Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:30 PT Grade: A-
Main Ticket: 1-America’s Mark
Backups: none.
Forecast: America’s Mark was visually quite impressive in her recent maiden turf sprint victory in just her second career start and gave the impression that she’s a filly of some potential. The California-bred daughter of American Pharoah quickly established the pace, relaxed midway, then kicked clear when called upon to record a strong speed figure while looking like added distance will be well within her scope. She moves up into the first level allowance state-bred ranks, lands the favorable inside draw, and projects to be the controlling speed on the stretch out, all of which makes her a logical rolling exotic single.
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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:00 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 8-Tapatia Lea; 6-Tropical Rain Day.
Backups: 5-Dixie Allure.
Forecast: Tapatia Lea isn’t particular fast on numbers, but she may not need to be in this modest state-bred maiden $50,000 sprint for sophomore fillies. She lands the favorable outside post and projects to enjoy a comfortable pace pressing/stalking trip and have every chance to kick on with it when ready. Tropical Rain Day has faster speed figures and is the one to fear most, though with already eight races behind her she’s likely to have less room for improvement than our top pick, who’s only had two. She’s run well at this level in the past and seems certain to be a major player after chasing straight maidens in her last three starts.
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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 1:30 PT Grade: X
Main Ticket: 1-Queen Maxima
Backups: none.
Forecast: Queen Maxima has truly found her niche as a quality turf sprinter. Most recently, the J. Mullins-trained filly earned a career top number in a Hillside allowance dash with a facile score that stamps her as a short price favorite in this year’s edition of the Wishing Well Stakes, a restricted added money event at six furlongs over the flat course. Three nice breezes since raced have kept her on edge, and with another forward move or even just a repeat of her last race the daughter of Bucchero seems likely to continue her winning ways. In a race that projects to have modest early splits, she should be just where she wants to be every step of the way.
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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:00 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 3-Atomic Drop; 2-Taishan; 4-Impossible Task.
Backups: 6-Druidic.
Forecast: Here’s a messy low level ($8,000) claiming main track miler that should be treated with some caution. Atomic Drop, now in the S. Knapp barn following a claim, flopped at 6/5 last time out and is dropping a notch after that disappointing run. He’s clearly good enough to beat this field, especially with his projected role as the controlling speed, but he has burned money in the past and isn’t one to trust. Taishan is solid on speed figures but is just 3-for-43 in his career and always has preferred to run second or third (14 times) than win. Maybe this nosedive in class will make the difference. Impossible Task employs a good stalking style and has numbers than fit. We’ll view the switch to aggressive rider E. Maldonado as a positive factor and with four prior wins over the local main track the veteran son of Liam’s Map is an absolute “must use.”
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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 2:30 PT Grade: A-
Main Ticket: 2-King of Clubs
Backups: none.
Forecast: King of Clubs was well-backed (7-5) in his debut but settled for third in a main track maiden special weight state-bred sprint in late December while staying on willingly through the lane. The son of Clubhouse Ride should benefit greatly from that outing, and this stretch out to a mile and switch to grass should fit nicely in his toolbox. Drawn nicely inside and retaining F. Prat, the M. Glatt-trained gelding seems likely to step forward, as many second timers from this stable do, so at 8/5 on the morning line we’ll make him a strong pick on the tote and a rolling exotic single.,
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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:00 PT Grade: C
Main Ticket: 10-Veritas Aequitas; 8-Crown Magic; 6-J. B. Books
Backups: 4-Coolwind.
Forecast: Crown Magic and Veritas Aequitas just finished heads apart when one-two in a starter’s $8,000 allowance event over this track and distance and the two square off again, this time in a similar affair at the $10,000 level. They’re tough to separate again, but there is a two pound shift in the weights favoring ‘Aequitas, for whatever that’s worth. You have to use them both in your rolling exotics, along with J. B. Brooks, a big class dropper from the T. McCanna barn who sends them fit and runs them where they belong. In a race in which there is nothing to trust, these are the three we’ll put on the top line, but best advice is the include as many as your budget allows.
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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:32 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 1-Sasafran; 8-Odies Memory Lane; 9-Orange Thunder.
Backups: 12-Om N Joy.
Forecast: This straight maiden turf miler for state-bred sophomore fillies is a challenging affair with several possibilities. Sasafran was worn down late to wind up a close third after being handed an easy front running trip in a similar spot last month. She may improve off that race in what is just her third career start, but she’ll never get an easier trip than last time. Odies Memory Lane stretches out for the first time and likely will have a strong pace presence. Her numbers are rising but in four career starts she’s always backed up from the furlong pole to the wire. Orange Thunder is the noted closer in the field but lacks acceleration. She’ll need all the help she can get up front to have her best chance. Tread lightly or spread deeply.
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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:02 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 8-Tiz Secure; 7-Voldemort.
Backups: none.
Forecast: A pair of B. Baffert stablemates debut in this maiden six furlong sprint and both have credentials to win right now. Tiz Secure is a first timer by Maximum Security, so you’d think he might prefer to run long rather than sprint, but he’s actually displayed good speed and plenty of quality in his morning preparations. With the barn’s “go-to” rider J. Hernandez taking the call, we’ll prefer him over Voldemort, a Good Magic colt that brought $700,000 as a yearling at Keeneland and has breezed like he, too, is fit and ready. We’ll be somewhat surprised if the winner isn’t one or the other, as the known element doesn’t look like anything special.
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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 4:32 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 5-Guy Named Joe; 6-Dancing Rinca.
Backups: 4-Money Makes Money; 11-Tom Horn.
Forecast: Guy Named Joe tackles older rivals for the first time but has speed figures that should make this colt quite competitive in one of his rare sprint attempts. Unplaced last fall in the Del Mar Derby-G1 and freshened since then, the son of American Pharoah might be using this Hillside turf affair race as a prep, but he should run well anyway, especially over a course his style suits perfectly. Dancing Rinka is just 1-for-21 in his career and is certainly not one to trust, but the veteran gelding has run decently in these slalom events in the past and it we would be surprised if he didn’t at least hit the board.
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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 5:02 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 4-Needlepoint (Ire).
Backups: 2-Eternal Reign (Ire); 6-Tirupati.
Forecast: Needlepoint (Ire) is a talented European invader making her U.S. debut in a first level allowance turf miler for older fillies and mares. She arrives fresh from a victory over the all-weather Lingfield surface but broke her maiden at first asking on grass at Chantilly (in France) as a 2-year-old, so the switch in surface won’t be an issue. Her local drills for new trainer P. Gallagher have caught the eye and based on her Timeform ratings she should be a strong fit at this level on this circuit.
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