
Santa Anita for Thursday 29 December 2011
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Decent looking card for today. Friday's is not so hot. At first glance Saturday's card looks quite good. Two of three is not too shabby.
Best of luck for today!
race 1 average clarity
6 Plazarita sure liked going a route of ground for the first time ever.....had about 6 lengths of trip trouble and only got beat by 4......and 4 drills since bodes well for a repeat effort today
8 Flawless Jewel lifetime 2 best efforts are 2nd out after a fresh run and short to long......hmmmm.....you think this one is pointed for today???!!!!
5 Argue My Case wide sprint layoff run in latest somewhat hides a good effort.......blinkers on to help put him into this race race early which looks like a good thing here
3 Warren's Hopeful quite a bit better on conventional dirt and his recent AW races are 2 of his best ever so.......might be sitting a strong race today if the "dirt" is still his choice of surfaces
race 2 average clarity
6 Pink Lollipops exits a very fast heat of MSW runners albeit way back in Feb......prolonged stellar work tab strongly hints at a fully meant and ready Bob Baffert runner
3 One Fast Frog solid wake up in last off of a 2 month hiatus and a switch to the SA dirt.....2 months off again and the works have never been better so the step up into MSW seemingly is a strong signal this filly is turning into one fast frog
5 Lottawampum consistently solid works for this Puype 1ster......dangerous......especially with Gomez aboard
4 Valeria not all that impressive in 4 lifetime starts but freshened up and is training vastly better.......as if John Shirreffs may have discovered the trump card for this filly
race 3 average clarity
4 Silver Street should appreciate the return to the SA conventional dirt track.........good chance to range up from the outside in race profile that seems to favor those up close early
1 Warren's Mad Dawg on the improve with each lifetime start........crushed foes in last.......her 1st ever on a conventional dirt surface.......can sit on or near the lead
7 I Sense Your Luck needs a rebound off of a dull effort in last.......race 2 back fits OK......her maiden debut 4 races back fits solidly here
2 Backwoods Belle 2 decent races on AW tracks......2 not so hot efforts on conventional dirt tracks....sure trains well on the SA dirt track.....deserves another shot
race 4 average clarity
3 Tanya's Tiara very good works for a 2 year old 30K maiden filly claimer 1st timer.......and Hendricks is rather reliable when his 1st timers show promise in the a.m.
2 Beautiful Store both lifetime races are slightly better then par for today's level.....both were run on the AW......needs same today 1st ever on the conventional dirt
8 Whats Up Betty nice tightly spaced wind me up work tab for this 1st timer.....just worked 6F 5 days ago....a good sign this 1st timer starter is healthy and feeling good
1 Nifty Dream trained well prior to mc debut last and then ran so so.....continues to train like a runner.....deserves another shot
race 5 average clarity
10 Ribat consistently tries hard and is 1 for 1 down the SA hill.......very sharp recent drill is most reassuring this colt has remained in good reliable form
1 Metropolitan Man solid efforts 4 of 5 races (considering today's level) in S Cal....and 2 of them were down the majestic SA hill turf course.......works are good and this gelding has proved he can fire fresh off of the bench
3 Stone Hot 1 for 1 on the SA hill.....stone hot rider/trainer combo.......late runner seems to have enough pace up front to make for an honest race giving the late runners a shot
5 Winter Warlock exits a fast race at GG......showed he can handle the sod 3 races back at GG.......trainer is fairly dangerous when he elects to ship a runner
race 6 above average clarity
7 My Boy Luke very good route history since the blinkers were added........brutal trip in last.....would have won for fun with a clean trip.....Rosario sticks around to make amends
2 Way Too Much "fast" conventional dirt record is solid.......GG conditioner is good when he drops in claiming price and ships
1 Rhythm In May big rebound needed for this alarming drop down but Mitchell is one of the few trainers who is difficult to toss out in this situation.....especially with a pick 6 carryover
4 Morganouska appears to be speed of the speed in this spot....no shot as favorite in last having to cut out nasty fractions.....needs an average route pace to have a shot at the winners circle.....seems about a 25% chance he gets that average pace
race 7 average clarity
5 Cranky Jack significant positive rider change......better recent works.....4 lbs off....and a somewhat hidden forward move in last...all add up to a decent price shot
11 Dance With Gable multiple career races would win this......horrid trip with the blinkers on in last breaking poorly and checking on the turn.....would have won the race with even an average trip....frankly I would take them off for today but hey I'm only a handicapper
7 Memphis easily best career race was his MSW where he had a brutal trip and still managed to win at 32 to 1......fresh once again after being away for 4 months.......1st on the sod but bred fine to handle it
1 Earnednevergiven hasn't exactly earned his keep since Diodoro claimed for 62K back in June.....so why not drop to cut your loses......might be a bit far fetched / esoteric thinking but the fact that this gelding worked on Xmas day and fired a bullet seems significant
race 8 below average clarity
2 Bella's Fantasy SCRATCHED
8 Chilling Command absent for 4 months but his maiden debut fits versus these and his conditioning in the a.m. suggests he is ready fresh once again
6 Two Feathers good work tab for this 1st timer of Troy Taylor's and he wins with over a 1/4 of his 1st timers.....work tab suggests both speed and endurance has been put into the horse
3 Joca Queen only run was a bad effort 2 furlong affair last Spring.......got bet that day so probably has speed (2F race after all).....good work tab says ready fresh......trainer is horrid with 1st timers and quite good with 2nd timers
4 Central Heat 1st timer is training well enough to possible ready for her debut into the wonderful world of S California horse racing
1 Jessakar lead type only will try and clear and wire the field....fresh speed is often dangerous speed and this one has been away since October
Long-shot possibilities: 7 Sweetsouthernambar brutal trip in debut and only beat by 7........poor 2nd out but a sharp drill since on the SA dirt.....might rebound at a monster of a price
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