Del Mar Thoroughbred Club presents an exciting eight-race card on Friday, August 22, 2025, with first post scheduled for 3:00 PM Pacific Time. The program offers a diverse mix of claiming races, maiden events, and allowance competitions across both dirt and turf surfaces. The card features competitive fields with opportunities ranging from California-bred maiden fillies to seasoned older horses seeking their next victory.
The racing community anticipates strong attendance as the summer meet continues to build momentum toward the marquee Pacific Classic on August 30th. Today’s action provides valuable preparation for connections eyeing larger targets while offering handicappers numerous wagering opportunities across varied race conditions and class levels.
Weather Forecast and Track Conditions
Current weather conditions at Del Mar show comfortable racing temperatures with the latest observation reporting 66°F under mostly cloudy skies. Wind conditions remain calm at 0 mph, creating ideal circumstances for both horses and jockeys. The track surface conditions are optimal for Friday’s racing program.
Track conditions are reported as Fast for the dirt surface and Firm for the turf course. The temporary rail distance has been set at 30 feet for races utilizing the turf course. August weather patterns in Del Mar typically feature high temperatures around 77°F with humidity levels between 63% and 68%, creating favorable racing conditions throughout the afternoon.
No precipitation is forecasted, ensuring consistent track conditions for the duration of the eight-race program. The seaside location provides natural cooling effects that benefit both equine athletes and spectators during the afternoon racing session.
Race-by-Race Analysis and Picks
Race 1 – Maiden Claiming ($40,000)
The opening race features California-bred or California-sired fillies and mares three years old and upward competing over one mile. This maiden claiming event carries a $40,000 purse and presents several intriguing contenders.
Strawberry Tizzy emerges as the selection for trainer S. McCarthy with Tyler Baze aboard. The connections have expressed quiet confidence following promising gate work, and this filly possesses the breeding and preparation to succeed in her maiden attempt. Her morning line positioning suggests value potential for handicappers seeking an early score.
Little Silver Girl represents a significant threat with jockey A. Escobedo and trainer R. Hanson. This combination has shown steady improvement in recent workouts and should appreciate the one-mile distance. Goatski rounds out the top contenders with H. Berrios riding for trainer D. Blacker, returning on short rest after a third-place finish over the track on August 15.
Race 2 – Claiming ($43,000)
The second race brings fillies and mares three years and older to the dirt for 6½ furlongs. This claiming event offers $43,000 in prize money and features several horses with recent Del Mar experience.
Elegant Sway stands out with K. Frey riding for trainer S. Knapp. The connections have emphasized early positioning as crucial for success in this competitive field. Sophistry presents value with S. Carmona aboard for trainer S. Wilensky, while Carmen Miranda brings experience with J. Hernandez and trainer J. Sadler seeking another victory.
The tactical nature of this sprint distance favors horses with gate speed and positioning ability. Early fractions will likely determine the outcome as the field navigates the turn into the stretch drive.
Race 3 – Maiden Special Weight (Turf)
This juvenile turf sprint over five furlongs showcases first-time starters and lightly raced colts. The surface switch to turf adds another dimension for handicappers to consider.
Cactus Charlie receives strong support despite a disappointing debut effort on dirt. Trainer Peter Miller’s decision to move to turf suggests confidence in the surface change, and the colt possesses turf pedigree on his dam’s side that supports this tactical shift. Jockey Berrios should provide tactical speed from the rail position.
Terrapin Flyer by Bolt d’Oro represents significant potential for trainer Mullins in his career debut. The sire achieves 16% success with juvenile debut runners, providing statistical support for this selection. L Rankin completes the top three for the Miller barn, making his third career start and first attempt on turf after showing early ability.
Race 4 – Maiden Claiming ($50,000)
This dirt sprint features fillies and mares with Victoria’s Jewel leading the selections. The daughter of Win the Space benefits from a surface switch and class drop from maiden special weight to maiden claiming competition.
Victoria’s Jewel showed early speed in her turf debut before fading but receives significant trainer confidence from the Papaprodromou barn. The dirt surface should better suit her running style, and the class relief provides additional advantage.
Selected represents first-time starter value for trainer Andy Mathis despite drawing the challenging rail position. The barn shows solid statistics with dirt sprint debuts at Del Mar, achieving 21% success with a positive return on investment over recent seasons.
Race 5 – Starter Optional Claiming ($41,000)
Thirty Two Chunk commands attention as the logical favorite following back-to-back strong Beyer Speed Figures of 84 and 88. Trainer Mark Glatt’s gelding returns to Southern California after a sharp runner-up effort at Churchill Downs and has trained consistently over the Del Mar dirt surface.
Miracle Mark offers value switching from turf to dirt for the D’Amato barn. His recent workout of five furlongs in 58.4 seconds on August 17 demonstrates readiness for this assignment. Charlie Foxtrot steps up to face winners after claiming victory by 3¼ lengths on August 2, now under the care of trainer Bob Hess with Juan Hernandez selecting the mount.
Race 6 – Maiden Claiming ($32,000)
One Step Beyond presents the strongest case after a troubled fourth-place finish as the beaten favorite on August 1. The two-year-old gelded son of Pavel makes his first start for new trainer Jorge Periban after being claimed. This barn demonstrates exceptional success with first-time claimed horses, achieving 31% wins with a $4.84 return on investment over five years.
Surf Ranger deserves consideration after encountering significant trouble in the same August 1 race. The addition of blinkers for his third career start suggests trainer Tim McCanna expects improvement. King of Success enters as a Jeff Bonde first-time starter by Twirling Candy, whose juvenile progeny achieve 16% success rates.
Race 7 – Allowance Optional Claiming
This race features seasoned horses seeking to establish themselves in higher-class competition. The distance and surface combination should favor horses with tactical speed and proven stamina reserves.
Race 8 – Maiden Claiming (6½ Furlongs)
The closing race brings together fillies and mares three years and upward for a competitive sprint finish. Siempre Naman with G. Franco riding for trainer J. Bonde represents one of the strongest contenders alongside Lena Lindgard with A. Aguilar for trainer S. Miyadi.
Ready to Dare brings W. Antongeorgi III aboard for trainer S. Sherman, while Prizeconquest features leading rider A. Espinoza for trainer T. McCanna. This wide-open field should provide excellent wagering opportunities for handicappers seeking to close the day with profit.
Jockey Notes and Insights
Juan Hernandez maintains his dominance of the Del Mar jockey standings with a commanding eight-win advantage over Antonio Fresu. The 33-year-old rider recently achieved a remarkable six-win performance on Saturday, August 10th, tying the track record shared with racing legends Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., Rudy Rosales, and Flavien Prat.
Hernandez has captured four consecutive Del Mar riding titles and six of the last seven dating back to fall 2021. His current form suggests another championship is within reach as he continues securing quality mounts from leading trainers. His tactical awareness and gate-to-wire capabilities make him particularly effective on both dirt and turf surfaces at Del Mar.
Antonio Fresu remains the primary challenger with consistent placement aboard competitive horses. Despite finishing second in seven races during Hernandez’s six-win Saturday, Fresu maintains strong relationships with trainers and consistently finds himself aboard live contenders.
Tyler Baze brings veteran experience and particular effectiveness on turf surfaces to his Friday assignments. His understanding of pace dynamics and ability to position horses effectively in sprint distances makes him a valuable selection for handicappers. Umberto Rispoli provides tactical intelligence and proven ability in stakes competition, while newer faces like H. Berrios and K. Frey offer hungry approaches to their mounts.
Trainer Notes and Insights
Bob Baffert continues his successful Del Mar campaign with multiple horses pointing toward larger objectives. His recent Grade 3 Best Pal victory with Desert Gate demonstrates the quality depth in his barn, while his Pacific Classic nominee Nysos prepares for the $1 million feature on August 30th.
Peter Miller operates a strong two-year-old division with multiple juvenile runners on Friday’s card. His ability to develop young horses and identify suitable surface switches gives his entries significant advantages in maiden competition. The decision to move Cactus Charlie to turf reflects his tactical training approach.
Mark Glatt’s patient development methods continue producing results with horses like Thirty Two Chunk showing consistent improvement through measured campaigns. His ability to maintain horses in top condition while building their confidence makes his entries particularly reliable in claiming and allowance competition.
John Sadler’s veteran approach to horse placement ensures his runners appear in suitable spots for success. His understanding of Del Mar’s unique characteristics and willingness to ship horses from other circuits demonstrates his commitment to finding winning opportunities for owners.
The D’Amato barn shows particular strength with turf horses and surface switches, while trainers like Jorge Periban excel with newly claimed horses, providing immediate improvement through fresh approaches and training methods.
Wagering Strategies and Value Plays
Friday’s card offers numerous wagering opportunities across different betting pools and risk levels. Conservative players should focus on horses with proven form advantages and strong connections, particularly in the claiming races where class relief provides clear edges.
For exotic wagering, the maiden races present opportunities to capture longshots while using proven contenders as key horses. The Pick 4 and Pick 5 sequences offer potential for significant returns given the competitive nature of several races and the presence of first-time starters with unknown potential.
Value seekers should examine first-time claimed horses, surface switchers, and horses returning from layoffs with strong workout patterns. The combination of class drops and equipment changes often produces overlays in the mutual pools.
Daily double opportunities exist by connecting strong favorites in predictable spots with value plays in competitive fields. The sequence from Race 1 through Race 8 provides multiple entry points for players seeking to build bankrolls throughout the afternoon.
Trifecta and superfecta betting becomes particularly attractive in the maiden events where longshot contenders possess legitimate chances of hitting the board. Using key horses in multiple positions while spreading to cover surprise runners offers balanced risk-reward potential.
Previous Day Highlights
Thursday, August 21st racing at Del Mar featured eight races with notable results including Mutt Dillin’s victory in Race 2. The three-year-old dark bay/brown colt by Divining Rod captured his maiden victory under jockey Armando Aguilar for trainer Policapestro.
The race saw Mutt Dillin take the early lead and maintain his advantage throughout, completing five furlongs in 58.64 seconds. Dirty Words finished second, followed by B Grayson in third position and the favored Video Review in fourth. The result provided value for handicappers who supported the eventual winner against the public choice.
