Saturday’s card at Santa Anita Park is headlined by a pair of stakes races for newly turned 3YOs. The $100,000 Santa Ynez goes as Race 3, while the featured San Vicente (G2) closes out the early Pick 5. Jeremy Plonk and I discussed those races on the 1/ST Call Podcast this week, which can be found on YouTube, X or wherever you take in podcasts, so I am going to highlight a few races towards the back end of the slate below that piqued my interest.
Race 6:
This optional claimer for fillies and mares at 6-furlongs over the lawn kicks off the late Pick 5, as well as the $3 All-Turf Pick 3, and there is very little early speed entered despite a field of 10 signed on. First-time turfer #5 Pocket Venus might make the lead, but has regressed in both starts since a dominant win on debut. She is not for me on the surface switch for Mark Glatt. I prefer the filly that should get a great trip just off the early pace in #7 Lady Rider. The daughter of Accelerate moves up in class after trying the sod the first time on October 19 in a non-winners of two lifetime event. On paper, this is a significant class hike, but a deeper dive shows the only runner who beat Lady Rider home in that first turf effort was a 4-5-class dropper loose on the lead for Bob Baffert. The move off the rail should allow jockey Juan Hernandez to work out a cleaner trip than the Vladimir Cerin trainee had to close out 2025. I like her chances to put forth her best at a playable price.
Play: #7 Lady Rider (5-1 ML)
Race 8:
Another big field was drawn for this open $25k claimer at one-mile over the lawn where I like #1 Neon Lights. The 6YO gelding moved into the Jeff Mullins barn this summer and has yet to visit the winner’s circle through two starts, but should have a better chance on Saturday given the inside draw and possible race shape. The Irish-bred showed speed early and tired badly at Del Mar two-back, but showed a lot of grit battling hard to the wire despite not having things his way on the front end in a common race on October 19. The top two finishers in that event also return here, but they came from off the pace, while this guy fought on hard to only miss by a length. It is unlikely with the inside draw and the field outside of him, that Neon Lights will not make the front again in this spot. I just hope he has enough left late to get to the wire first.
Play: #1 Neon Lights (12-1 ML)
Race 9:
The first half of the late Double is a 6-furlong event for open $10k claimers traveling 6-panels over the main track. #8 Dial a Friend is listed as the 5-2-ML favorite and seems like the right horse to me. Some may balk at a horse that has done almost all of her running recently in 1000- yard allowance races at night at Los Alamitos, but she has proven she can handle the big ovals as well. Furthermore, trainer Jesus Mendoza does not sport big numbers with his recent starters at Santa Anita Park, but if you omit races where he was 35-1 or higher, they look a whole lot better. This mare has won 7 of 15 in her career, including her lone start over this surface in January ’24, and should make the lead under Hector Berrios. She will not be a big price, but how many will be willing to single her in the late horizontals?
Play: #8 Dial a Friend (5-2 ML)
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