Horse Racing Picks for Sat, Aug. 1, 2026 at Del Mar

It's the weekend, so you know what that means: it's time to hit the track with us here at Turtle Sports. It was a busy week, so we didn't have any midweek picks last week, but we'll be back at it this week. We were also getting some early football work in as we move into August.

Last week was a rough one for us, as we had only two top-pick winners at the same track we're headed to today: Del Mar. That produced a small negative ROI, even though we did land two nice winners. Our second-pick winners were even worse, as we added only one winner from that group and saw our ROI drop significantly on the day. It's a new week, and there are plenty of opportunities to get back in the saddle and find that winner's circle.

As noted, we're playing the ponies from Del Mar as the Breeders' Cup Challenge series stays on the West Coast this week. We have a strong 11-race card with two stakes races and more runners than usual for a random West Coast weekend card. The featured race comes in the 10th today, with a post time of 6:40 p.m.: the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes presented by Oak Tree Racing Association. This race is a 1 1/16-mile route on the dirt for fillies and mares, three years old and up. We have a mixed field today, with only one 3-year-old and the rest of the runners aged four, five, and six. There is only one Grade 1 winner in the field today: morning-line favorite No. 8 Seismic Beauty. Neither of our cappers has tabbed this horse as their top pick, and our Lundin Line has her ranked third. Will her experience in this type of race push her into the winner's circle for Bob Baffert and Juan Hernandez? This duo has the highest jockey-trainer win percentage in the race at 36%, so the chips seem stacked against us in this featured race. Whichever horse crosses the line first earns a spot in the Longines Distaff on Halloween right here at Keeneland.

We should see excellent weather today, with highs in the upper 70s; they have called for a heat advisory for the area, and skies will be sunny. The track will be fast, and the turf will be firm as we ride all the way through dinner today with our Lundin Line top-rated!

Happy National Sand Castle & Mead Day! 🏖️🍻

Need help picking winners? We've got you covered! Our (Always Free) Lundin Line's top picks and best bets are below. We use them to help narrow the field while putting our tickets together. The first post will be here soon, so don't be late -
It's time to get #InTheMoney! 💰💰💰

🏇Sat., Aug. 1st, 2026 @ Del Mar
First Post @ 2:00 PDT (5:00 EDT)

⭑Best Bet(s)

R5: 150K California Dreamin’ S.

1 1/16 Mi. on Turf for CA Bred/Sired, 3 Yrs. & Up

🏇 R10: 400K Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1)/BC
1 1/6 Miles on Dirt for Fillies/Mares, 3 Yrs. & Up
BC Division: Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Ⓢtakes Race(s)

Aug. 1st / National Sand Castle & Mead Day!

R1: 6-2-3-8

R2: 9-2-7-5

R3: 3-2-7

R4: 7-4-5-2

R5Ⓢ: 1-5-7

R6: 4⭑-5-8-1

R7: 3-1-10-6

R8: 4-5-7-10

R9: 3-5-4-12(AE)-10

🏇R10Ⓢ: Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1)/BC

LL: 5-2-8-9

Fink: 3-8-5-6

Mr. W: 5-8-6-2

R11: 10-2-13(AE)-1-11

🏇= Featured Race(s)

R6: D Day Sky (#4)

Mead, often referred to as "honey wine," is an ancient alcoholic beverage created by fermenting a mixture of honey and water with yeast. As one of the oldest known alcoholic drinks in human history, it has been enjoyed by diverse cultures worldwide, from the Vikings and ancient Greeks to the Mayans. While traditional mead relies solely on those three core ingredients, variations frequently incorporate fruits (known as melomels), spices or herbs (metheglins), or even grains and hops to produce complex flavor profiles. Depending on the specific ratio of ingredients, the type of honey used, and the fermentation process, mead can range widely in taste from bone-dry to intensely sweet, and can be crafted as either a still or sparkling beverage.

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