Santa Anita for Saturday 13 May 2017
Difficult card to decipher. Sunday's card was not. If I play today I am thinking about leaning on / keying around Prat's horses as they all seem to be good mounts. He has mounts in races 1,5,6,7,9. Be back with you for Mother's Day.
Best of luck as always!
race 1 Â Â below average clarity
2  Desert Law  tepid top pick is working well for his MSW debut for Carla Gaines who goes against the grain as she is more dangerous with 1st timers debuting on the grass than the dirt....mom has tossed two grass winners
1  Nap Lajoie  moved forward in his 2nd lifetime start with 1st time Prat up.......1st on the sod today and he owns a decent pedigree for it......and by my book Prat is the best rider of young developing grass runners on the grounds
8  Hollywood Squares  very solid grass breeding and not too shabby of a work tab for this O'Neill 1st time starter.....would have rated higher if it wasn't for the trainer being 0 for his last 20 (and likely more than that) with turf debut runners
7 Â Mor Candy
Long-shot consideration:  5  Miracle March  Dean Pederson can get the job done with maiden first time starters but he does have something to prove with turf debut runners.......good grass pedigree and a nice work series......believe he will be higher than his ML
race 2 Â Â below average clarity
5  Omega Moon  expensive purchase from the Baffert barn was ready to roll as a two-year (training well) when he had to be laid up....returns with a decent maybe less impressive work series but still good enough to be a major player in this fairly soft looking group
7  Captain Chaos  another pricey at sale debut runner working like he is ready to rock and rock in his debut in this case for Peter Miller and company.......good rider/trainer combo to say the least
6  Gold Shot  MSW debut was way back in September for Baltas and company and impressive in that after falling back to last this colt showed some solid late pace......work tab seems adequate......like the switch to Nakatani who since his return to S Cal has teamed up with Baltas for many winners
8 Â Mr. Twinery
race 3 Â Â above average clarity
5  American Pastime  was our top choice in his debut because of a very strong work tab for a Hess MSW 1st time starter as the veteran trainer doesn't often push them very hard in the a.m.......and he ran even stronger than I envisioned ........wide up on a strong pace and still crushed em....Stakes like works since.......should be a ton
3  Alley Boss  like the cut back in distance for this Molly Pearson four year old colt........and his recent works....but something will have to go wrong with our top choice for this colt to win this race
7  Stormy Rocil  can really fly so if the race track turns out to be a good speed day maybe he can open up a lead and never get caught
4 Â Blue Anchor
race 4 Â Â average clarity
4  Arms Runner  very impressive MSW debut which was also down the SA hill grass course.......that race was 23 days ago yet this colt has been able to hit the track to work 3X......feeling good.....ready to move forward
7  Cistron  turf route speed cutting back to a turf sprint is usually a very dangerous maneuver.....and like our top selection this colt is sharp in the a.m.......and Mr. Baze appears to be a good fit on him
2  Big League  double barrel action from the Miller barn as he also trains our top selection.......3 of 4 lifetime races on the main track fit here if of course he can run as well on the sod...........mom has tossed 2 grass winners.....dangerous sort
1 Â City Storm
race 5 Â Â below average clarity
5  Sutton Impact  Bejarano might have taken our 2nd choice over this guy but I think this maiden debut winner has more upside as he cruised home as if he left something in the tank.....like last time he should be in the hunt from the get go
6  Aristocratic  Bejarano rides thru the change in trainers.....won his last on the front end here but he is capable of running off of the lead some and I like his chances better if the is the way the connections see it
2  Kimbear  easily the best of the late runners in the field and there seems to be a decent shot that he will get what he needs.....as in a very lively pace up front
race 6 Â Â average clarity
5  Cheekaboomboom  ridiculously wide trip in last hides a good effort on the grass.....only other grass race which was his MSW is also hidden in that he closed well into a pedestrian pace......and most importantly he gets a very significant rider upgrade
7  Chatterman  our long-shot play in his last had a brutal trip as he clipped heels badly (and some other trouble) or would have won.....1st on the lawn but bred well for it......dangerous sort
4  Gosofar  ice cold trainer might get his 1st win of the year.....good sign Stevens sticks around......likely needs a small move forward.....recent 4F near bullet work hints he might be up to one
10 Â Kingsriverking
race 7 Â Â below average clarity
9  Big Papi  toss out his turf race.....toss out this AW race.....finally gets back to the "real" dirt.........very solid MSW at Tampa on the dirt....training at SA very nicely on the dirt.......drops into claiming for the 1st time.....seems ready and well placed to succeed
3  Informality  barns hot and a chunk of that is with Prat up.......only time up for a tag this colt won for fun......so the connections likely once again will have him more than ready today with the threat of losing him looming
2  Redneck Crazy  fits OK...... bu.....t what a hanger with one win and eight 2nd's in twenty-five starts.....yikes
5 Â We Go Now
race 8 Â Â below average clarity
9  Tanners Pride  Koriner is often at his most dangerous 1st time in maiden claiming like today......and this colt appears to have muscled up from his turf race as his a.m. work is improved
10  Mizter Kool Cat  needs a drop and gets it today........ race 2 back fits although it was a grass sprint,,,,,but I like his pedigree better to handle the dirt
4  My Boy Rudy  dangerous rider/trainer over the years in Maldonado/Glatt......and mom has tossed 3 winners from 3 starters.....hmmm
6 Â Marvelous Kaos
race 9 Â Â below average clarity
3  Eileen's Girl  Stevens likely will recognize he can sit on or near the lead here in an affair seemingly set up for those who do.....and you should get a heck of a price for an Eurton/Stevens runner
1  Blame It On Alphie   Mandella runner has been absent since Sept. but he is popping bullets in the morning and she won her MSW debut like a good thing.....Smith is up and like Prat I believe he will hustle this filly early
9  All That Heat  fired her lifetime best in latest and retains Prat who likely had his choice of some of the other contenders in the race.......and Glatt is very good at getting back to back wins out of a horse
8 Â Salsita
6 Â Arethusa
4 Â Stylish in Black