Santa Anita for Saturday 20 April 2019
Kentucky Derby Day and our full card selections for Churchill Downs is only two weeks away. In a few days you will see our discounted price which will be available for three days only at a $5 savings.
Best of luck as always!
race 1Â Â average clarity
4 Lucky Lately  Carla Gaines seems to be awakening from a prolonged slump and she might add to her 16% win total at the SA meeting with this filly who appears to have the most turf route speed in the field.......her three year old is on the improve and she continues to train like she is doing well......that and Van Dyke is 2 for his last 3 riding for Carla
2 Y Not Sizzle  22 to 1 in a 5 horse field for a Jeff Mullins 1st time starter has tune-up/prep written all over it and the effort was better than it appears in print.........six works since the 28 Feb race with the last drill rather decent.......turf pedigree for me is rather up in the air but interesting
3 Goodthingscominpink  SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACE  decent 1st on the grass and at a route when last seen 8 weeks ago.......retains Prat......should be rolling late
9Â Probable
1 Weather Market SCRATCHED OUT OF THE RACEÂ
race 2Â Â average clarity
2 Palladium  all four of his lifetime dirt routes on fast tracks fit decently here.......he should be in a nice mid pack ground saving position at least thru turn and with few foes to negotiate thru or around come go time......as in turn 2 and the stretch
4 Diamond Blitz  double barrel action for Keith Desormeaux as he also conditions our top choice........significant rider upgrade and he appears to be one of only two speed horses in the field......my guess is Bejarano will let the one horse go as you Maldonado will want the lead at all costs because if he doesn't a suicidal speed duel will likely occur
1 Ack  as stated above this colt seems like the most likely to lead and with a dangerous lead rider aboard.......and Edwin is getting the job done of late with route speed horses
race 3Â Â average clarity
2 Outlaw  exits a fast heat in his latest where getting beat by 10 still worked out to be close to a par like effort.......and whereas he had to duel in fast fractions in his last he should be free as a bird in the early stages of this MC25K one mile affair.........and with only one more furlong to travel
6 Union Station  overdo drop into MC from MSW racing (six of them).........only conventional dirt route race fits fine as does the rest of his other route races on other surfaces........and if he is up to the dirt route race run four back lookout as he has a much more prolific rider up today than he had on the 28 Sept 18 race.......Harty is often at his most dangerous with the MSW to MC move
8 Mongolian Empire  Ganbat is 2 for his last 4 with one other hitting the board dropping from MSW to MC........toss out his last as he might have disliked the off going and/or it was a gimme.......showed he can handle a route OK in his race two back at 9F on the turf..........debut on the dirt fits fine here........trainer pops with a price shot now and then
3 Captain N. Barrow Â
7Â Mr Classical
race 4Â Â below average clarity
3 Runaway Luck  filly went for loose change at sale in September of 2017.......but she is working like you could add one or two zeros to her claiming price if she went for sale now.......Kitchingman has been able to put both speed and endurance into her........filly owns an adequate turf pedigree
4 Flower Point  another 1st time starter who has put in some decent speed and endurance works.......both trainer and rider are winning at a 26% clip at the meeting......that should make for a good combo
9 Pricing  prolonged work regiment for this Tom Proctor MSW first time starter with some works of merit including two out of the gate that are both impressive.......with many ways to turn in this affair this filly might get ignored and go off at an intriguing price better than his ML
1Â Catch the Eye
7Â Virginia Hall
race 5Â Â average clarity
2 Cistron  might be a good spot for this grass horse who has run OK on the dirt as he appears to have the most early speed in this weak looking G2 group........turf to dirt is a decent angle and especially so when the horse can get the lead and avoid dirt in his face........hot rider/trainer combo in Espinoza and Sadler
5 Kanthaka  seems to respond best when Prat is guiding his way and he is aboard today.........whereas 6F has been kind to speed this year at SA 6 1/2 has suited off pace runners like this fellow fairly well........colt has won two Graded sprints at SA which is the most Graded wins of anyone in the field
3 All out Blitz  as stated in the comment for our top pick this race lacks speed and Callaghan's colt (who has spent the majority of his career in route races) might have a shot at getting a stalk position behind on top pick.......if that occurs he might upset and grab his 1st Graded win
race 6Â Â below average clarity
8 Mongolian Window  crushed 6 foes in a 35Knw3 turf claimer which was run at today's one mile distance and at SA........number earned is par like for today's allowance level........works since the 8 Feb race are impressive and much better than prior to his winning last.......rather sure this Miller filly fires her lifetime best today.......hard to ask for more than that
2 Confidentially  another coming off of a par like effort considering today's higher level and that race was also at one mile on the sod and at the Great Race Place........he does lose Rosario to a bug boy but the kid gets 7 lbs off a filly with some speed and a good post.......if he breaks well he should get good up close position and just has to hang on for the ride
3 Don't Blame Judy  trainer is making all the right moves in 2019 and with that in mind it appears he gave this filly a sprint turf tune-up to be fully fit 2nd out after the break for this one mile affair..........that and his filly has plenty of early turf route speed and that is somewhat hidden.......like our top pick she should be on or close to the front in a race that seems to favor those who do
4Â Querelle
5Â Tammy's Window
race 7Â Â average clarity
7 Crackling Bread  Jorge Periban is having the best SA meeting that I can ever recall and has a good chance to add to his 20% win total here with this filly who is very sharp right now........ retains Bejarano who just got a lot out of this filly guiding her to a going away 2 3/4 length win in her latest.......placed well to win and 7F looks as if it is within her range
5 Tiz Coffee  apprentice is solid on sprinters with speed which this filly has plenty of.......and she can run well just off of the pace if need be which can come in handy here as there are three other speed types that might go after the lead as well
6 Heloise  very consistent in her last three racing endeavors all since R Fuentes took over the riding duties of this Cerin filly.......that and she sure appears to be the best closer in this field of eight
3Â Purdue
1Â Reinahermosa
race 8Â Â average clarity
8 Stradella Road  one of the better horses that Gary Stute has trained in quite some time has fired better than par for today's level in three of her last four turf races and her latest endeavor in a G3 would crush these.........she seems likely to get a nice stalk position behind our 4th selection
6 Sapphire Kid  last wasn't bad especially considering this filly does not want to run as far as 9F........race 2 back at one mile on the grass is strong overcoming a very wide trip.......that and racing off of a decent 9F race should help her endurance this afternoon
3 Peter's Kitten  impressive wide run in the slop to win going away in her first race in S Cal and 1st time with John awfully hot Sadler as the trainer.........filly is proven in turf routes and has some upside coming of a nice main track win and having a conditioner making all the right moves these days
10Â Lady Mamba
7Â Merger Arbitrage
race 9Â Â average clarity
6 Rac  dueled in some fast fractions for the given day in his MC debut on the last day of February........solid a.m. work since.......likely will move forward today and with 1/16 less to run and 7 lbs less to carry.........dangerous speed here
4 Victor's Show  race 2 back is 6 or 7 lengths better than in appears in print........stepping up in maiden claiming in his last and ran his lifetime best........steps up again today........Bejarano sticks around for a 3rd straight race.....should be motoring late
8 Senditlikechilly  returns to the race wars off of an 8 month hiatus as a 1st time gelding and with a better rider up........trainer has had a better Santa Anita meeting than his win percentage suggests........and he is often at his most dangerous off of long layoffs
9Â Wicken Fen
5Â Mighty Elijah