They are back at it Friday afternoon at the Great Race Place. The new week at Santa Anita Park kicks off with an 8-race slate that gets started at 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT. The card features a quartet of stakes races and a state-bred MSW event for 3YOs over the main track. Here are the horses I am most interested in on Friday in Arcadia.
Race 6:
The late Pick 3 kicks off with this open $25k claimer over the grass for older fillies and mares and I had a hard time getting past 5-2-ML favorite #1 Candy Bar. The daughter of Constitution takes a significant drop in class out of first-level allowance company for trainer Bob Hess Jr. The 6YO mare was a little keen early in that second start over the Santa Anita grass on December 28 and ended up tiring late at nearly 17-1. Whether jockey Tyler Baze opts to get aggressive and go right to the front or decides to let an outside rival go and sit just off, Candy Bar should be forward early allowing her to get the jump on those from off the pace. This feels like a great spot for the 3-time winner in search of her first local score.
Play: #1 Candy Bar (5-2 ML)
Race 7:
This 5.5-furlong dash for Cal-bred MSW foes over the main track kicks off the $5 late Double and instead of backing one of the underneath finishers in a similar spot on December 29, I will look to #6 Tate Batz. The Doug O’Neill trainee debuted in late November in a 6-furlong state-bred MSW event at Del Mar. The Pavel filly got hammered down to 6-5-favoritism, but was clearly second best to a first-time starter for the Andy Mathis barn that came from well out of it to take advantage of a contentious first half mile. O’Neill has had a strong meet thus far winning at over 20% with a $2.68 ROI and this filly showed some talent at first asking. A move forward is expected.
Play: #6 Tate Batz (9-2 ML)
Race 8:
The pace should be contentious at the very least in this starter allowance over the grass to close the Friday proceedings. Most who see the race shape that way will understandably flock to 9-5-ML favorite #6 Trusty Rusty. The Tapiture gelding moves back to the lawn after a win going one-mile over the Los Alamitos main track to conclude his 5YO season and has the right running style to take advantage of an early tussle. The problem is he is 0 for 6 over this course and just 1 for 8 overall on the sod making the price tough to swallow. I will pivot to #2 So I’m Told. The Square Eddie gelding drops out of an open $25k claimer dominated by Jimmy Blue Jeans twenty days ago. Trainer Martin Valenzuela. Jr. brings him back in a favorable spot quickly and gets a rider upgrade to Hector Berrios after a stalk and fade while wide at a big price earlier this month. Berrios should be able to relax this 7YO gelding in the pocket early. Hopefully, from there he can avoid getting caught in tight and make a strong run when they turn for home. He should certainly appreciate the decrease in competition.
Play: #2 So I’m Told (5-1 ML)
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