Horse Race Preview: Race 4 – Grade III Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar

Top Contenders

Desert Gate (Post 5)

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Juan Hernandez

Odds: 3/5 (Morning Line Favorite)

Pedigree: Omaha Beach × Theogony (Curlin)

Notes: Dominant maiden winner at Santa Anita. Baffert seeks his 12th Best Pal victory with this flashy colt.

Punto Forty (Post 2)

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Jockey: Antonio Fresu

Odds: 4/1

Pedigree: Nyquist × Daddy Issues (Scat Daddy)

Notes: Sharp debut winner. Tactical speed and pedigree suggest upside.

St Petersburg (Post 3)

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke

Odds: 5/1

Pedigree: Constitution × Catherinethegreat (Uncaptured)

Notes: $700K purchase with strong works. Stablemate to Desert Gate.

Full Field Breakdown

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds	Pedigree	Notes
1	Brigante	Doug O’Neill	Hector Berrios	6/1	More Than Ready × Cheeky Charm	Solid debut, needs pace
2	Punto Forty	Doug O’Neill	Antonio Fresu	4/1	Nyquist × Daddy Issues	Tactical speed, improving
3	St Petersburg	Bob Baffert	Drayden Van Dyke	5/1	Constitution × Catherinethegreat	Strong works, expensive purchase
4	Pavlovian	Doug O’Neill	Umberto Rispoli	8/1	Pavel × Mandy’s Grace	Grey colt with late kick
5	Desert Gate	Bob Baffert	Juan Hernandez	3/5	Omaha Beach × Theogony	Heavy favorite, dominant debut

Strategic Insights

Pace Scenario: Desert Gate and Punto Forty likely to contest the lead. Pavlovian and Brigante may try to close late.

Trainer Trends: Baffert has won this race 11 times and enters two strong contenders.

Pedigree Watch: Omaha Beach and Nyquist progeny have excelled in juvenile sprints.

Top Pick: Desert Gate
Value Play: Punto Forty
Longshot to Watch: Pavlovian