Santa Anita for Friday 24 April 2015
For those of you planning on purchasing our special ($33.95) full card selections for Churchill Downs on Derby Day, May 2nd please don't procrastinate as logistically it makes in easier on yours truly setting up the emails that will be sent at about 6 p.m. central time on Friday night, May 1st. Thank you.
Not the best of cards. Short fields and somewhat difficult difficult to decipher.Â
Best of luck as always!
race 1 Â Â average clarity
4  Bentley's Gone   solid 1st at a route of ground in latest........and it is somewhat disguised by not the best of trips.....ran that off of 5 weeks rest......so 8 weeks off seems OK........maybe even beneficialÂ
3  My Ole Bud  small drop in maiden claiming for today.......sprint-sprint-route maneuver for his 3rd lifetime start......OK pedigree to handle 1 mile
2  Doyouknowsomething  hidden effort in lone dirt route 2 races back running wide on a strong rail bias day......drops out of MSW racing
race 2 Â Â below average clarity
2  Mackenzies Moment  prior to her maiden $75K turf debut the works were not very impressive......turf likely legged her up nicely as her a.m. work now is quite good........seems poised for a solid run in this $50K mc dirt route.........and O'Neill historically speaking is good "2nd time at a route"
1  Quality Chimes  solid wake up in 2nd lifetime start.........good speed and bred to handle a route.........likely to sit 1st or 2nd by the back stretch and might never give up that position to the late runners
6 Â Jackie K Â on the improve and now gets to run a route which she is bred to appreciate / prefer
race 3 Â Â below average clarity
5  Toppers Sunshine  6 for 12 at the distance on the grass.......0 for 6 on the grass at other distances.......wants no part of going as far as 1/18th yet snatched 2nd in her last........might feel real good right now for Diodoro to move her up to 50K claiming
3  Zanbo  just claimed by Belvoir and he wheels his new runner back in short rest.......the last time this six-year-old ran off of short rest she won.......trainer wisely retains Bejarano who knows this mare well
2  Spelling Again  just claimed and her new trainer Eddie Truman makes a positive rider change.......sprints fit but the one mile turf distance is a ? mark
1  Kiama  another who was just snatched at the claiming box......likely will attempt to go wire to wire and the hottest jock up.....dangerous
race 4 Â Â below average clarity
4  I Heart You  last couple of races fit..........especially her effort two back which was on the SA dirt.....and back to jock Santiago Gonzalez who rode that day........race seemingly sets up for her off pace style
5  Private Marina  nice wake up since the blinkers became part of her arsenal 4 races back......cut back of 1/16th should be a plus ......1 for 1 at one mile on the dirt with the blinkers on
6  Teasing Moment  finally races where she can compete as she has been running over her head on the grass......cut back in distance also seems like a plus
race 5 Â average clarity
4  Sidepocket Run  hot trainer especially in grass races.........nice win on the hill in last vs. slightly easier breaking slowly and running a touch wide......previous route turf race was also good closing into a lackluster pace for a 1 3/4 lengths beaten 3rd
5  Desert Steel  layoff last and her 1st on the grass was decent......seems better fresh but might handle short rest getting to run off of a grass race instead off a dirt race
1  Chaulk O Lattey  just won quite easily on the grass (on the hill) in her 1st attempt on it......sharper in the a.m. since.....more seems likely today
3  Gouyen  blinkers on to help focus and not flatten out late.......very unproven off of short rest or would high rated higher
race 6 Â Â average clarity
3  Champion Risk  blinkers off and over her head in last......and she went off 20 to 1 in a 6 horse field.......blinkers back on and drops precipitously .......sure looks like a gimme/go situation
4  Awe Gee  consistently decent efforts sprinting at SA and a couple of those races are disguised by poor trips......seems to give her best when Pedroza is on her back......and he is back up today after two races with other riders aboard Â
1  Seek Save Harbor  cut back in distance and drop down of multiple levels seems likely to make her a player in this spot....... O'Neill is 32% win dropping two of more levels over his last 32
race 7 Â Â average clarity
2  Cervaro  Salder tends to give nothing away......but......five year old gelding has dismal earnings in 2014 & 2015 so the drop into condition claiming makes sense.......solid 5F preparatory work......seems best at today's one mile turf distance
1  Wings of Mojave  laid up over one year but returns with a solid work regiment......doubt this is a tune-up as Belvoir and company would likely have placed him a in a protected non-claiming race.......and last but not least one of Belvoir's better starts is "first time in claiming" (26% win with his last 35)
3  Ransom Canyon  fits fine here but has to get over his tendency to hang in the late stretch
7  Small Town Cop  bred nicely for the grass.......might fire best ever on his 1st time on it.......likely doing well as Belvoir steps him up in claiming .......hard not to root for Barney Fife
race 8 Â Â average clarity
1  Divine Tale  big race (fig) in last at 5F.......she beat the 3rd place horse by 3 1/4L and the 3rd place horse came back to break her maiden in style winning by 6 3/4L.....reassuring works since her latest......T C Baze is on a roll
9  West Coast Storm  invader winds up in the capable Janet Armstrong barn (1st start at the meeting) and is working decently at Slr........latest at Tup fits here fairly well......but......might not a little more if our top choice repeats her last
2  Cuddle Alert   broke slowly in mc debut and then showed she can run some.....good start and a move forward and the winners circle is doable
3  Euroclydon  decent on the SA dirt.......seems primed for a good effort 2nd out following the layoff.......hangs some
7  Mudge  best ever was her debut which 8 races back........might be up for that effort today in her 9th race as Myadi is hot and has a good history 3rd out after a layoff which is the case here
4  Prettypreciousheir  here's what I wrote for her last where she went off 1 to 2 and ran 4th:  "strong race in last nearly winning despite dueling on a dead rail........claimed by Sadler in the race and if he gets this filly to repeat her last she should be very very tough in this spot......but I don't like the fact he puts her in for $40K instead of $50K......makes me leery that she has remained in good health.........seems like a 50/50 proposition".................... and now she drops to mdn 20K.......not a good sign