The Saturday action at Del Mar heats up with the co-featured Best Pal Stakes and Yellow Ribbon Stakes. The Best Pal matches promising 2-year-olds in Race 4, while the Race 9 Yellow Ribbon is in the Filly & Mare Turf division and one of our key plays on the program.

Del Mar - Race 7

#3 Final Boss: Hoping his pace will be dangerous enough to see this one through, as he stayed on OK behind a winner I really liked last time out. Wouldn't be a shock in a good spot.

#2 Gold Phoenix: I think pretty highly of this guy and have given him a look in a handful of those recent starts with better, but I wonder if this is a time to try to beat him -- he's going to give the jump to a couple of capable players. In the mix.

#6 Air Force Red: Wanted to see something a touch better from him late in the last one, but the overall form fits with a perfect pressing trip waiting for him off the top choice.

Race Summary: Final Boss meets a good group here, but I think he can control the tempo long enough without pressure to find something left late. Lots of respect for Gold Phoenix on form and class -- wouldn't argue too hard with you if you want to bank on that being enough to get him home today.

Del Mar - Race 9

#5 Watchtower: Willing to take a bit of midrange price swing here as she comes back for her first try since January, and the company lines of Be Your Best and She Feels Pretty from her last two races are just far superior to almost any other names on any of the pages here. Think she might be an OK fit with these.

#1 Hang the Moon: Her form soured a bit late last year after landing a couple of graded spots in upset scores, but she comes back fresh with a baseline effort that would put her in the picture today. Honestly, not a ton of enthusiasm here for me, but she wouldn't be a surprise.

#2 Heredia: Finisher tries the local course for the first time with some OK, if unexciting, form on her page from the two starts out east. Reliable runner should fire again.

Race Summary: Watchtower needs better than we saw from her in the last two, but she's racing fresh today with a couple of serious names in her company lines -- I'm hoping this group will feel just a tiny bit more welcoming.

Del Mar - Race 10

#8 Amelia's Echo: Think she has some price appeal in a race without a ton of finishing form, as she steps back into CA-bred special weight company. Might get an OK run of things while overlooked.

#9 Surfin Candy: Check out this fresh face on the tote and track ahead of this, as there isn't a whole lot to worry about on paper from those who have raced. Could probably land this without being a statebred star.

#5 Tiger Fire: Like her the most of the forward players with some upside while getting back over to the dirt. Mild worry that she'll flatten out late, but she looks like one of the ones.

Race Summary: Amelia's Echo heads back out west for this spot, and she may be ready for something a bit better with a potentially flattering race shape waiting for her.