Del Mar Picks & Predictions — July 18, 2026

Zip Me Up is hard to overlook — a TrackWiz rating of 81.08, a career win rate of 33%, and the field's joint-best average speed of 57 make this a horse with real upside. Trainer Carla Gaines is one of the steadier hands in the barn area, and Hector Isaac Berrios has been a dependable pilot for live longshot angles. The 5/1 morning line offers value considering the speed advantage, and in a pace duel scenario this runner could be flying home late.

Pavel Is Appealing brings the most eye-catching career win percentage in this field at 40% — a number that screams a horse who consistently performs when the conditions suit. Doug F. O'Neill trains, Umberto Rispoli rides, and the TrackWiz rating of 69.21 puts this runner solidly in the mix without being overbet at 6/1. In a field this large, a horse with proven winning habits is exactly the kind of hedge you want in your trifecta.

Holmby is the other Baffert first-timer in the race, and Juan J. Hernandez gets the mount for a horse that lands at 7/2 on the morning line with a 55.83 rating. When a barn of this caliber runs two in the same maiden race, they rarely do it without a strong opinion on both — Holmby's slightly shorter odds than the morning line suggests early support is possible. This is a natural exacta companion to Quattro Passi given the shared training operation.

Vino Vino Vino gives the Doug O'Neill barn a presence in the race, with Emisael Jaramillo up and a TrackWiz rating of 51.67 that places this runner in a cluster of competitive maiden entrants. O'Neill consistently preps first-time starters effectively at Del Mar, and the 6/1 price is fair value in a wide-open maiden. Including this one in the trifecta gives you a respected trainer connection at a price that justifies the risk.

Stagger Lee rates second on the board at 80.32 and brings a career win rate of 28% — a reliable performer who gives Julien R. Leparoux a genuine shot at the exacta. Trainer Steven Miyadi quietly conditions competitive horses on this circuit, and the 5/1 morning line represents value on a horse that could easily finish ahead of the favorite if the pace develops favorably. The place position suits a horse with a strong enough profile to win but one that's being asked to beat our top pick.

Kid Dynasty has the third-best TrackWiz rating in the active field at 75.12 and a career win rate of 25%, giving this Kazushi Kimura-piloted runner a strong enough foundation to be a trifecta anchor. Jorge Farias trains this one, and the 3/1 morning line — shorter than our show pick usually warrants — reflects genuine public respect for this runner's consistency. Include Kid Dynasty in all exotic structures; this is a horse that should be competitive throughout.

Golden Club brings a 55.83 TrackWiz rating and the services of Antonio Fresu for Craig Anthony Lewis, who has had runners ready to fire first time out this meet. The 7/2 morning line is accessible, and in a reduced field, any horse showing even modest tactical speed can find a clean position. An exacta linking Net Par and Golden Club should be a staple in your ticket.

Freedom Sings gives Doug O'Neill another representative in the maiden landscape, with Emisael Jaramillo handling riding duties and a TrackWiz rating of 55.0 that slots in just below the top two picks. The 4/1 morning line suggests the market respects this one's chances, and with no career speed figure to reference, the unknown factor actually works in favor of optimism — O'Neill has a sharp eye for when a debut runner is ready. As a show ticket or part of a rolling trifecta, Freedom Sings is worth including.

Hacking It Up is essentially a co-top pick here — a 82.71 TrackWiz rating matched with a 26% career win rate and an average speed of 57, which is the best in the field. Kazushi Kimura has been a revelation on the Southern California circuit and trainer Peter Miller rarely runs short of horses ready to perform. At 6/1 on the morning line, this is an outstanding value — arguably the best price on a top-two rated horse on the entire card.

Mythical Reel checks in with a 74.74 TrackWiz rating and draws Antonio Fresu for the Philip D'Amato barn — and D'Amato is arguably the premier turf trainer in Southern California. A 12% career win rate suggests the wins haven't come easily, but the rating and the trainer affiliation make Mythical Reel a legitimate show candidate worth weaving into trifecta tickets. The 6/1 morning line offers value for a horse in a barn that practically owns the Del Mar turf calendar.

Full Serrano is the logical main rival, carrying a 71.2 TrackWiz rating and a career win rate of 37% — the best win percentage of any active runner in the field outside Journalism. Joel Rosario is the perfect partner for a horse that needs to stalk a fast pace and pounce, and trainer John W. Sadler has stakes-caliber runners firing all meet long. At 7/2, the place position is live, and in a race where the favorite dominates, Rosario is exactly the pilot you want trying to complete the exacta.

Shea Brennan is a sneaky inclusion at 12/1 on the morning line — a 66.61 TrackWiz rating is respectable in this stakes field, and a 36% career win rate shows this Philip D'Amato-trained runner is no stranger to hitting the board. Armando Ayuso handles riding duties, and with a top average speed figure of 57, the early pace shape could suit a horse that establishes a forward position. The 12/1 price makes this an outstanding trifecta fill — if Journalism and Full Serrano fill the top two spots as expected, Shea Brennan at double-digit odds could pay handsomely.

Raiding Party is the morning line favorite at 3/1 for a reason — a 66% career win rate is stunning by any measure, and Brendan P. Walsh sends this one out with Ben Curtis in the irons for a legitimate stakes shot. The 71.65 TrackWiz rating puts Raiding Party second on our sheet, and while the win percentage is the most impressive in the entire day's card, the rating gap behind our top pick is noticeable. Raiding Party is a rock-solid place selection and should be used underneath in all exotic combinations.

Light Won Up rounds out our picks at 10/1 for trainer Doug O'Neill, with Emisael Jaramillo up and the field's best average speed figure of 57 — a number that matters in a turf mile where pace can compress the field. A 33% career win rate adds legitimacy, and at double-digit odds, the show value is attractive for a horse that carries genuine tactical speed into a stakes mile on grass. Light Won Up is a smart trifecta add at a price that makes the payout worthwhile.

Clouseau sports a 72.51 TrackWiz rating and a 29% career win rate for George Papaprodromou, who sends out Hector Isaac Berrios from the 8 post. This horse has enough rating to win outright but is ideally suited as an exacta partner with the top pick — a finisher who can track the pace and pick off tired rivals in the stretch. The 7/2 morning line is workable, and Papaprodromou has had a strong presence at Del Mar this summer.

Vitruvian Man opens at 6/1 for Doug O'Neill with Antonio Fresu up, and a 72.06 TrackWiz rating puts this runner just a half-point behind our place pick — statistically, the show position could easily be reversed. A 14% career win rate is modest, but the rating puts this horse in legitimate contention in a field that is bunched in the 67-72 range below our top pick. At 6/1, the show ticket offers value and this runner anchors the trifecta structure nicely.

Plagarist is our value play here at 10/1 — a TrackWiz rating of 57.81 ranks third in the field, and trainer Mark Glatt is a sharp Del Mar operator who shows up with purpose in maiden turf routes. Abel Lezcano gets the mount, and with an average speed of 54 already on record, this runner has shown something in prior work. At 10/1, Plagarist is an excellent exacta wheel underneath Koekkoek and the top longshot angle on the closing race of the night.

Yep gives Philip D'Amato a second string in the race — program number 4 with Umberto Rispoli up and a 55.83 TrackWiz rating that places this runner in the competitive mid-tier. When D'Amato runs two in the same maiden turf race, both horses are typically well-prepared, and Rispoli is an elite turf rider who can maximize any natural ability. The 7/2 morning line shows genuine public support, and Yep is a logical show bet and trifecta piece to pair alongside the top two picks.