After a week filled with weather issues, racing reconvenes on Thursday afternoon in Arcadia, California with a card that kicks off at 3 pm ET and noon PT. The 9-race slate is headlined by the Robert J. Frankel (G3) for older fillies and mares traveling 1 1/8-miles over the Santa Anita sod. The featured event goes as Race 7 and is not only included in the standard late horizontal sequences, but also in the $3 Late Pick 3 and $3 All Turf Pick 3. Here are a few horses I like on the card, including my pick in the headliner.
Race 4:
My first play of the racing week comes in this MSW event for 3YO fillies traveling 6-furlongs over the main track where I am not in love with the chances of those that have competed in the afternoons already. This gives one of the debut runners entered a big shot to win at first asking. #10 French Blue is the one likeliest to take serious public support. The Three Chimneys Farm homebred comes in off a long series of drills for Bob Baffert. The Gun Runner filly draws to the far outside and looks like a runner, but her price is almost certain to be too short to gamble on. I prefer the likely value of fellow first-time starter #5 Red Cherry. The daughter of Rock Your World comes in off a series of solid local drills for veteran conditioner John Sadler and has some pedigree on the dam side to win early. In fact, her dam Harbor Mist finished in second first out of the box and followed it up with a pair of wins, while half-sister Crazy Hot won by a pole at Santa Anita on debut in May ’23. Hopefully, Emisael Jaramillo can get him out of the gate and into the race.
Play: #5 Red Cherry (8-1 ML)
Race 5:
I will likely play a Daily Double starting in Race 4 into this second-level allowance at 6-furlongs over the grass where there appears to be a plethora of early speed types signed on. I am hopeful California-bred #8 Young Love can use her ability to get out of the gate well and outside draw to take advantage. The daughter of Grazen definitely is gal that likes to be up and on the pace as well, but I like the way she settled last time at Del Mar in her half-length victory against lesser. She has a win in her only start over this course and distance and should benefit from the outside post given the likely race shape. It will be up to jockey Armando Aguilar to avoid getting caught up in a likely early tussle for the second consecutive race. If he can do so, he has a shot to spring the upset and make it 5 for 8 in this filly’s career.
Play: #8 Young Love (10-1 ML)
Race 7: Robert J. Frankel (G3)
The feature drew a field of 8 to travel the 9-furlong distance over the grass, but it looks like a two-mare race on paper. #1 Public Assembly was made the 9-5-ML favorite over #5 Paradise Lake after finishing ahead of her last time out in the Red Carpet (G3) at Del Mar. Public Assembly certainly is capable of besting Paradise Lake once again in their first start of 2026, but I was underwhelmed by her inability to seal the deal despite a perfect pocket trip throughout. Paradise Lake did not have a poor trip in the aforementioned late November event in San Diego, but was two-wide most of the way and further off a moderate pace. The pace is not likely to be overly quick in this year’s Frankel either, but I give Paradise Lake the edge nonetheless. The Peter Eurton trainee has earned all three of her career victories over this turf course and should appreciate the cutback to 1 1/8-miles. She will be tough to deny if jockey Juan Hernandez can avoid leaving her with too much to do late.
Play: #5 Paradise Lake (2-1 ML)
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