The week at both Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park concludes this afternoon after a fun Saturday of thoroughbred racing at both venues. Gulfstream kicks off their 9-race card off at 12:20 PM eastern, while the Great Race Place gets their 8-race slate going at 3:30 eastern/12:30 local time.
Many of you know we added a late Pick 4 Hit & Split promotion late this week for the weekend at both tracks. Hopefully, some of you took advantage yesterday, but for those of you who did not, you have two more chances! Gulfstream’s late Pick 4 starts with Race 6 at 2:49 PM local time with Santa Anita’s sequence commencing at 5:36 eastern. Just remember to register for the promo if did not already do so. Here are my thoughts on the sequence out west later today.
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Race 5:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 8 Silkie Sevei
Backups: 1 Red Cherry
Forecast: The sequence gets started with this MSW event at 6.5-furlongs over the grass for 3YO fillies. #8 Silkie Sevei scratched out of a similar spot on yesterday’s card where she was drawn on the rail and now draws much more favorably to the outside in her Stateside debut for trainer Phil D’Amato. D’Amato sports strong numbers with runners he gives a little time before debuting in a turf sprint in the States. In fact, he is 5 for 12 in turf sprints over the last two years with foreign shippers he has given 60-180 days after arriving in North America. I know that seems a bit convoluted, but to me it suggests he has these runners ready to roll when he lets them run in the afternoons for the first time in North America. Silkie Sevei meets a modest field and should be tough to beat to kick things off.
Race 6:
Grade: C
Main Ticket: 4 Windribbon; 7 The Big Cheeseola
Backups: None
Forecast: It was difficult to get creative in this starter allowance for 4YOs+ where I landed on #4 Windribbon on top. The 10YO son of Sway Away has been a warrior winning 10 of 58 overall, including 1 of 8 at Santa Anita Park. His lack of speed is a slight concern, but I like his chances to run them down in the lane. If not, it is likely to be #7 The Big Cheeseola who gets to the wire first. The son of Mr. Big has done some of his best running at Santa Anita and should be involved early under jockey Kazushi Kimura.
Race 7:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 8 Tiger Lady; 5 Darlin Sugaree
Backups: 4 Final Table Lady
Forecast: The pace is likely to be contentious in this 5.5-furlong dash over the main track for 3YO fillies. This should set things up for both #5 Darlin Sugaree and #8 Tiger Lady. Darlin Sugaree is likely to take significantly more public support off of her runner-up effort at Del Mar in late November, but Tiger Lady is not without a chance on the cutback to one-turn and move back to the main track for Andy Mathis. Her lone victory came from off the pace at this distance in her first start. Hopefully, she replicates that late run.
Race 8:
Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 12 Miss Practical
Backups: None
Forecast: My play of the day comes in this state-bred first-level allowance over the main track where the pace should be honest at the very least. This bodes extremely well for #12 Miss Practical. The Richard Barton homebred made her first start off an 8-month break on December 28 and ran very well in defeat. Her gate issues have plagued her in the past and did not work to her advantage off the bench, but hopefully she can avoid another slow break from her outside draw. If so, she should have no issue running this group down late under jockey Hector Berrios.
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