstances; the race was validated when runner-up Big Buzz returned to win. Claimed off the two-length loss, ‘CLAWS might be facing an easier bunch in this N1X/optional $40k. The marathon distance of a mile and three-eighths should be fine based on pedigree. TARTINI crushed $32k claiming turf milers at Santa Anita; she ran well on this course here in fall. This is his first start in two months; he runs well fresh. The last time he ran a mile and three-eighths, two years ago at Del Mar at this class level, he finished third by a length. TINTORETTO finished an okay fourth in the

G3 San Juan Capistrano that was his U.S. debut. Class drop; to N1X, rider switch to Flavien Prat. REPROBATE acts like he will love the distance.

EIGHTH RACE

TACO FLAVORED KISSES blew the break in his debut, and it cost him any chance as the favorite. He finished fourth. The 2yo reportedly has more speed than he showed, he adds blinkers and is the only starter with a race under his belt. Jeff Bonde-trained LINO’S BACK N TOWN and ALEXANDER’S DREAM have worked well for their respective debuts. ‘TOWN is by first-crop sire Uncle Lino, whose four starters through last weekend produced one second. Works suggests ‘TOWN has speed. Perhaps the same is true of ALEXANDER’S DREAM, a sibling to two-turn stakes winner Our Silver Oak. ‘DREAM is by Gervinho, whose brief stallion career has ended. Gervinho was gelded, and is being trained as a show horse. BIG FLAME is sired by win-early stallion Mr. Big.

NINTH RACE

Based on an outstanding runner-up finish last out at Belmont Park and an affinity for the Del Mar turf, BEAU RECALL gets the call to win this G2 turf route a second straight year. The most recent start by BEAU RECALL was super. Facing lone front-runner/ winner Newspaper of record in a Grade 1, ‘RECALL trailed the field, finished fast and missed by only three lengths. She ran her first half-mile in 49.84 seconds, her second half-mile in 46.31 seconds. Super effort by the veteran, whose closing style suits the course profile. JOLIE OLIMPICA, the pre-race favorite, will scratch. KEEPER OFTHE STARS misfired last time without a visible alibi, but she has bounced back from subpar races in the past. A G1-G2 winner early this year at Santa Anita, ‘STARS has not hit the board in three starts at Del Mar, but the stat is misleading. One of the races was a turf marathon on a wet course labelled “good;” she finished fourth both starts here last summer while running better than the line looks both times. Expect her to bounce back to top form. BODHICITTA will rally late; SUMMERING figures for a forwardly placed trip in a race that could unfold at a tepid pace.

TENTH RACE

A pair of highly regarded 2yos debut in this sixfurlong sprint: Peter Miller-trained SUPERMAN SHAQ and Bob Baffert-trained likely favorite SPIELBERG. The call is SUPERMAN SHAQ, a Shackleford sibling to 2018 champion filly Monomoy Girl. He has been working fast since he breezed 20.60 seconds at the sales preview in spring, fast works continued this summer at Del Mar including a visually impressive July 27 gate work (viewed on video). The speedy first-timer starter is “live.” SPIELBERG, a $1 million yearling by Union Rags, has been strutting his stuff in workouts including a pair of bullet gate drills in late July. SPIELBERG is likely to start favored, and is comfortably drawn outside. NOBLE REFLECTION also has been working well for his debut. He and SPIELBERG were nominated to the G2 Best Pal (race 6), an indication of optimism. RELFECTION is a Liam’s Map colt trained by Richard Baltas, who has been winning with an increasingly higher number of first-time starters.

ELEVENTH RACE

Maiden turf filly SWEET DEVIL is rounding back into form, and stretching to the mile and oneeighth distance of her career-best effort. Last out at one mile, she ran her final quarter in 23.29 seconds and missed by a length. This is her third start back, she should be set for her best. YA BEAUTY makes her U.S. debut for winning connections, though her overseas form is only okay. She finished second in a 12-runner maiden race in Ireland; none of the top five finishers returned to do anything of note. Lasix on. BRISTOL BAYOU merits longshot consideration after a fast-closing sixth last out in the same race the top choice exits. The dam of ‘BAYOU won a stakes race at this mile and one-eighth trip. NURSEGOODBODY stumbled at the break, lost position and misfired last out. The bad start provides an alibi, but she loses leading turf rider Umberto Rispoli, who opts for comebacker NOBLE HEARTED.