Check out my Sunday (9-6-26) Del Mar Race 8 analysis below.
DMR 8 (Shared Belief, 8f) – Post Time 8:14 PM ET
Primary – #4 ESSOS, #3 Desert Gate
Secondary – #5 Decisive Win, #2 Start the Ride
Horse Comments:
#4 Essos (5-1) returned to dirt, removed blinkers, and rallied for the place behind sharp winner Decisive Win at one mile May 22. He made his first start as a gelding in a local MSW affair at one mile Aug. 2 and he rallied to win by 2 1/2 lengths as my top choice. Joel Rosario got acquainted with him last time and he fired a 5f bullet for this Aug. 30. He is on the upswing for Mark Glatt and he should get pace to chase.
#3 Desert Gate (9-5) won the local G3 Best Pal last summer and was second in the G1 Del Mar Futurity. He won the Hot Springs and Texas Derby earlier this year and rolled a pair of 4’s in his last two stakes outings (G3 Ohio Derby, Iowa Derby). He reconnects with his winning rider Juan Hernandez and he seems most effective when he sets the pace.
#5 Decisive Win (3-1) stretched out and beat Esso’s by 5 1/2 lengths at this distance at SA May 22. He battled on the pace and weakened to 4th of 7 in the Affirmed, and he returned from a short layoff and pressed the pace and finished third as the favorite in a local dirt sprint Aug. 1 (OC-50k/1x, 6.5f). Antonio Fresu strings along and he is 6-for-15 with Doug O’Neill. He repeats his winning sprint/route angle and should be right up on the pace.
#2 Start the Ride (12-1) raced wide from post 11 and missed the show by a head at 5-1 odds in a better than appears effort in the local Real Good Deal at 7f July 31. He beat CA-bred foes at this distance at SA May 23 and he projects an inside stalking trip under his new rider Kazushi Kimura.
Wagers:
#4 to win
Quinella 4/2-3-5
Trifecta 3-4/2-3-4-5/2-3-4-5
Recent 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Aug. 15 – Vronti ($5.00), Trifecta ($235.20)
Aug. 16 – Goodies ($3.60)
Aug. 19 – Discotheque ($8.24)
Aug. 20 – Green Zone/Suntory Time Quinella ($15.20), Trifecta ($137.00)
Aug. 22 – Tam Tam ($7.40), Trifecta ($875.20)
Aug. 28 – Sand Bagger ($3.20)
Aug. 29 – Test Score ($7.20), Trifecta ($313.80)
Aug. 30 – Rabeeba/She’s No Quant Exacta ($14.00), Trifecta ($88.00)
Sept. 3 – Unbinding/Hey Lil Lady/Nikolina Trifecta ($77.60)
Sept. 4 – Daytona Diamond ($3.00), Trifecta ($32.60)
Sept. 5 – Magnificat ($4.80), Quinella ($17.40)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
Please visit The Runaway Horse Shop to purchase my full cards.
