“Turf’s up” at Santa Anita for the start of the Fall Meet this Friday, Sept. 25. The popular $3 All-Turf Pick 3 covers races 4, 6 and 8 with a reduced 15-percent takeout. Here’s a closer look:
Santa Anita Race 4 (5:36 p.m. EST)
FAUSTO couldn’t match the move of the last-to-first winner but he finished second in a double key race three starts back under the same conditions. BORN TO ROCK improved with Lasix, now returns as a gelding for trainer Michael McCarthy, who was 28-for-167 with turf horses at Santa Anita in the past year with an average $11.60 win mutuel. AFTER DAWN couldn’t keep pace with the two short-priced favorites on the final turn, but he is working forwardly off that improved second-out try at this level. His sire, Frosted, never raced on turf but he was a multiple graded stakes winner at this distance and three of his siblings won grass stakes in different countries. MIGHTY TORO rallied 3-wide into a solid pace, led at the stretch call just missed in his first try at this level. He holds a tactical advantage and must be used in the leadoff leg despite a short price.
Santa Anita Race 6 (6:40 p.m. EST)
JORDI BEAR checked hard and out of contention two starts back, but he added blinkers and narrowed the winning margin of Proletariat (4-7, $389k) in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in his first run at today’s 1-1/8-mile distance. PIEDRA FRIA, our top choice in here, saved ground, got first run on the two favorites and won convincingly is his 5F debut. The winning time was a second faster than a $25,000/nw2 grass sprint on the same card. Trainer Doug O’Neill is 5-for-23 in the past year with second-out turf starters, with four of the winners being dismissed at double-digit odds.
Santa Anita Race 8 (7:41 p.m. EST)
GOLDENLYNN, the daughter of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion Golden Pal, worked in :59.1 from the gate on the Santa Anita main track September 13, a day when 3 of 36 workouts at 5F timed faster than one minute. She is sure to draw a lot of support in her debut. THEBEACHISBACK has the experience edge and a good race under her belt. She was 4-wide on the backstretch and turn, gained late on the dueling winner but finished third, between a trio of deep closers. Five of her seven rivals today are first-time starters.
Suggested Pick 3
SA 4th Race: 1, 2, 3, 6
SA 6th Race: 2, 6
SA 8th Race: 1, 8
Cost for a $3 ticket: $48
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