Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 12:00 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 6-America’s Mark; 8-Odies Memory Lane; 7-Thetribehasspoken.
Backups: 2-Om N Joy.
Forecast: America’s Mark flashed speed sprinting on dirt in her only start last fall at Del Mar and faded late but there’s a reasonable chance she’ll improve dramatically today with that bit of experience behind her, the addition of Lasix, and the switch to grass. Most of the American Pharoah fillies prefer the lawn, so in what appears to be a softer than average race for maiden state-bred fillies she could easily step forward significantly. Odies Memory Lane weakened late in her recent comeback to finish fourth but removes blinkers and adds Lasix, two dangerous angles. The winner of that race returned to win a stakes, and it’s unlikely that there is anything as good in here today. Thetribehasspoken finished a one-paced fifth in her debut in November and is another that should be capable of improving with added distance and experience. In an open fray, she’s worth including on the top line.
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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 12:32 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: Wishes to Riches; 2-Dangerous Affair.
Backups: 6-Matina.
Forecast: Wishes to Riches earned a big number when breaking her maiden two runs back against maiden $50,000 company but then regressed at 3/5 on her next outing when brought back at this level a few weeks later. Freshened for two months but remaining protected in starter allowance company, the P. D’Amato-trained daughter of Grazen should be capable of returning to her best form what with a healthy series of breezes in the interim to keep her fit and ready. Dangerous Affair has steadily rising numbers and appears primed for another forward move in a race that projects to have sufficient speed to compliment her late running style. She’s listed as the 2-1 second choice on the morning line behind our top pick but could easily go favored.
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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 1:04 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Santarena; Stockbridge; 7-Extensively
Backups: 1-Dr. Park.
Forecast: Here’s a straight maiden race for older horses that came up unusually strong. Santarena made his first start as a gelding in late December after showing good ability but failing to win in his eight prior starts. The son of Omaha Beach improved dramatically when second while earning a huge 90 Beyer speed figure, which is stronger than par for this older maiden special weight level, so a repeat of that performance today should be sufficient to earn his diploma. Stockbridge is a first timer by Omaha Beach from the R. Mandella barn with a series of breezes that indicate plenty of ability. A $350,000 OBS March Sale purchase in 2023, he finally makes it to the post at age four and is worth consideration in a hot race. Extensive backs up to a sprint after showing decent ability over a mile against good company at Los Alamitos last month. He could improve a ton with the route-to-sprint and second-time starter angles and is ideally drawn outside.
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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 1:35 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: Father Ted; 4-Modus Bestia
Backups: 6-San Seba; 1-Varney.
Forecast: Father Red was extremely well meant in his debut but hooked a monster in Madaket Road (who had the benefit of a prior run) and was forced to settle for second money in an extremely fast, highly rated race. He’s facing some good prospects again today, but this time he has the edge in experience to go along with a hot Beyer number, so we’ll prefer the proven element on top. Modus Bestia is a debuting son of Maclean’s Music with some very promising breezes leading up to today’s unveiling. A $500,000 yearling purchase, the R. Baltas-trained colt looks the part of a quality colt and has done everything asked in the morning to be fit and ready.
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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 2:04 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 4-Noble Reflection; 2-Zeus’War; 6-Irish Royalty.
Backups: 1-King Apollo; 8-Dancing Rinca; 5-Santo Dios (Arg).
Forecast: This wide open grass grab bag could be won by any of the entrants, ranging from the favorite to the longest priced on the board. Spread as deeply as you can afford to. Noble Reflection was extremely sharp in victory on opening day, wiring the field after flashing superior early speed and earning a very fast speed figure in doing so. That race was down the hill; today he’ll need to negotiate the flat course and it’s possible he won’t be as effective. We’ll see. Zeus’ War is solid on main track numbers, but this will be his first career start on turf. If he can transfer his dirt and all weather form to the sod, he’ll be right there. Irish Royalty likes to settle and make a run. With some help up front, he could be dangerous late.
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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 2:35 PT Grade: A-
Main Ticket: 2-Halo Rondo
Backups: none.
Forecast: We’ll take a stand and single Halo Rando, a razor sharp sprinter from the hot D. Pederson barn. Protected right back after winning a starter’s allowance sprint over the local dirt track in his first start since arriving from Pleasanton, the four year old gelding crushed his foes with a career top Beyer number three weeks ago and anything close to that type of performance today will be good enough to extend his winning streak to three. A bullet half mile breeze (:47.1), the fastest of 69 for the distance, is another positive factor to consider. He’s listed as the 8/5 morning line favorite during a season in which the public choices are clicking at around 50 percent.
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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 3:08 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: Yogi Boy; 9-Forty Niner Gold; 3-Tizz a Good Thing.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Restricted (nw-2) $25,000 claimers sprint six furlongs on grass in a race that offers several possibilities in an evenly matched affair. We’ll go three deep on our top line, and they are tough to separate. Yogi Boy hasn’t been out since September of 2023 but he’s waiver protected and in the proper spot for a capable outfit. He’s a first-time gelding with a prior win over the local lawn and a work tab that should have him cranked and ready, so we’ll consider him a major player. Forty Niner Gold just missed by a head at this level over this course last month and this shortening to six furlongs should help this committed speed type stick around to the wire. His numbers fit and he shows a couple of easy recent breezes to tick him over. Tizz a Good Thing, beaten a nose in the same race ‘Gold just finished third in, is a strong contender based on his current form over the course, and he really won’t have to improve much to return to the winner’s circle.
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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 3:38 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 5-Imagination; 1-Tarantino
Backups: none.
Forecast: So, whose turn is it today? The West Coast older handicap ranks offer no standout or consistency, so nothing would surprise us. Imagination has the best recent form – he was a close third in the Malibu S.-G1 opening day but benefited from a pristine, ground-saving trip – so he’s the morning line favorite by default but hasn’t won race in almost 11 months. Tarantino offers inside speed under regular pilot E. Maldonado, who usually doesn’t wait around for anybody, and if this veteran gelding can shake lose early (his preferred trip) he may never look back. These are the two we’ll put on the top line but without a high degree of confidence. If you find the need to protect deeper, go right ahead.
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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 4:08 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 3-Truehood; 9-Billy Joe Shaver; 10-Artist Proof.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Truehood, away since May of 2023, comes back cheap for maiden $20,000, a far cry from his $700,000 purchase price as a yearling, and now at age five his connections clearly don’t view him as any long term project. He’s looked decent in his comeback works (he was 2/5 in his debut, so he obviously has natural talent), but who knows how damaged he is? If he has at least one good left in him the B. Baffert-trained horse will wire this modest field. Billy Joe Shaver, second in his last pair as the favorite, is slow on numbers but can win if our top pick doesn’t fire, while the one-paced grinder Artist Proof is back sprinting where he may be most comfortable and should at least be able to clunk up and get a part.
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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 4:38 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: Kentucky Gal; 2-Strutting; 5-Paradise Lake
Backups: 4-Lady Claypoole; Star of the Night.
Forecast: Kentucky Gal is an intriguing European shipper in this first level allowance turf event over nine furlongs for fillies and mares. She brings from Ireland steadily improving form and has been quite impressive in team drills on the training track leading up to her U.S. debut. We suspect she’s good enough to be a strong fit at this level on this circuit for P. D’Amato. Strutting didn’t get the clearest of runs in one of the stronger renewals of the American Oaks-G1 in recent years and actually ran a better than the line will show when checking in sixth of 11 behind super filly She Feels Pretty. Needless to say, so this is an infinitely softer assignment, and we expect her to be rolling late. Paradise Lake missed by a half-length while earning a career top number when second at this condition at Del Mar. She’s been sparingly raced but could be sounder and a better type this time around.
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