Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:30 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 2-She’s Splendid; 5-Amelia Bleu; 3-God’s Favor.
Backups: none.
Forecast: The Friday program begins with a challenging $25,000 claiming turf miler for fillies and mares. There are at least three logical contenders, with She’s Splendid rating a very slight edge on top. When last seen at this level three runs back over the local course and distance, the daughter of Race Day missed by a diminishing head in a race that produced her career top number, so a repeat of that outing today should be good enough. She’ll likely settle in the second flight and then produce her best bid from the quarter pole home. Amelia Bleu is a strong fit on numbers and showed she could handle turf when a solid runner-up at this level at Del Mar two runs back. She employs a good stalking style and projects to enjoy an ideal trip. God’s Favor is a lightly raced mare with an improving pattern and is properly spotted in this restricted (nw-2) affair following a bottom rung maiden $20,00 win at Los Alamitos last month. She’ll need another forward move to win at this level but could have it in her.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:00 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 3-Atomic Drop; 1-Kingmeister.
Backups: 2-Impossible Task; 6-Zimba Warrior.
Forecast: Here’s another spread affair, this one for $10,000 claiming main track milers. Small ticket players may choose to use just the two listed on top line in rolling exotic play. Atomic Drop should fire a big shot over a track he’s won four races. Tough on the front end or from a pace pressing position, the veteran gelding is reunited with his preferred jockey (A. Espinoza) and projects to enjoy his kind of trip. Kingmeister is guaranteed a ground saving trip from the rail and is more than fast enough on numbers, but he has been away since April, so his current condition is unknown. The work tab at Pleasanton should have him fit enough and he hails from a capable outfit, so we’ll make him a “must use.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 1:30 PT Grade: X
Main Ticket: 1-Sophisticate
Backups: none.
Forecast: Sophisticate has little to beat in this maiden nine furlong turf affair for older fillies and mares and seems likely to verify her very short 3/5 morning line. In the frame in her last three, most recently when second facing similar in a grass miler, the daughter of Liam’s Map shouldn’t have an issue with today extra furlong and projects to settle in mid-pack and then accelerate when given her cue. Her numbers are steadily rising, the jock knows her well, and the rail post will ensure a ground-saving trip. It all adds up.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:00 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 2-Cowboy Kisses; 7 Constant Conflict.
Backups: 4-Idiot’s Gold; 5-Blue Silver.
Forecast: This messy restricted (nw-3) $8,000 abbreviated sprint for older horses requires as much coverage as your budget allows. Cowboy Kisses may be as good as any. A beaten favorite up north when facing a slightly tougher field, the I. Tamayo-trained gelding had no visible excuse but still earned a career top number in a solid effort, one that if repeated on this circuit puts him in the thick of it. Probably most effective when able to establish the pace, he could get some pressure early on, but his best race is good enough, especially at this shortened trip. Constant Conflict takes a realistic class drop to his lowest level ever and should be capable of bouncing back against this group. It’s been awhile since he’s won a race but against this group he may get his confidence back. These two belong on our top line but we’ll have a couple of savers on the ticket for protection.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 2:30 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 5-Antheomofthebrave; 7-Brazenly.
Backups: none.
Forecast: We’ll double this race in rolling exotic play and hope to survive and advance with one of the two main players. Andtheomofthebrave is a late developing 4-year-old with just three starts to date, and each outing was better than the previous. Most recently, the Calbred gelding missed by a head against similar company over a mile after making the running and then giving way close home in a better than par race for the level. He’s not a need the lead type but in a field without too much zip he could become the controlling speed or at worst draft into a favorable stalking spot. Brazenly, third in the same race our top pick exits, lacks a turn of foot but should improve at this nine furlong trip. The others in the race will have to step it up.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:00 PT Grade: C
Main Ticket: Fly a Fantasy; 2-Shop Till You Drop; 4-Misty Muppet.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Fly a Fantasy earned a career top speed figure in a strong runner-up effort at 13-1 at this same $16,000 non-winners of two level last month and a similar try today should be good enough in this six furlong main track sprint. She’s not a particular quick type but if she can settle in the second flight to the head of the lane, she’ll have her chance. Shop Till You Drop has a second place effort two runs back that charts well in this restricted (nw-2) $16,000 claimer and projects to be a pace presser, while Misty Muppet was a sharp second in her only prior outing over the local main track, finished a respectable third in an open $16,000 seller at Los Alamitos last month, and is facing a tad easier company today. These are the three we’ll include in our rolling exotics but without any real conviction.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:30 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 4-Supa Speed ; 5-Schilflied; 2-Shining River.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Supa Speed had massive trouble when unplaced two races back in the Thoroughbred Aftercare S. at Del Mar on the Breeders’ Cup undercard and then was predictably over bet (6/5) in the subsequent Bue Norther Stakes in which she finished a decent third without mishap late last month. She removes blinkers and adds Lasix today, so we’re anticipating a significant forward move from the daughter of Justify. The filly who just finished ahead of her in that last race, Schilflied, is the one she’ll have to beat. The P. Gallagher-trained daughter of Mendelssohn stretches out again; she was well beaten at this distance in her debut last summer at Del Mar, but her sprint form suggests she could easily be a better type now. Shining River was a stylish all-weather winner in England last fall and should fit on this circuit at this level. You have to toss her in somewhere.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:00 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 2-Brilliantly
Backups: 1-Maysam.
Forecast Here’s a loaded maiden filly sprint with several bright prospects, and it should take a very good filly to win it. The first timer Brilliantly may be just that. The daughter of Uncle Mo has breezed in the morning like a future stakes performer, and based on looks, pedigree, and sales price ($500,000) she will be hard to beat with a trouble-free journey. A lengthy, athletic filly with plenty of scope, she has outworked everything led up to her, and while she’s bred to run long the B. Baffert-trained sophomore apparently has more than her fair share of zip. At 7/5 on the morning line, she’s a logical rolling exotic single.
______________________________________________________________________________
Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 4:30 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 10-Blisterinthesun
Backups: 7-Irish Rose.
Forecast: We’ll take a stand and single Blisterinthesun in the nightcap, a maiden $40,000 turf sprint for older fillies and mares. Freshened since November, she exits a series of tougher straight maiden events and based on speed figures should greatly appreciate this much softer assignment. The P. D’Amato-trained daughter of Mitole is drawn on the far outside but should have early speed to cross over and establish a favorable pace setting/forcing position and then stick out it out through the lane.
______________________________________________________________________________
.svg){kind=logo}
