Four stakes, including the $1 million Pacific Classic, stuff an 11-race card on Del Mar’s biggest day of summer. With Journalism and Nysos retired, and Baeza since-departed for a New York change of address, the west coast handicap scene is wide, wide open. Raiders come from as far as Louisville, Saratoga and Tokyo.

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Each day this summer at Del Mar, I’ll be handicapping the action with my top plays on the card – including full-card selections for a featured program each week.

Del Mar Race 1 | maiden claiming
Perhaps the race on the card that I have the least feel for, I’ll take a longshot fling amongst that uncertainty. #2 Pyrokinetic was never asked and perked up a bit late with a surprisingly solid 89 BRIS late pace figure when having no shot behind a slow pace. Neil Drysdale’s second-time starters have won 3 of their last 8 bids, including $15 and $34 winners among those. #1 Bogarts Bucchero could wire from inside on the stretchout, but likely faces pressure from #9 Mighty Toro as both take a key class drop. Likely 4-deep if playing the early pick 5. Picks 2-1-9-3

Del Mar Race 2 | claiming
Obviously better races to come, but this isn’t one of them. No play for me unless including in multi-race bets. #4 Sugaree takes another class drop and gets second-time Lasix. Can sit behind the speed, which looks plentiful enough here and capable of folding back to the pack. #2 Church Lady is questionable in a dirt sprint but has the co-best maiden win in this race along with #10 Rich of Joy. Not sure he’ll be effective on dirt and the rider is 0-for-the-year. #9 Shady Stripes takes them as far as she can but will she hold form changing barns? Picks 4-2-10-9

Del Mar Race 3 | allowance / optional claiming
Strong pace projected in this turf route with a capacity field, meaning nobody should get a free lunch up front. #10 Ventry Strand is the best finisher in turf routes among these and should be well-matched with finishing jockey Joel Rosario. #2 Oracle of Paradise returns off a May break for a Brian Koriner barn going very well of late, but loses his pilot to our top pick. Most confident early-day lean in this race. Picks 10-2-3.

Del Mar Race 4 | maiden special weight
Amongst the multi-million dollar group of 2-year-olds debuting around 2 turns, I’m giving a push to the third-start-of-the-meet maiden claimer #2 Boss Man Bolt. Over the last decade, we’ve had 24 such 2YO dirt routes at Del Mar during its summer meets and first-timers are 20: 0-2-3 in them, including Baffert going 0-7. He’ll send out #3 Babe’s Empire and #5 Motga, the latter a much smoother morning mover on video and stronger of the pair to this eye. #7 Psalm debuts for Michael McCarthy and is full-brother to 9F Remsen 2YO winner Maximus Mischief. He’s a leggy sort who breaks fine but takes a while to get wound up in his works on video. The route should suit him and he’s the rookie lean. But the value is with #2 Boss Man Bolt with good experience over the track and note the Ruis family has run 2 horses in 2YO maiden dirt routes the past decade, winning both at $42 and $103 boxcar mutuels. Both were offspring of Bolt d’Oro. Let’s see if we can’t get another big bingo from Ruis. Picks 2-7-5-6

Del Mar Race 5 | $200K Green Flash Handicap
A July 19 allowance prep rematches the 1-2-3 finishers, including runner-up #6 Motorious, who has won the Green Flash 3 years running. He’s now age 8 and admittedly I was unimpressed by his workout after the allowance prep, clearly outworked that morning. But respect his love of this course and Antonio Fresu has been the best turf sprint rider at the meet (25: 7-4-5 coming into the week). That race’s rallying third-place finisher #9 Sorrento Sky was visually impressively late at even weights last time and not gets 3-4 pounds from his rivals. Not a huge deal, but everything helps in turf sprints when razor-thin margins are the norm. #5 Sumter won the scrum in that allowance, with Lasix, to improve Richard Mandella to 4: 3-0-1 in turf sprints at the meet. Think our best price comes with Sorrento Sky and really liked what I saw last out in the lane when you consider how fast #1 Monster is coming from the east and how he can gas those in his early pursuit. Picks 9-6-5

Del Mar Race 6 | maiden special weight
While we’re working against the Baffert babies in the Race 4 route today, his sprint filly #6 Furiosity looks like the dash goods in her debut. She wants to cook early based on her workout videos and may be better-suited for the 5-1/2 furlongs under go-to pilot Juan Hernandez than stablemate #9 Sea’s No Joke, who was very impressive drawing off from a workmake in her tuneup on video. Doug O’Neill has a pair entered who have been working together and #7 Confetti Rain easily outworked #3 Miss Midterm in the drill I saw on tape. Picks 6-9-7

Del Mar Race 7 | allowance / optional claiming
A dozen turf milers open the late pick 5 and this looks like go-time for #5 American Hope. Trainer Brian Koriner’s barn has been on point in recent weeks and he drops in class and makes a significant rider move from Ayuso to Rosario. Horse has been plagued by wide draws and lands a better gate to save ground early and kick late. Will key him strongly in the intra-race exotics. #7 Captain Choochies is a pure turf miler and also should appreciate the class drop like the top pick, but this one has the early speed. Expect him up top with #2 Charlie’s to Blame. Picks 5 over 7-2-1

Del Mar Race 8 | allowance / optional claiming
Day’s best bet #8 Clouseau is a fresh face who has posted 97 BRIS late pace figures twice in 2-turn dirt races and gets a delicious set-up. The top 3 from a July 18 allowance are all back, but hard to trust a race where 30-1 and 22-1 shots dueled and nobody picked up enough hoof to close despite a 25-3/5 slow final quarter. Toss all of those and go for the newcomers. #9 Santarena hasn’t route in over a year but was second to Flightline’s kid bro Eagles Flight when last trying it. Picks 8-9-5-7

Del Mar Race 9 | $300K Del Mar Oaks
The San Clemente has been such a trustworthy prep for the Del Mar Oaks over the years that you’ll want to start your handicapping there. Five of the last 6 Oaks winners prepped earlier at the Del Mar meet and note 9 of the last 11 exited stakes preps. I loved #7 Peanutbutterbombe in the San Clemente and she hopped at the start, then bucked like a bronco and pulled very hard as a sweaty mess. Everything went to pieces before the first 100 yards. None of that’s mentioned in the past performances. Somehow she still ran fourth beaten 3-1/4 lengths. The offspring of Collected are simply awesome over this course and nearly trusted blind bets. The shipper of most intrigue is #9 Kensington Lane, an Irish filly who won the Belmont Oaks at 23-1 for Donnacha O’Brien and switches barns to Phil D’Amato. Her sire Starspangledbanner has had solid success with his Del Mar turf offspring. #4 Green Carerra was a Royal Ascot winner in the Sandringham and brings plenty of class for Joseph O’Brien. But I’m all-in for Peanutbutterbombe. Picks 7 with 9-4-6-10

Del Mar Race 10 | $1 million Pacific Classic
There’s a scenario where #11 Knightsbridge dominates as we’ve seen him run up the score against lower-graded going shorter on the east coast. Another scenario exists where a 1-1/4 miles race with so much confirmed early speed completely melts down and catapults late-running #7 Hit Show up over the $10 million mark in lifetime earnings. Neither will surprise. I’m going trust my eyes in that #2 Forged Steel completely won me over in his Aug. 16 workout at Saratoga. Saffie Joseph trainees have rarely caught my eye training, so it’s not like they all work this way. He pulled hard early, relaxed beautifully for the rider, wasn’t asked, changed leads right on cue and finished sharply in 47-3/5 while on cruise control. He was very rank into the clubhouse turn of the Suburban last out, but his last California foray for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita was a career-best. He’s tipping his hand and having Florida pilot Edwin Gonzalez aboard should help our price a bit. As for Japan raider #3 Finger, he was washed out and a hot mess when seen on the track on video. He didn’t come home fast in the Tokyo Derby despite a slow pace and he could get gassed chasing serious US speed. Doesn’t show same turn of foot we’ve seen from some others to raid from Japan, but is a wildcard. Trainer’s only US start was second in 2024 BC Turf at 22-1 (Rousham Park). Picks 2-11-7

Del Mar Race 11 | $300K Del Mar Mile
Horses cutting back in distance with stakes experience at the meet have been the right fit in the Del Mar Mile over the past decade-plus. The group of Eddie Read alumni in this race fit the playbill after coming up short against all-time Del Mar turfer Gold Phoenix. #1 Cabo Spirit leads that cast after a nose runner-up and benefits from the rail Saturday. He’ll be forward throughout in a race without an overwhelming tempo on paper. #7 Almendares is much better at a mile than the Eddie Read extra real estate and can bounce back some. Sharp miler #9 King of Gosford has some pace versatility and would be no surprise. #12 El Potente puts Hector Berrios is a difficult spot from the widest draw but has run first or second in 9 of his last 12 and can’t be dismissed. Good race with options – get some coverage in multi-race bets. Brazilian import #6 Sinsel is X-factor for Mandella, but did not impress at all in lone video work I saw. Picks 1-7-9-12