2026 Del Mar Handicap Picks and Preview at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Key Takeaways:

• The Del Mar Handicap offers a Breeders’ Cup Turf berth at 1 ⅜ miles, with a deep field that includes proven graded-stakes runners and several horses looking to step forward at the distance.
• The race could be heavily influenced by the pace, as there isn’t much early speed on paper and several of the likely contenders prefer to settle off the leaders.
• Atitlan could benefit from being second off a long layoff and making his second start for Richard Mandella, with Umberto Rispoli giving him a chance to get more tactical.
• Packs a Wahlop is an intriguing pace play if he can settle and carry his speed the full 1 ⅜ miles, especially with so little competition for the lead.
• Test Score brings the strongest recent class of the three picks, and if he handles the extra distance and stays close enough to the pace, his Grade 1 form makes him tough to overlook.

A bid to the Breeders’ Cup Turf is at stake Saturday, August 29, in the Grade 2, $300,000 Del Mar Handicap! One of the most important races of the Del Mar horse racing meet, it drew a field of 11 runners including the ageless Gold Phoenix, who has not only won this race each of the last four years but rolls into it on a streak of two straight graded-stakes wins, meaning he’s not just a horse of the past but still a horse for now.

It’s no sure thing that he’ll win this race for the fifth year in a row, however. Test Score, a multiple Grade 1 winner for Graham Motion, ships in to face the west coast set. Packs a Wahlop has back class and appears to be rounding back into form, and both Flashiest and Mondego have strong form in west-coast graded turf races this year as well.

The history of the Del Mar Handicap dates back to 1937. Though the race has been run at distances as short as 1 1/16 miles, and used to be run on the dirt, the race has found a home at 1 ⅜ miles on the lawn, and has been run at that distance every year since 1986. Some of its top winners in its dirt era include Native Diver (1967), Ancient Title (1977, the former namesake of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship), and Precisonist (1984). On turf, its most notable winner other than Gold Phoenix is Daryl’s Joy (1970, the former namesake of the Fourstardave at Saratoga).

Del Mar Handicap Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 29
• Track: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
• Post Time: 6:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅜ miles on the turf
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and upward
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2026 Del Mar Handicap Draw and Odds

This is the field for the Del Mar Handicap, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and official morning-line odds for each runner.

Del Mar Handicap Prep Race Results

Five of the 11 runners in the Del Mar Handicap come out of graded-stakes races last out. A pair last raced in the Eddie Read (G2) on July 26: Gold Phoenix got up to win by a nose, while Mondego has to bounce back from a seventh-place finish; he was just three lengths beaten but outkicked by most of the field. Flashiest shortens up after running fourth behind Tawny Port in the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup (G2) in June; Test Score stretches out a furlong after finishing sixth behind Burnham Square in the Arlington Million (G1) earlier this month at Colonial. Nitti comes out of a graded victory – but that came over a year ago in the 2025 San Juan Capistrano (G3), and he has to move forward from that despite a 14-month lay and a barn change.

Three other runners were last seen in restricted stakes company. Atitlan was a late-running fourth behind next-out Grade 2 winner King of Gosford in the Wickerr on July 19, and stretches out to a better distance for this. Two others come out of the California Dreamin’, a 1 1/16-mile California-bred stakes on August 1 at Del Mar: Old Pal was second by a head, while Santa Barbarian was a belated fourth.

The other three runners step up from starts in allowance company last out. Atomic Age, a lightly-raced four-year-old, cleared his first-level condition in an allowance-optional on August 6 over the same course and distance as this. Packs a Wahlop won at that same level last out going 1 1/16 miles on July 18, though he was up for the optional $50,000 tag. Maaz was a troubled but late-running sixth in a second-level race going 1 1/16 miles over the local lawn on July 17.

Del Mar Handicap Contenders

Here is a closer look at the 2026 Del Mar Handicap contenders, in order from the rail out.

1. Santa Barbarian: A lightly-raced four-year-old by Bodexpress, Santa Barbarian has mostly raced in the California-bred ranks, and both of his wins have come only against state-breds. It’s a concern that both of those victories came over a year ago, as well. His form does look to be on the upswing, as he was beaten just 1 ½ lengths last out, but the stretch out to 1 ⅜ miles is a serious question and trainer Ryan Hanson tends to underperform both with horses second off the lay and with graded-stakes runners in general.
2. Test Score: After winning the Pegasus World Cup Turf in January, it looked like he was going to be a serious contender in the turf division this year, but in three starts since his best outing was his runner-up finish in the Manhattan (G1), beaten half a length by Saratoga dynamo Deterministic. Trainer Graham Motion knows as well as anyone, though, that a competitive type out East is always going to contend for a price out west: Test Score snagged the Twilight Derby (G2) and was a narrow third after late trouble in the Hollywood Derby (G1) last year, so this is a familiar playbook. Motion has won with both his Del Mar shippers this meet, and he lures Juan Hernandez back into the saddle to ride. The biggest question is pace; he likes to have something to run at, but there’s not much early gas in this spot. Even so, he looks like the horse to beat.
3. Nitti: The big question is … who is he? He looked like a good thing winning the San Juan Capistrano (G3) last year, but he hasn’t raced since. He’s owned by the same people, though he has moved to the barn of Antonio Garcia – who is having a hot Del Mar meet, though he hasn’t done much in graded-stakes races. Furthermore, even with a last-out graded win, Nitti would have to take a major step forward to have a say in this.
4. Gold Phoenix: Even at age eight, he just keeps showing up – he has won three of his last four, with his only loss in that span a troubled attempt in the Turf Classic (G1), a proper Grade 1 on the Kentucky Derby card. He tends to settle off the pace, but doesn’t have to drop back to the clouds if the pace is slow in front of him, as proven by his win last year in this race. He and jockey Hector Berrios have built a nice rapport; he is four-for-four at this trip, and especially in a field where the closest thing to a world-beater is Test Score, he can’t be counted out.
5. Atomic Age: If Gold Phoenix is the wily old-timer from the D’Amato barn, Atomic Age is the shiny new face. He started his career out east for Chad Brown, won a maiden race at fourth asking, and then got sent west where he may fit a little better. Signs are good so far; in his second west-coast start, he stretched out to 1 ⅜ miles, the same distance as this race, and put up his best effort to date. He stalked a slow pace and finished well, a running style that could serve him in good stead this time. Class is the question – but if he can build off his last-out race, he has a shot to outrun his odds as the “other” D’Amato.
6. Maaz: The second-stringer for the Michael McCarthy barn, Maaz was off since a troubled seventh-place finish in the Hollywood Derby last November. He was only sixth in his return race, but ran into some trouble approaching the stretch and still made a credible late run. All things considered, it wasn’t a bad return, and it was something he could build on. The trouble is, he tends to do his best work when he gets some real pace to chase, and that doesn’t look like the case here.
7. Atitlan: He might have won this race last year had he gotten a little better luck from a trip perspective. However, he has only raced once since that narrow third-place finish: he moved to the barn of Richard Mandella after previous conditioner John Shirreffs suddenly passed away, and didn’t return until the Wickerr last month, in which he made up ground late but settled for fourth. He is a little interesting given that, earlier in his career, he showed some tactical speed – even in races as short as a mile. It has been a year and a half since he showed that gear, but perhaps second off the lay with a switch to high-percentage turf rider Umberto Rispoli, perhaps he taps back into that.
8. Mondego: The first-string entry from the Michael McCarthy barn, Mondego didn’t have what he needed in the Eddie Read last out, but has some upside both second off the lay and on the step up in trip. He’s a two-time graded-stakes winner at 1 ¼ miles on the grass and also Grade 1-placed at the distance. He has an allowance win at the distance, and he was beaten only 1 ¼ lengths in this race last year. He can also sit reasonably tactically and make a rally even if the pace isn’t torrid. It’s probably not going to be enough to win at this level and distance, but a piece underneath isn’t out of the question.
9. Old Pal: This lightly-raced six-year-old is a newer face at this level; he’s a two-time Cal-bred stakes winner but has only tried the graded level once. It was a good first attempt; he ran on late to finish fourth in the Seabiscuit, beaten only three-quarters of a length for top money. His best race puts him in the frame, and it’s actually a bit of a surprise (and a plus for Old Pal) to see Joel Rosario here and not on Atomic Age, who he rode to victory last out. But, the question is pace – Old Pal, like so many in here, tends to be relegated to pieces underneath if he doesn’t get lively fractions to close into.
10. Flashiest: Toss the last; two miles is an outlier in the States, period. Even though Flashiest is only 4-for-40 and hasn’t won a race since an allowance over two years ago at Santa Anita, he has been second in five of his last seven starts, and four of those five runner-up finishes have come in graded turf races out west. A win would be a surprise, because it’s been so long and because he won’t outgun the horse outside him to the lead. But, his customary underneath share would be no shock at all.
11. Packs a Wahlop: He needs to improve second off the layoff and run his absolute best to have a shot here. The thing is, he could – after all, not only is trainer John Sadler very strong second off the lay, but Packs a Wahlop is the controlling speed in a race without a lot of front-end gas. The question is whether he can stay the trip – though he was off the board in his one try at the distance, he was rank early and still made up some ground late, meaning he may well have the stamina to get there if he’s got his head on straight Saturday.

Del Mar Handicap Free Horse Racing Tips: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Del Mar Handicap:

1. Atitlan (6-1)

Atitlan has been coming from further off the pace in his last handful of starts, but perhaps this can be the time for him to shake it up. After all, he’s coming second off a long layoff, and making his second start for the Richard Mandella barn. Mandella's runners often move forward second off the layoff. He gets a shakeup in the saddle, switching to jockey Umberto Rispoli, a high-percentage rider in general and even better on the turf. If Rispoli reads the race and decides to take a shot with bringing him back to the running style Atitlan showed in some of his races at age three, like the Twilight Derby (G2) or even the Mathis Mile (G2), that should suit him better than the late-running style he’s shown in his more recent races.

And, even if Atitlan doesn’t really want to be all that forward early? A run back to his Del Mar Handicap from last year might get him there, or darn close, anyway. The pace was sluggish in that race, and even despite some traffic, he still kicked on well enough to miss by a neck for all the money. That suggests he isn’t all that pace-dependent, and that and his win in the 1 ½-mile San Luis Rey (G3) last year also suggest that he might just be able to draw on that deep German stamina in his female family and … not just win a war of attrition late, but truly relish the trip and finish.

2. Packs a Wahlop (10-1)

The old adage says, the pace makes the race. And, that’s great news for Packs a Wahlop, who is fast enough to lead this group on a merry chase – even with eleven horses in the field, he is the fastest early and no one is likely to give him that much trouble unless Armando Ayuso decides to really use up Flashiest early. Given how well Flashiest runs from a stalking spot, that seems like poor strategy; why not just stalk and be in a better position to take over if it turns out that Packs a Wahlop isn’t good enough or can’t stay the trip?

And, that’s the question – he has to prove he can stay the trip, and prove he’s good enough to win at this level. But, he has graded-level back class, including missing by a head in the Charlie Whittingham (G2) last year, and given how hard he was to settle the only other time he tried this distance, there’s still a possibility that he’s an older horse who can be renewed trying this longer trip. Demand a price, of course – but he should be a price on the class rise, meaning he’s an interesting pace play.

3. Test Score (3-1)

And here, we get to the favorites. Of course, neither Test Score nor Gold Phoenix would be a surprise. Gold Phoenix has won this race four times; Test Score is trying this race for the first time, but brings the East-Coast class. And, given that choice, the East-Coast class wins out, especially when Test Score has made a winning West-Coast raid before, and trainer Graham Motion has won with both other horses he has sent out to Del Mar this meet.

The question for Test Score – and the thing that may scare a few bettors off and make him an overlay – is the distance. He has never gone further than 1 5/16 miles, and finished only fourth at that distance. But, that outing came at Kentucky Downs, a love-it-or-hate-it kind of course, behind some good horses in Wimbledon Hawk and Burnham Square. Especially if he can adapt to sit a bit closer to the pace, something he successfully did when he won the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) at Gulfstream earlier this year, he could prove very tough to beat.

Del Mar Handicap FAQ

Q: When is the Del Mar Handicap?

A: The Del Mar Handicap happens on Saturday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The race is the 10th and final race on the card.

Q: Where is the Del Mar Handicap?

A: It takes place at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Del Mar Handicap?

A: Phil D’Amato leads all trainers with an astounding 10 wins in the Del Mar Handicap. In addition to winning the last four editions with Gold Phoenix he has won with Big John B (2014, 2015), Hunt (2017), Fashion Business (2018), Acclimate (2019), and Red King (2020). He can win his 11th this year with either Gold Phoenix or Atomic Age.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Del Mar Handicap?

A: The 5-2 morning-line favorite is Gold Phoenix, who has won this race the last four years and comes into the race in good form again. However, it is likely to be a tight race at the top of the market between him and east-coast shipper Test Score (3-1), who brings Grade 1 form for trainer Graham Motion.

Q: Who is the best Del Mar Handicap jockey?

A: Bill Shoemaker has won the most editions of the Del Mar Handicap, with eight between 1950 and 1987. Among jockeys entered in the 2026 edition, Victor Espinoza leads with three, most recently in 2021 with Astronaut. He can make it four if he sends Nitti to the upset victory.

Q: Who won the Del Mar Handicap in 2025?

A: Gold Phoenix won the Del Mar Handicap in 2025, his fourth straight victory, for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Flavien Prat. D’Amato returns Gold Phoenix to the race in 2025 with Hector Berrios in the irons, and he also entered Atomic Age with Kazushi Kimura aboard.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.