Brad Free's Del Mar Horses to Watch for the week of Aug. 6-9, 2026

GOLDEN SENTRY
Trainer: Carla Gaines
Last race: Aug. 6, 3rd
Finish: 1st by 3 3/4
Beyer: N/A
Debut 2-year-old crushed maiden turf sprint, and should improve running long. Tucked third on rail, angled outside, powered home, initial debut winner sired by Halladay. Nice start to career.

MISSED FORTUNE
Trainer: George Papaprodromou
Last race: Aug. 6, 5th
Finish: 4th by 4
Beyer: N/A
Debut 2-year-old colt shuffled back after start of Cal-bred maiden turf sprint, evenly thereafter while wanting longer distance than five furlongs. Long-bodied Pavel colt will prefer two turns.

HIMARI
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Last race: Aug. 6, 6th
Finish: 1st by 2
Beyer: 82
Debut 3-year-old filly by Nyquist trained well and ran even better. Popped gate, sped to lead, strong to the wire. Filly got a relatively late start to career, but is on her way up the ladder.

LEAD THE WAY KAY
Trainer: Mike Puype
Last race: Aug. 6, 6th
Finish: 2nd by 2
Beyer: 78
Debut 4-year-old filly overlooked at 16-1, speed to chase winner Himari, kept to task, finished more than three lengths clear of third. Promising debut, ’Kay could be tough next maiden sprint.

MISS MO BROWN
Trainer: Andy Mathis
Last race: Aug. 7, 5th
Finish: 3rd by 1 1/4
Beyer: 41
Debut 2-year-old broke slowly and trailed Cal-bred maiden turf sprint, positioned last on turn, angled outside, switched leads, finished well. Mo Forza colt wants more than just five furlongs.

EARLY ENCORE
Trainer: John Sadler
Last race: Aug. 7, 7th
Finish: 3rd by 1 1/4
Beyer: 64
Odds-on third in Cal-bred 2-year-old stakes had excuses. Missed training last month, off 2 1/2 months, pressured, dueled, tired. Follow if runs back Sept. 7 in $100,000 I’m Smokin’ Stakes.

JOINT VENTURE
Trainer: Ron Ellis
Last race: Aug. 7, 8th
Finish: 6th by 4 1/2
Beyer: 68
Veteran dirt horse has never hit board in eight starts on turf. Set pace in turf mile, fast fractions, tired late in turf race dominated by closers. Joint Venture can return to form when he returns to dirt.

HE IS NO LIE
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Last race: Aug. 8, 3rd
Finish: 4th by 13 1/2
Beyer: 52
Expected to set pace in Grade 3 sprint for 2-year-olds, stumbled, lost position, loomed wide quarter pole, went flat. Inconclusive try by stakes-placed 2-year-old, draw a line through this.

MISS MONICA
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Last race: Aug. 9, 2nd
Finish: 1st by 5 3/4
Beyer: 87
Debut 2-year-old as one of the potential favorites for Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante. Shot to lead, easy pace, plenty left, earned higher fig than Grade 3 Sorrento. Miss Monica, by Early Voting, is very good.

WELL VERSED
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Last race: Aug. 9, 2nd
Finish: 2nd by 5 3/4
Beyer: 75
Debut 2-year-old filly pressed/chased pace, kept to her task, second best. This was a promising debut by large-sized Into Mischief filly whose dam Vequist won Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.