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Santa Anita for Saturday 16 February 2019

Sunshine is back and that is good news for this decent looking card today.

Best of luck as always!

 

race 1    average clarity

6  Flat Out   39 to 1 in a 6 horse field for a Ellis 1st timer hints his filly was not that tight for her debut.........she likely will be today and she showed that she has some early speed.......she should be prominent from the get go

3  Hard Not to Love   John Shirreffs is having a solid SA meeting and might keep the ball rolling here with this expensive 1st time starter who is working as is she is meant and ready.......mom has tossed two winners from two starters and both were Stakes winners

2  Over Emphasize   away since early September but working as if she is more than ready for her return to the race wars........connections liked what they saw prior to her MSW debut at SA last May as they made her favorite in a race vs. the boys........dangerous sort

 

race 2    average clarity

5  Halo Darlin   blocked many lengths in her latest run only one week ago or could have battled for the top prize......believe she will handle the very short turn around as she likely left something on the table in her latest being blocked and all.......the fact Rosario jumps aboard supports the notion

1  War Moccasin   strong closer might really fly down the stretch today if new bug boy Diaz and his 7 lbs off find some room on the 2nd turn and/or the stretch

7  Believe Indeed   double barrel action from Pender as he also trains our top choice........six year old shows up for battle at a high rate as in 17 of 34 in the exacta when racing on the grass

2  Miss Boom Boom

 

race 3    average clarity

3  Swamp Souffle   good history for this three-year old when he has competed on fast rated dirt without the blinkers which should be the case today.........he is proven at today's distance........and drops to a level he should be tough

5  Palladium   another dropping who shows up when competing on rated fast dirt........rider upgrade today and especially so for a late runner like this colt........like out top selection he should benefit from dropping to a slightly easier level

1  Ack   O'Neill who also trains our 2nd choice will likely sent this colt after the lead which in this spot with no clear front-runner can help his chances........and his barn mate's as well as he comes from out of it

 

race 4    average clarity

5  Storms River   solid effort off of a 9 week break and the strength of the effort is better than it appears in print.......and he sure acts as if he will appreciate the extra furlong to deal with today........and trainer John Sadler has been firing on all cylinders for the most part

9  Montana Moon   owns a ton of early route turf speed and has a rider up (and an upgrade in jocks) in Desormeaux who is very good with loose leads in two turn turf races......very dangerous front runner

7  Parsimony   sprint-sprint-route maneuver for today likely has this colt very ready for the challenge of his 1st two turn turf race........and the connections didn't shell out $400K to own a sprinter

8  Mo Mississippi

10  Harmon

 

race 5    average clarity

6  Play Money   Hofmans has had a good meeting with his 1st time starters and he appears to have this colt all cranked up and ready to roll with an impressive prolonged work regiment.......both endurance and speed has been put into this colt

7  Prodigal  Son   very dangerous 2nd time starter from the O'Neill barn as the a.m. work since his three-year old debut are improved......that and the trainer has been popping with Cal-breds making their 2nd lifetime start at a very high rate the last 1/3 year or so.........should be in the mix from the get go

4  Starring John Wain   moved forward in his latest and the move is disguised but a bad trip........that and for Hollendorfer to move him back into a MSW race after 3 straight races at the MC level hint he must have exited his last in great shape

2  Curry   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE

 

race 6    average clarity

1  Mercy Mercy   pedigree suggests that 8 furlongs is a better fit than 9 furlongs and her latest at 9F isn't bad.......so the cut back to 8F today should be a plus as she should have the best finishing power of her young career.......and a good turf rider with late runners on the grass in Bejarano

4  Unicorn   good turf sprint debut and a very dangerous trainer in Richard Baltas the 1st time he sends a given turf horse "long"........that and the a.m. work since his 30 December debut hints this filly is doing well

2  Emrata   filly flashed a ton of early speed in her latest hinting that she will attempt to wire the field in her 1st on the grass and at a route.......and she owns a good pedigree to handle both......dangerous sort from the Miller barn

8  Posit

6  Happy Tune

 

race 7    average clarity

1  Heloise   latest is a very strong better than par effort for today's level.......trainer Cerin is a dismal 1 for his last 25 with a maidens winning their last race but he can make that a much more respectable 2 for 26 here

3  Mousey Mousey   laid up since mid November but training well enough to be ready fresh.......seems to need the lead to be at her most dangerous and she appears to have a good spot to get

5  Gia Lula  par like numbers for today's racing level in her last three racing endeavors........took her 13 races to graduate but she might make it two straight in the win column today

6  Whirling

2  Copper Cowgirl

 

race 8    average clarity

7  Belvoir Bay   Miller's six-year-old mare just won a race in the slop earning a par like fig for today's level.....and today she gets to race on what she loves as in race down the SA turf course......4 wins in 5 starts down it and she was 3rd in the race she didn't win.......hard not to put on top

8  A Little Bit Me   nicely improved following the Baltas claim in her latest.......still she likely will need to build on her last which was her lifetime best or get a great trip to take down our top choice

9  Painting Corners   like this mare's speed on the hill a lot.....but if the rider listed is really up her chances might be compromised as many of his jockey stats make me leery

4  Compelled   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE

3  Tesora

 

race 9    average clarity

4  Dream Tree   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE  not sure what happened in her last but prior to her bad race she was a perfect 5 for 5 and her lifetime best was the only time Mike Smith was up.......he is up today.......and the works suggest she is going to rebound in a big way

1  Paradise Woods   five-year old mare has put in some sizzling works for her new trainer John Shirreffs........and she is at her best by far racing on the SA surface.........Shirreffs may have the trump card for this gal

3  Marley's Freedom   fabulous sprinter (as witnessed by her 4 to 5 odds in the BCF sprint) but she is 2 for 7 at SA and 5 for 7 elsewhere.......and he is 1 for 5 at 7F........still she is one tough cookie for a 3rd pick

6  Escape Clause

 

race 10    average clarity

8  Secret Courier   exits a key MSW race down the hill where he amassed about 7 or 8 lengths of trip trouble and lost by 11L........1st time blinkers for his 2nd start and drops MSW to MC........trainer has been unconscious with 2nd time starters as in 12 for his last 33

1  Kichiro   makes that ever dangerous MSW to MC move for 2nd lifetime start especially so when the trainer is D'Amato with a grass horse.......should be a player in this affair

5  Palaleo   drop should help especially coming off of a strong 6.5F MC80K on the dirt.......if he handles the hill he should be in the mix from the get go.......so so pedigree for the green carpet or would have rated higher

6  Surprise Fashion

10  River God   SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE

Posted on February 16, 2019 at 9:14 am by richs · Permalink
In: Free Information, Selections