Racing Summary
Del Mar Racetrack presents a competitive 10-race card on Saturday, August 9, 2025, featuring the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes as the featured attraction. With favorable weather conditions and firm turf alongside fast dirt surfaces, handicappers anticipate spirited competition across multiple divisions including maiden special weights, claiming events, and stakes action.
Weather and Track Conditions
Saturday’s forecast calls for classic Southern California summer weather with clear to partly cloudy skies and temperatures reaching the upper 70s Fahrenheit. Light coastal breezes from the southwest at 5-10 mph are expected throughout the afternoon. Current track conditions show the dirt surface rated as fast, while the turf course maintains a firm rating. The temporary rail distance has been set at 18 feet for turf races.
Featured Race: Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes
The Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes anchors Saturday’s program with a competitive field of five horses. Morning line favorite Desert Gate opens at 3-5 odds, followed by Punto Forty at 4-1, St Petersburg at 5-1, Brigante at 6-1, and Pavlovian at 8-1. Jockey Hector Berrios has the mount on Brigante, while Antonio Fresu will pilot Punto Forty in this prestigious sprint stakes.
Race 1: Allowance Optional Claiming
The opening race presents a straightforward handicapping puzzle with Its a Cinch emerging as the consensus selection. The horse’s recent form and class advantage make it the logical choice, with Triple Diamonds offering secondary appeal for exotic players seeking additional coverage.
Races 2-3: Maiden Special Weight Action
The maiden ranks feature competitive fields with several first-time starters drawing attention. In Race 2, Bottle of Rouge commands respect at 2-1 morning line odds, having shown promise in previous outings. The supporting cast includes Brooklyn Blonde and Bad Manners, both offering legitimate winning chances at favorable odds.
Race 3’s maiden event centers around morning line favorite Godavri at 2-1, with Fancy Facts and Zip Me Up providing the primary competition. The race appears wide open, suggesting potential value in the supporting runners.
Featured Stakes Action Race 4: Best Pal Stakes – The Day’s Standout Bet
Desert Gate, trained by Bob Baffert, has generated unanimous support from the handicapping community. The colt’s overwhelming 3-5 morning line odds reflect both his superior class and recent sharp workouts. Professional analysis suggests this represents the day’s most confident selection, with Desert Gate expected to dominate from start to finish.
The supporting cast, led by Punto Forty and St Petersburg, appears overmatched against the Baffert trainee’s current form cycle.
Race 5: Strategic Wagering Opportunity
Eiffel has captured significant attention in the fifth race allowance event, creating an attractive Daily Double combination with Desert Gate from the previous race. The horse’s 5-2 morning line odds appear generous given recent training developments and positive stable reports.
This race presents the day’s premier exotic wagering opportunity, with the Desert Gate-Eiffel Daily Double offering both logical handicapping and potential value.
The Marquee Event: Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap
Pace and Distance Analysis
The $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf presents unique handicapping challenges. The pace scenario appears particularly favorable for closers, as the field lacks natural early speed. This setup could produce an unusually slow early pace, potentially compromising front-runners while setting up perfectly for horses with tactical speed.
Top Contenders
Hang the Moon enters as a co-favorite despite an extended layoff, having demonstrated Grade 1 ability in her previous campaign. Her stalking style should prove ideal given the anticipated pace flow, and she possesses the class edge in this competitive field.
Heredia (GB) brings European form to the equation, having adapted well to American racing conditions. Her versatile running style and proven turf ability make her a formidable opponent, particularly if the pace develops as slowly as anticipated.
Liguria represents the speed element in the race, though she may find herself pressed to maintain her usual front-running tactics if left uncontested early. Her multiple graded stakes victories demonstrate both class and consistency.
Public Assembly could emerge as the controlling speed by default, potentially setting up the entire race’s dynamics. Her connections with trainer Phil D’Amato, who saddles four runners in the field, adds strategic intrigue to the race’s development.
Handicapping Strategy
The Yellow Ribbon Handicap appears ideally suited for multi-horse exotic wagering strategies. The competitive nature and pace dynamics suggest using several contenders rather than relying on a single selection. Trip and positioning will likely prove more decisive than pure ability differences among the top tier.
Late Card Opportunities
Race 8: Claiming Action
The claiming ranks feature Broadway Unions as a solid favorite at 8-5, though Majestic Palisades and Whats the Buzz offer legitimate upset potential at attractive odds.
Race 10: Closing Maiden Event
The day concludes with another competitive maiden field, where Christel Clean appears best positioned despite a crowded field of potential first-time winners.
Professional Wagering Recommendations
Single Race Focus: Desert Gate in Race 4 represents the day’s most confident selection, suitable for aggressive win wagering.
Exotic Opportunities: The Race 4-5 Daily Double combining Desert Gate with Eiffel offers both logical handicapping and potential value.
Feature Race Strategy: The Yellow Ribbon Handicap warrants multi-horse approaches in exacta and trifecta wagering, given the competitive field and favorable pace scenario for multiple contenders.
Value Hunting: Several maiden races throughout the card present opportunities for longshot connections, particularly in the later races where field size creates potential overlay situations.
Trainer and Jockey Notes
Multiple trainers report their charges in good order following recent workouts. Philip D’Amato’s assistant Rudy Cruz confirmed that The Padre came out of his La Jolla Handicap victory in excellent condition. Several notable workout reports from the week include Sweet Azteca working five furlongs in 1:00.20 and Madaket Road covering six furlongs in 1:11.40.
Program Changes
Race 8 has experienced two scratches, with Distant Fleet and Rhino both withdrawn for undisclosed reasons. The temporary rail distance remains at 18 feet for all turf races on the card, while dirt track conditions continue to be rated as fast.
Racing Schedule
Post time for the first race is scheduled for 4:00 PM Pacific Time, with 10 races comprising the full card. Gates open at 12:00 PM for early arrival patrons looking to handicap the competitive afternoon program.
