Santa Anita for Friday 26 September 2014
Not much of a card to get excited about on opening day at Santa Anita but an absolutely fabulous day of racing on Saturday with five Grade 1 races!
Best of luck as always!
race 1 Â Â average clarity
5  Redshirt   very solid adjusted for trouble figs/efforts in both lifetime starts.......1st on the conventional dirt but just popped a best of 71 5F bullet work on it at SA
4  Madam Aamoura  on the right end of the learning curve ........and..........she showed she candle handle a two turn affair albeit in a grass race.............1st on "real dirt" seems to be the question mark
3  Don't Blame Me  race has a distinct lack of early speed but not the case with this filly..........seems likely to be loose and owns a decent pedigree to handle a route of ground
6 Â Here Comes Chloe
race 2 Â Â slightly below average clarity
1  Sacred Ovation  3 for 5 on "fast" conventional dirt..........4 for 6 at the distance........stepping up a notch......a good indication this Art Sherman gelding is doing well
4  Senator Bob  4 straight solid races since "fronts on"....... a torrid pace seems likely.........capable of rating some and that might come in handy in this spot
5  Jovita's Tuffy  only deep closer in a field of 7 can set things up nicely..........no action on the board in two races following a layoff........gimme/gimme/ drop and go ?????........a ton if that is the scenarioÂ
3 Â Peacenik
race 3 Â Â average clarity
7  Heat The Rocks  Jerry Hollendorfer 1st timer has hit the track every 5 or 6 days since 17 Aug at GG..........seems very wound up and ready to roll with plenty of foundation put in to get the 6 1/2F in her debut
9  Tatum's Gold  last race and the race run 3 back are strong..........if we get one of those efforts with the switch to Bejarano this filly will be quite tough
6  Flat Footed Mama  par like MSW debut for this Bob Baffert filly.......... solid here with a logical small forward move with that race under belt
5 Â High Intensity
race 4 Â Â average clarity
7 As Rulers Go  solid fresh winning effort last Dec.......lone start (and last start) down the majestic SA hill grass course was decent versus one tough winner........proven fresh and training as if Drysdale means business
4 Intoxicating Move  nice win at one mile on the grass in last........and....... this filly handles the SA hill quite well with 2 wins and 2 seconds in 5 starts on it........should be plenty fit to finish up well coming off of a mile race
1 Zanbo   good history on the sod when Bejarano is in the saddle.......and he is today.......seems likely to be in a nice ground saving mid pack or stalk position
5Â More Complexity
Long-shot consideration:  10 Al Freej  new trainer / blinkers on / big seemingly out of nowhere bullet 4F drill.........seems dangerous in 3rd U S of A start
race 5 Â Â average clarity
1  Expo and Fig  exits a very fast heat when last seen on the 7th of August at Dmr......only race on the SA dirt is solid as well.......repeat of last sure would be tough here
13  Golden Chalice  another exiting a fast heat in his latest........solid effort/fig in one of two starts on conventional dirt at Santa Anita......recent decent 5F drill at SA hints this colt has remained in relatively good health
5  Persisting  good layoff run in last........major league rider upgrade for today........trainer sure could use a win in Southern Cal
6 Â Mr. Lewis C.
race 6 Â Â average clarity
9 Betty Bing Bing  blinkers off and a decent and somewhat subtle 4F drill last week on the SA dirt which this filly appears to appreciate the most......last effort on the SA surface was 3 back and that effort would likely handle these
10 Bird In Love  3 of 4 main track races fit well here.....and her lone lifetime win came in her only 6 1/2F main track race (by 5 1/4 lengths)
8 Ava's Ballet   improving filly likely will be very tough here and the one to beat if she has remained in decent health........but.........I am a touch leery that she is up for only $12.5K with the progression that she has shown
7Â Swiss Heart
race 7 Â below average clarity
8 Jomelo  small drop......rider upgrade........D'Amato means business 2nd out after the claim with this five year old gelding
4 Contributor  three year old owns some nice one mile grass races.......1st out following the Canani claim is usually a good thing and the crafty trainer is most dangerous with grass runners that he takes over the training duties
7 Shun  consistent sort when competing in route races on the grass or AW........grass route here..........and yet another running 1st off of the claim in this case for Doug O'Neill
6Â Mambo Man
race 8 Â Â average clarity
6 Alberts Hope  all 3 lifetime races are significantly better than appear in print......away from the game since early Sept of 2013 but sure is working as if he is as good as new......won a race that was loaded with talent in his MSW debut so he showed he can fire "fresh"
4 Indianapolis  good forward move in 2nd lifetime race run last January and it was at SA......and like our top selection appears to be all set fresh off of the bench
9 Street Icon  yet another who looks all set to roll off of the layoff.......and he has shown that he can run fresh 2 times in his 4 race past......and his work regiment is the most impressive in the race and maybe the whole race card
7Â My Slew
race 9 Â Â average clarity
6 Unbridled's Note  badly needed a break and Asmussen wisely gave her one........loves the SA hill grass course........should be a ton here if he is back to his old self and gets a decent trip down the hill
8 Ambitious Brew  hard to argue with 3 for 3 down the hill and (7 4 3 0) lifetime overall.......trainer could use a win or two
3 Lil Bit O'Fun  2 for 2 on the SA hill........but more importantly beat a nice field in her last at one mile on the turf in late July......has hit the track in the a.m. weekly since.....gelding might have made a significant breakthrough in his latest........we shall see
1Â Eddie's First
7Â Artest
2Â Pure Tactics