Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:30 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 1-Toughness; 5-War to Remember.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Toughness has burned money in his first two starts but if he leaves cleanly from his inside draw the son of Complexity should be the best of speed types and prove tough to catch in this maiden turf sprint for sophomores. Since he’s not one to trust, we’ll also include on the top line the route-to-sprint play War to Remember, who is comfortably drawn outside and switches to F. Prat. He’ll fold over into an ideal pace pressing position and have every chance to wear down our top pick close home. Both should be included in rolling exotic play.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:02 PT Grade: X
Main Ticket: 1-Clampett
Backups: none.
Forecast: The genuine and versatile Clampett will be an extremely short price in this starter allowance main track miler based on several positive factors that appear in his chart. Specifically, he’ll probably be the controlling speed from his favorable rail draw even though he’s clearly not a need the lead type and he’s fresh from a career top performance in a race that was tougher than the one he’s in today. The M. Glatt-trained gelding is an obvious no-value rolling exotic single.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 1:32 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Champagne Camie; 7-Open Soul Autism.
Backups: none.
Forecast: The winner should be one of the two listed on our top line above in this starter optional claimer for fillies and mares over six furlongs in the main track. Champagne Camie must leave from the rail and isn’t particular quick so she may have to negotiate a bit of traffic in this seven runner affair, but if she can secure a clear path from the head of the lane to the wire the J. Sadler-trained six year old should her shot to tag the speed close home. Freshened for more than two months following a clever score at Los Alamitos in a $16,000 seller, she is solid on numbers despite the slight raise in class, and a bullet recent training track drill (:57 1/5) tells us she’s right on edge. Open Soul Autism is comfortably drawn outside, picks up F. Prat, and is strictly the one to beat. She’s back sprinting where she belongs and a bullet five furlong breeze (:59 1/5) at San Luis Rey Downs nine days ago signals her readiness.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:02 PT Grade: X
Main Ticket: Madam Secretary
Backups: 6-Lolo Le Plume.
Forecast: Madame Secretary is a filly of some promise. With two sprints under her belt, the addition of Lasix, and a significant forward move in speed figures between her first and second starts, the daughter of Constitution looks ready to graduate. We’ll expect the R. Mandella-trained sophomore to be on or near the lead throughout as a logical short price favorite.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 2:32 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Velocious; 4-Union Coach.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Velocious shows up in a mid-grade claiming sprint while shortening to her preferred surface and distance. Based on the number she earned winning from a starter allowance field sprinting at Pleasanton in early December, the daughter of Goldencents should be capable of regaining her winning form in this six furlong dirt dash for fillies and mares. Union Coach has strong credentials as well and is a “must use” on the top line. In the frame in 10 of 13 career stats, the I. Tamayo-trained four-year-old might be the quickest of the quick, and if she can shake loose early she could prove hard to down.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:02 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Rank; 5-Baeza.
Backups: 2-Mellencamp; 3-Varney.
Forecast: Rank already has had seven outings without breaking his maiden, so it’s fairly clear that he can’t beat a real good colt, though there may not be one in this maiden main track miler for sophomores. The son of Honor A. P. earned his best speed figure (by far) when second in a similar affair behind the highly regarded Rodriguez over this track and distance last month and if he can repeat that performance today he’ll be hard to beat. From his rail draw, he might inherit the role as the controlling speed. Baeza, third in the same race our top pick exits in just his second career outing, has much more room for improvement and with another forward move could prove difficult to contain. His Beyer speed figure improved by 27 points between his first and second starts; it’ll be interesting what kind of improvement he has in him today.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:32 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 5-Clouseau.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Clouseau returns to Southern California after scoring back-to-back wins at Pleasanton in first level allowance middle distance main track affairs. On pure numbers, either one of those performances are sufficient to extend his winning streak, and because the son of Distorted Humor has won three times over the local main track we know he’ll handle the surface just fine. The projected moderate pace flow of this one mile affair suits him perfectly (he’s a stalker or second flight runner), so we’re expecting the A. Mathis-trained gelding to be along in time.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:02 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 2-Ridegold
Backups: 9-Stubborn.
Forecast: Ridegold finished a willing second in her debut in a solid performance (well clear of the rest) while earning a speed figure that should be sufficient to beat this field. She’s not a particularly quick sort – she’s more of a grinder – and as such the daughter of Clubhouse Ride should greatly appreciate that race under her belt plus today’s extra half furlong. J. Hernandez rides her back and maidens from this barn have a history of improving in their second career outings, so it all adds up to a logical rolling exotic single.
______________________________________________________________________________
.svg){kind=logo}
