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Santa Anita for Saturday 20 January 2018

The 2018 special publications are now available for purchase. As usual you can save some money ($36.50) by purchasing all of them as a package. The first special publication is Pegasus Cup Day at Gulfstream Park on January 27th. Purchase for Pegasus Cup day only will be $28.95 and is now available.

There is a carryover of $12,845 for the SHF in race 1 today!

Best of luck as always!

 

race 1    average clarity

6  Mo See Cal   par like race when you adjust for trouble in her MSW debut run 2 back in a turf one mile race at Dmr........OK dirt race in latest....back to a one mile turf route for her 3rd start.....impressive preparatory gate work put in 6 days ago.....all systems go

7  Super Patriot   filly seems best on the turf and it appears that Baffert realizes that now........lifetime best was her only turf route and she actually beat out top selection that day.......that race was run sprint to route off of short rest....same scenario today

5  An Eddie Surprise   double barrel action from the O'Neill barn as he also trains our top selection......solid speed bullet drill put into this filly......only grass race was a rather good race down the hill.......1st time Roman so she gets in light....believe it will be a wire to wire attempt today

2  Nothing But Heat

 

race 2    average clarity

3  Lombo   exits a very fast heat in his 2nd lifetime race where he pressed a very fast pace and still did rather well to hold a distant 3rd beating 7 of 9 foes.......rider upgrade to one struggling to one who is a Hall of Famer.......should be in the hunt from the opening bell

1  Show Time Rocket   plenty of furlongs of work put into this Bob Baffert 1st time starter who went for a cool $400K last April at two......seems ready

5  Route Six Six   trainer has won 10 of his last 31 with 2nd time starters.......that and this Brian Koriner colt showed some ability following a tardy start.......and ..........likely wasn't all that cranked up and meant as he went off at 41 to 1

 

race 3    below average clarity

4  Just Kidding   both races since the Jack Carava claim 3 races back fit fine here.....and his preparatory work indicates he has held form......seems best racing on the SA (where he also has been training for the past 4 months) and should welcome a return to it

3  Kona Dreams   trainer Bill Spawr seems to be in go mode........last win for this four-year old gelding came Dmr turf to SA dirt....that is today's scenario once again......hmmm

2  Sanavi   3 of 6 horses in this affair might all go after the front end and if that occurs it should flatter this gelding's off pace style.......trainer is often better 2nd out following a claim which is the case here

 

race 4    average clarity

3  Malibu Model   race lacks speed and this Cassidy price shot appears to have the most and might open up a lead.....but maybe more importantly it appears as if the trainer has tweaked something for the better as she is training markedly better than she has in the past

1  Lady Mamba   filly has been been absent since July but she is training exceptionally well and with plenty of endurance put in to be ready for a two turn race fresh off of the bench........seems quite likely to get a nice ground saving trip stalking the lead and with a rider in Flavien Prat who is awfully good with young developing turf horses

8  Morning Dance   almost won her last at Dmr and her lifetime best (and quite disguised) is her lone race on the SA turf two races back on the 15th of October......good grass trainer but average at best grass rider.....and........not the easiest of posts......or......she would have been rated higher

4  Achira

2  Chalky   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE

 

race 5    average clarity

4  Seau   seems best in routes that are on dirt and finally drops after zero wins in 12 lifetime starts......should fit today in a big way dropping MSW to Mc20K if of course his good health is still intact which obviously I believe it is.......call it 70/30 in favor of a healthy enough gelding

3  Is Trevor Clever  not a very good history breaking from the metal monster but if he exits the gate relatively well in this spot he sure appears to be in the driver's seat sitting on or near a set of doable fractions.........meets leading trainer in Miller at the helm

8  Downside Up   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE  continues to work like a happy healthy individual including a 4F drill put in just 3 days ago.......but........he never puts his nose in front suggesting he is quite the hanger.....thus........ placed as the 3rd selection

2  Williston Dude

5  Dominant Don

 

race 6    above average clarity

5  Sauce On Side   Peter Miller youngster made quite the vault forward in her latest winning by a going away at the wire 4 1/2 lengths in a MC30K despite breaking a step slow and racing very wide.......same distance......same jockey .......with a better post this time......last with a better trip should be able to handle this significant step up

7  Winsinfashion   Joe Talamo can "read the racing form" and will send this filly early to clear what amounts to very little speed inside of her.....it seems fairly likely Joe should be no worse than 2 wide on the 1st turn sitting in one of the first 3 spots early in the race........only race at SA was a 6 1/2 length win and it was at today's one mile distance.......dangerous for sure

3  Empress of Lov   when not in Stakes races (which appear over her head for the most part) this filly owns a record on the dirt of (4 1 2 1).......not out of the win picture by any means

1  Lady Phyllis

 

race 7    average clarity

1  Coniah   last two racing endeavors were run in late Spring of 2017 and both would be a strong fit in today's Grade 3 affair.....and one of them was down the hill in a Grade 2.......solid works and the fact William Morey is firing on all cylinders leads me to believe he has this five-year old mare fully fit off of the extended hiatus from the game.....we will find lout about 3:30 pm this afternoon

7  Proper Discretion   placed way over her head in her only start with the D'A (and only start in S Cal) as the conditioner had her race in the Breeders Cup on Nov 4th......she has hit the track consistently since mostly with tightly spaced muscle-building works......she can really fly and this race lacks speed.....should be a price

2  Bendable   five-year old mare has a decent grass pedigree and finally gets a shot to race on it.......she has been away since October but her a.m. prowess hints that all systems are go.......and with Smith and R Mandella at the controls

6  Anita Patner

9  Beau Recall

4  Princess Princess

 

race 8    average clarity

3  Jay Makes Us Laugh   gelding appears to like and maybe need 5 1/2F (or shorter) sprint races........Truman has placed this gelding very realistically maybe to take advantage of today's abbreviated sprint distance.....should be in the hunt from the get go and likely tough throughout

2  Gososfar   another who responses well to the 5 1/2 furlong sprint distance.......should be very stout here if his good health is still intact as he makes a significant drop down........ which is........ somewhat alarming

1  Adventurous   3 of his last 4 racing endeavors fit well enough here to make this Kenny Black five-year old dangerous especially if our top two don't put forth their best for one reason or another

4  Rocky's Show

6  Informality

 

race 9    average clarity

4  Harbour Master   toss his last as the saddle slipped........prior two races sure fit well here with the one run two back being hidden by a bad trip....and a bad trip without any pace up front to aid his closing style......yet........he still won......Desormeaux wisely accepts the mount as he has fit this colt well

3  Semper Fortis   finally gets to race on the grass where he owns a pedigree that is awfully good for it....works hint he is "very well-meant" this afternoon.....last time this horse ran off of a long layoff like today he ran 2nd (losing by only 1/2 length) at 14 to 1 which is one big number in only a 7 horse field

5  Tribal Fighter   likes the SA hill and needs to be ready as it is usually one and done for an extended period of time for this gelding who appears to "knock himself out" every time he runs

8  Ronald R

1  Anatolian Heat

Posted on January 20, 2018 at 7:41 am by richs · Permalink
In: Free Information, Selections