Printer Friendly View Printer Friendly View

Santa Anita for Saturday 21 March 2020

Purchase for our special publication for Florida Derby day at Gulfstream Park (7 Stakes races only) on March 28th is now available. As in the past the selections will be sent in your email Friday afternoon at approximately 5 p.m. central.

How cool and impressive that Santa Anita and Golden Gate will be donating all profits to help the war on the corona-virus. You might want to tell your bored friends that are not into horse racing about it and of course point them to The Racing Digest.  

Best of luck as always!

 

race 1    average clarity

2  Dance Costume   strong sprint MSW debut snatching 2nd despite a 3 wide trip.........then clipped heels (losing all chance) in her 2nd racing endeavor which was a one mile turf race......like her debut she should be motoring late and with one capable grass ride up in Rispoli

3  Dim Lights  dull works prior to her 82 to 1 MSW debut hints her 3rd place finish surprised her connections as they likely didn't have her that cranked up......strong vastly better a.m. work since suggests she benefited from her debut.......low % jock (on the turf) or would have considered as the top pick-a-rue

9  Va Va Voom   filly has shown decent early speed in both of her 5 1/2 furlong MSW grass races but needs more staying power........trainer is 0 for 46 and counting in 2019/20.......top two picks should come from out of it........maybe today he finds the winners circle.......but.......it sure is hard to count on

7  Sophomoric  scratched out of the race

4  Lets Get Wild

 

race 2    average clarity

5  Oliver   four year old colt is (3 2 1 0) when not in Stakes races......powerful one mile race in his latest and a solid reassuring 4F work since the 1 March race........hard not to like

2  Route Six Six   eventful trip in his latest which was run off of a long layoff......earned an adjusted for trip/trouble Santucci fig that worked out to be 2L better than par for today's level........3 nice drills since the 8 Feb race.......needs a better trip and a move forward......the move forward seems likely.......trip might be another story

4  Dr. Dorr   does his best running (by far) at Santa Anita........and........he runs well fresh........7 months fresh today and like most Baffert returnees he is working solidly.......not out of the win picture by any means.........pun intended

 

race 3    average clarity

4  Scarlet Heat   last two races both of which were turf routes fit fine here.......and her a.m. prowess since her latest is improved.......retains Prat for a 4th straight race.......decent pedigree to handle the 9F distance especially for a Cal-bred

5  Sassyserb   turf rider upgrade albeit not a big of one......today's new rider should give this filly a nice stalking trip while saving ground......like our top choice this girl also has a pedigree that should handle the added distance

6  Swing Thoughts   just claimed by Keith Desormeaux and if he sees something that can bring out the best in his new filly she can be quite dangerous as she has a couple of back numbers that are very strong........including one on 29 Aug 2019

2  Oh Pretty Woman

 

race 4    average clarity

8  Outright   latest might do the trick but it appears this "new" gelding might be up for more this afternoon as a 1st time gelding........his a.m. work since his latest is improved indicating the surgery has been successful to some degree.......trainer is quite hot at SA for the 1st time of his career

9  Golden Victory   likely needs his effort 2 back where he beat our top choice and ran 3rd to two next out winners........and back to Prat who was not aboard in his latest.......hard not to like

6  Bernie's Big Boy   like our top selection this "new gelding" shows signs in his recent drills that he is improved......still he will need quite the forward move to find the winners circle......stranger things have happened

3  Moana Luna

2  2  Lil Sidney

 

race 5    average clarity

2  Bound for Nowhere   this might be a little too much of esoteric thinking but the fact Wesley Ward is willing to ship his six year all the way from Kentucky with the threat of SA closing any day by because of the corona virus indicates his six year old is likely doing great.......and his brilliant work tab at TP supports the notion

4  Cistron   six year old can really fly on the turf but so can our top choice.......but our 3rd pick can rate and that is what I believe is what Prat will do as if he duels it might be "curtains" for both of them......so if that is what occurs he might go gate to wire

5  Surrender Now   five year old mare can rate and that is what I believe is what Prat will do as if he duels it might be compromise his chances.......mare vs the boys but with the weight break she should fit

3  Murad Khan

 

race 6    average clarity

4  Zorich   tons the best in his last two racing endeavors which were the 26 Jan & 23 Feb version of today's race.......wide trips in both........sharp recent 4F preparatory work since his latest........Rispoli can do better

3  Challah   nice stalking style and retains the meets leading rider in Prat who is 4 for his last 7 with 3 others hitting the board over the last 2 months riding for Baltas........cut back in distance should help this fellow's staying power.......seemingly needs to slip off of form to not be a major factor in the outcome of this race

1  Sky Jumper   the worlds best trainer has some awesome stats but one of them is ultra stout........that being sprint-sprint-route where he is 44% with his last 43........still this gelding likely will need to run his best to date to take down this race.......that "44%" hints he might

 

race 7    average clarity

6  Ward 'n Jerry   the longer this seven year old runs the better.......he needs ample rest between starts and Puype shows patience and gives it to him.......Puype doesn't team up with Prat too often but when he does his stock is usually very live

4  Oscar Dominquez   like our top selection "Oscar" is more than capable of running "all day long" and gets a rider in Rispoli who has plenty of experience (more than most of his American counterparts) riding turf marathons.......hard not seeing this Baltas gelding being part of the win picture in late stretch

1  Swamp Souffle   let's call this Knapp four year old the "new kid on the block" as he sure improved 1st out after the Knapp claim .........and the improvement came at the mini-marathon distance of 10 furlongs......the strength of the effort is hidden by about 4L of trip/pace adjustment.......and.......he has a pedigree that hints 12 furlongs of turf might even be a better deal for him.......should be a handsome price

3  Ashleyluvssugar

 

race 8    average clarity

6  Meadway   races 2 and 3 back don't fit too badly versus one soft looking group of MC20K runners.........toss last run on 16 Feb as he eased but looked just fine and was able to work a decent 5F one week later.....and then his next two works were the two best of his career and their strength is rather subtle.....believe lifetime best will be run today.......and run at a handsome price

8  Blazing Home   nothing showing in two lifetime starts but he was bet to 7 to 2 in his lifetime debut and in an 11 horse field.........and look who wants the mount - Mr. Flavien Prat who as mentioned in race 8 is 4 for his last 7 with 3 others hitting the board over the last 2 months riding for Baltas........decent chance this colt has some ability

1  Taco Waco   has shown as much ability of anyone in the race.......but.......there aren't any signs of some upside potential and he draws a tough post at the 7F distance and after 3 straight mounts with top echelon riders he gets only an average at best rider in Velez

4  Autism Warrior

3  Posty

 

race 9    average clarity

1  Miss Tokyo   cut back in distance from 9F to 8F should be a plus for this filly who just ran her lifetime best in her 1st turf route race.......in that race she ran an effort that is about 2L better than par......good post - good grass rider - good grass trainer.......a superfecta of reasons to consider this filly

3  Tagline   not the best of trips in this youngster's last but she did earn a Santucci fig that was still 2L less than our top choice earned.........but 1st time Mike Smith this afternoon hints this filly might be feeling awfully good.....lookout here if that is the case

7  Saving Sophie   funking looking ride by Smith in this girl's latest endeavor (in fact Smith was off the board all weekend of the 22nd of Feb - arthritis flaring up? back pain? too much late night activity? for the amazing but aging rider).........toss out the 22nd Feb race......back to Van Dyke (young and durable) who owns 4 2nd place finishes on this four old old.......can you spell rebounds

9  Madison Parc

6  Dipping In

 

Posted on March 21, 2020 at 9:48 am by richs · Permalink
In: Free Information, Selections