After a big Goodwood Day last Saturday, Santa Anita Park is back a week later with another big day of thoroughbred racing. This time there are four graded stakes races on the agenda headlined by the American Pharoah (G1) for the juveniles at two-turns.
In addition to the stakes action on tap on Saturday, 1/ST BET and Xpressbet also have a promotion included on the afternoon involving the featured event, which is part of the return of our Breeders’ Cup Bankroll Builder. Check out the promotional landing page for details and a full list of races included over the next few weeks, but ultimately it is about betting $25+ on a given stakes event listed and getting a $5 bonus deposited into your account for each one on Friday October 30. The Alcibiades (G2) at Keeneland on Friday afternoon is the first opportunity with the American Pharoah to follow one day later. Here are a few horses I like on the day at the Great Race Place, including my play in the feature.
Race 1:
The card gets started with a MSW for 2YOs at one-mile over the grass where the morning line favorites appear vulnerable. Bob Baffert has won a lot of races at Santa Anita and often is a scary fade when he brings in the two ML favorites, but I am willing to take on both 2-1-top choice #5 Absolution in his first start over the lawn and the more experienced #2 Hoaxer. I tried to make strong cases for #1 Dream Seeker and #4 Bliksem as well, but their two-turn turf efforts are underwhelming and without an excuse. So instead, I will take a big swing with second-time starter #3 Schooner. The son of Justify debuted going five-furlongs over the Santa Anita main track on June 12 for trainer Dan Blacker and has been on the sidelines since. He clearly is bred to go a route of ground, so not going to take too much out of his well-beaten fourth-place effort at a distance far too short for this John O’Connor owned colt that has every right to move forward on the surface switch. In fact, Schooner’s dam was 2 for 9 on the grass and hit the board in 8 of those tries earning nearly $268k. He has a lot to prove after his debut, but the price should be right to gamble in what seems like a wide-open race to kick off the early Pick 5.
Play: #3 Schooner (10-1 ML)
Picks: 3-1-2
Race 4:
The pace should be honest at the very least in this state-bred first-level allowance event at six-furlongs over the Santa Anita sod. This should bode well for #4 Owl. The son of Sir Prancealot comes off a strong runner-up effort versus similar competition at Del Mar going five-furlongs on September 5. The effort was even better than it looks on paper since the rails were out on the turf that day and the Neil Drysdale trainee was caught three-wide on the backstretch. It was the first time Owl had competed with the blinkers off since his debut in May, as well as the first time Drysdale legged up veteran Joel Rosario. Both should benefit him once again in this spot. I like this 4YO gelding’s chances of getting to the wire first given the likely race shape in his third start of the form cycle.
Play: #4 Owl (5-2 ML)
Picks: 4-1-3
Race 7: American Pharoah (G1)
To no one’s surprise trainer Bob Baffert holds a very strong hand in this year’s American Pharoah. The Hall of Fame conditioner has won this event a record 13 times, including four years in a row from 2021-2024 before Intrepido pulled the upset last fall. The event originally called the Norfolk Stakes and renamed the FrontRunner in 2012 before taking on its current title drew a field of six with undefeated #2 Hughes listed as the 4-5-top choice. The $675k Keeneland September purchase has won all three starts for fun, including last out when he beat four rivals by nearly five lengths in the Del Mar Futurity (G1). He is unlikely to offer much value, but is tough to get past despite the horseplayer in me wishing otherwise. I will attempt to find value in other spots and rely on the chalk to get home in the Saturday feature.
Play: #2 Hughes (4-5 ML)
Picks: 2-4-5
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