BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,175

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club opens its annual summer meet Friday amidst a weird time here in California. Northern California racing is dormant for this year (possibly for the foreseeable future), and given that this affected my adopted home track, I admittedly haven’t paid as close attention to Southern California racing as I used to.

The consolidation to one circuit did wind up leading to modest gains at Santa Anita. Having said that, the measure hits me as a band-aid. Fewer horses are being bred, and those horses aren’t running nearly as much as horses of generations past.

Despite prior run-ins with Del Mar’s establishment (if you haven’t heard that story, trust me, it’s a doozy), I hope they do well. However, my focus will continue to be on Saratoga, where I’ve enjoyed some success so far despite a late start to the meet.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS: Annexperience got bet down to 9/5 in the second, which was a bit of a bummer, but he never looked like a loser and crushed his opponents. My $20 win wager returned $57.

FRIDAY’S PLAY: I don’t love making my editor wait until later in the day, but this Grand Slam sequence is too attractive to pass up. I’ve got a few strong opinions, and my $10 ticket starting in the sixth reads as follows: 2,4,8 with 5 with 5 with 1. Additionally, I’ll play a cold $5 Pick Three starting in the seventh using those three singles. If Chad Brown has a big day, so do I.

TOTAL WAGERED: $35.

SARATOGA ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS FOR JULY 18TH, 2025

Best Bet: Asbury Park, Race 9
Longshot: Gun Song, Race 8

R1

Five Dozen Roses
Good Mission
Lady Delilah

#7 FIVE DOZEN ROSES (7/2): Took a step forward last time out and gets a massive jockey switch to Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Friday opener. She sure looks like the one with the most gate speed, and if she gets comfortable early, I think she could prove tough to catch; #3 GOOD MISSION (5/2): Has certainly had plenty of chances and will look to graduate at 12th asking here. She does stack up well on speed figures, though, and I can see why she may go off as the favorite; #5 LADY DELILAH (6-1): Runs for a tag for the first time and gets Luis Saez, which makes her a bit intriguing. She’ll likely do her best running late, and at least she’s shown she’s capable of passing others.

R2

Bustin Bullet
Strictly Taboo
Shoot It True

#3 BUSTIN BULLET (9/2): Ships up from Gulfstream to run against fellow New York-breds, and she did that with aplomb last summer in her first start for this outfit. I think she’s the quickest of the likely speed horses here, and that she’ll be formidable if she gets her desired front-running trip; #9 STRICTLY TABOO (5-1): Is 2-for-2 here at Saratoga and had every right to need her last start off a long break. There’s certainly some zip signed on here, so she may get her desired race shape beneath regular rider Joel Rosario; #5 SHOOT IT TRUE (5/2): Comes in off several very fast workouts for powerhouse connections, and perhaps she’s ready to run a big one. However, this is her first turf try, and I can’t bet a horse as the favorite doing something it’s never done before (RIP, Harvey Pack).

R3

Ranger Battalion
Houlton
House United

I’m going to break from the usual format here, because I honestly don’t have a strong lean here. I went with #4 RANGER BATTALION (5-1) on top simply because he passed others late last time out, but if you’re playing multi-race exotics, I’d advise you to spread and go as deep as you can.

R4

The Taco Lady (MTO)
Inesperee
Mendee

#4 INESPEREE (6-1): Was a bit rank last time out when third in a race several others also exit. However, she may have needed the race off a bit of a break, and that was her first time going a marathon distance. For those reasons, I think a step forward may be in the offing here; #8 MENDEE (4-1): Looks like she could be the lone speed, which is always dangerous going long on the lawn. She got nailed last time out downstate, but Castellano sees fit to ride back and could have her on an easy lead once again; #10 GREEN JOBS (6-1): Is one of two Chad Brown trainees in here, and she goes second off the bench here. This will be her first time going a marathon distance, but the pedigree says she could take to it and Flavien Prat’s presence is a plus.

R5

Miss Im Pulsive (MTO)
Olivia’s Grace
Rad Llama

#2 OLIVIA’S GRACE (6-1): Has run well to be second in both starts to date, including one at this route last month. She was a bit wide that day, but gets a better draw here and would be a major player if she can find that form once again; #9 RAD LLAMA (6-1): Most recently faded to finish fourth behind Mommy’s Turn, who turned into a stakes winner earlier this week. She cuts back to a sprint here, and I think that may be her preferred route of ground; #6 APERITIF (12-1): Gets a big rider switch to Jose Ortiz after rallying to finish fourth in her turf debut downstate. He doesn’t ride for this barn much, so his presence is notable, and while she does step up in class a bit, it’s also possible she’s found what she wants to do.

R6

Party in the Army
Rock It Rob
Pepper J

#2 PARTY IN THE ARMY (5/2): Has a right to be precocious, being by Army Mule and out of a mare that won a stakes race as a juvenile. He comes in boasting a very sharp work tab for a trainer that can have 2-year-olds ready to go at first asking; #4 ROCK IT ROB (4-1): Debuts for Steve Asmussen and boasts the Asmussen workout pattern I love, with a strong two-back move followed by a maintenance work. He’s got plenty of class in his pedigree, with a dam that’s thrown five winners to date, but most of that pedigree does say he may want longer than this 5 1/2-furlong sprint; #8 PEPPER J (10-1): Hammered for $195,000 at auction despite a very modest pedigree and has a few sharp works on his tab. The outside draw is a plus for this colt that may be named as a nod to Pro Bowl linebacker Pepper Johnson (owner August Dawn Farm is, of course, Bill Parcells).

R7

Light the Way (MTO)
I’m Very Busy
Nantasket Beach

#5 I’M VERY BUSY (7/5): Comes off a very long break but will be very, very tough to beat if he’s ready to run. He’s a graded stakes winner who ran Warm Heart to a half-length in the Pegasus World Cup Turf a season ago, and if that version of this horse shows up, look out; #6 NANTASKET BEACH (3-1): Has won four of five this season and certainly seems to be in career-best form. He’s got some flexibility and rallied from ninth to get the money at Churchill Downs back in May; #7 BIG EVEREST (7/2): Certainly looks like the main early speed in here, and his best effort is quite good. He’s a stakes winner in his own right, and if he’s allowed to dictate terms from the jump, he and Joel Rosario could give the chalk a tough target to reel in.

R8

Raging Sea
Gun Song
Leslie’s Rose

#5 RAGING SEA (1-1): Won last year’s Grade 2 Shuvee and looks to repeat after a disappointing third in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps. However, that race was contested in an absolute quagmire, so I have no problem drawing a line through it. Her usual effort would make her very hard to top; #2 GUN SONG (10-1): Represents value in the exotics despite a disappointing effort last time out at Delaware. Cross out the one-turn races two and three back, and her sheet looks quite a bit better. A return to her late-2024 form makes her a candidate to crash the exotics at a price; #3 LESLIE’S ROSE (5-1): Is winless since last year’s Grade 1 Ashland and looks to find her form here. Two clunkers have come in slop she clearly hates, though, and she did run a solid second behind Thorpedo Anna (and ahead of next-out Alabama winner Power Squeeze) in last year’s Grade 1 Acorn.

R9

Asbury Park
King of Ashes
Warlander

#1 ASBURY PARK (9/5): Ran very, very well off the bench to earn the diploma going away and faces winners for the first time here. However, there are no monsters for the level, and I think further improvement could be in the cards. Given that he may not need to move forward at all to win this, I can’t go against him; #7 KING OF ASHES (9/2): Just missed at a price in a listed stakes at Churchill and figures to be on or near the lead early. Irad Ortiz Jr. hops aboard, and he and trainer Brendan Walsh have a 32% strike rate over the last year; #8 WARLANDER (12-1): Has tried some tough spots in his career and didn’t have a great trip when third at this level last time out. His only true clunker came in the Grade 1 American Turf, and his back class could certainly come in handy here.

R10

Saipan
Dancin Jane
Princess Summer

#9 SAIPAN (4-1): Took to turf pretty well last time out, when she closed to run second in a race several rivals exit. The ability she showed to make up ground and pass others isn’t a common one, and she’s a tepid top pick in a wide-open finale because of it; #10 DANCIN JANE (5/2): Was an odds-on favorite last time and appeared to have every chance, but she could only settle for third. Perhaps she needed a race off the bench, but it’s worth noting she’s now lost ground between the last two points of call in all three races to date; #4 PRINCESS SUMMER (5-1): Raced wide in her return last month and might’ve moved a bit early. Still, she was beaten less than a length after being bet like a good thing given her lack of 2024 form, and it’s possible another step forward is coming in her second start after such a long break.