The Lead:
After a scheduled week off at Santa Anita, the Great Race Place is back with Friday-Sunday racing and a big card on Saturday. The co-features are the Grade 3 $100,000 Kona Gold for sprinters and the Grade 2 $200,000 Californian in the Breeders' Cup Classic division. The 1-1/8 miles Californian will be Race 9 on the card. 1/ST BET and Xpressbet players can take advantage of up to a $10 money-back special if their win bet finishes second or third in this race.
Field Depth:
Grade 1 winner DEFUNDED (pictured above) stands out on class. ROYAL SHIP is a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed, while KISS TODAY GOODBYE is also a Grade 2 winner. PARNELLI is Grade 2-placed.
Pace:
DEFUNDED pairs the speed and class from the rail and likely controls this. MIDNIGHT MAMMOTH could add some early interest, but this does not look to fall apart in any fashion.
Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.
1-DEFUNDED: With Santa Anita Handicap 1-2 finishers Stilleto Boy and Proxy on the road for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap, the Big 'Cap third-place finisher seemingly has the playground to himself in the Californian. Trainer Bob Baffert has won this race 3 times, most recently in 2018 when going back-to-back with Collected and Dr. Dorr. The best race of his career was at this same track/distance when wiring the Grade 1 Awesome Again in October. Expect similar tactics.
2-KISS TODAY GOODBYE: Deep closer has only 2 starts in the last 14 months and was 114-1 and 78-1 in those without showing his prior abilities. Finally back on dirt, but hasn't won a race since the 2020 San Antonio. He'll need the pace to collapse to have his best chance.
3-MR. IMPOSSIBLE: February allowance winner on the synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields, he last won on dirt in September at Los Alamitos. Munnings gelding has been 1 starts bid in 13 career starts, a well-beaten fourth nearly 2 years ago in the Grade 3 Affirmed over this track. Tall task from a pace-pressing trip.
4-MIDNIGHT MAMMOTH: Wire-to-wire winner in 2 of his last 4 starts, he'll find the early pressure here a different animal (literally) against DEFUNDED. His local 11-1 upset March 19 in allowance company was his first win on dirt in 5 tries. Steps up in class while in good form.
5-PARNELLI: Pace-versatile sort has never really gotten over the hump at the upper levels at Santa Anita, but his best is capable of being in the discussion here. John Shirreffs trainee exits a solid third, beaten 1 length, in the Grade 2 San Pasual over this track and distance. His Santa Anita main track form is much better than that from Del Mar, which clouds his ledger a bit. Biggest threat to DEFUNDED.
6-ROYAL SHIP: The 2021 Californian winner has to regain his form that has been absent since being obliterated by the great Flightline in last summer's Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Since having his heart sunk by 26 lengths that day, he's returned to run 6th by nearly 20 lengths and 8th by more than 15 lengths. Never comfortably toss Richard Mandella and Mike Smith in a spot like this, but it's no safe bet this 7-year-old gets back on the beam.
Most Certain Exotics Contender:
DEFUNDED stands out on paper and no reason to think he won't light the board even on an off day.
Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
KISS TODAY GOODBYE could pass some tired chasers of DEFUNDED for a share.
Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$75 exacta DEFUNDED over PARNELLI. $25 exacta DEFUNDED over KISS TODAY GOODBYE.
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