
Santa Anita for Friday 12 May 2023
Small fields today but at least we only have the morning line favorite on top in three races. Nine race Saturday card tomorrow seems decent.
Best of luck as always!
race 1 average clarity
5 Upright very nice improvement running a turf route for the 1st in this gelding's 2nd lifetime start and 1st out in 8 weeks.......solid 5 work series since the 26 March race......Puype likes what he sees to step up to MSW racing from the MC50K level.....and Mike is 2 for his last 6 with the move you seldom see
3 Classically D'Amato four year old has improved with each and every start and if the trend stays intact he has a solid chance to come home a winner.....one odd stat or he would be our top choice is that leading jock J J Hernandez is 0 for 7 (and only one time in the money) riding for D"Amato
8 Maltese Falcon
6 Carbon King
1 Adventuresome
race 2 above average clarity
3 Established Glatt claimed this six year old 3 months ago for $16K and drops him one level for the 1st start under his guidance.....small drop does not bother me especially considering the layoff and the fact Mr Glatt is excellent at getting a big effort out of a laid up sprinter
6 Cajun Treasure eight year old has shown he can handle the SA main track and the shorter the race the better and they don't card them shorter then today's 5 1/2 distance for the four and up level.......solid rider/trainer team in Ramirez and Uranga
5 Mighty Matt
race 3 average clarity
5 She's My Niece best looking work tab in this field of only five runners and the most successful trainer with the babies in this field in Doug O'Neill......and Doug has had some success using newcomer Atonio Fresu who is off to a good start in riding in the U S of A.....filly vs. the boys but still easy to put on top
1 Midnight Love Hector Palmer had to enter 2 runners to make the race go and this two year old appears to be the one that is live.......two year old colt looks as if to has some early gas which is usually a very good thing in these early 4 1/2 furlong races for the babies
3 Smokem Ez
race 4 average clarity
3 Moody Jim this Mullins seven year old who was twice the price as our 2nd pick when they last ran in a protected race (Aw25,000s) together might have been given a gimme to get away with todays drop into $25K claiming.....if that is the case lookout today with a positive switch in riders to J J Hernandez
1 Weegee five year old gelding fits a ton if he has held form but I am a touch concerned about the drop down to $25K claiming for runner who has rattled off 5 nice efforts in non claiming races since Mullins claimed him for $32K
6 Comradery
race 5 average clarity
5 Rosy Edge just claimed on 27 March by Powell and the trainer appears to have a good handle on his new acquisition as the a.m. work for this filly is better and her sprints figs fit fine.....1st at a route but she owns a good pedigree to appreciate the 1 1/16th offered here
3 Midnight Silence trainer Patty Gallagher is often at his most dangerous the 2nd time he races a horse that he takes over and especially so when he drops multiple levels ......well his filly ran 2nd and now he is able to bring her back in short rest and with a nice 5F work put in hinting his four year old exited her race in good shape.....same or better seems likely......Joe Bravo wisely stays put
4 Jacqueline Cochran
race 6 average clarity
2 Stamp My Passport lone race for this filly was back on 16 December at Lrc where she broke slowly and still was near the lead early and predictably cashed it in down the stretch......blinkers off today for her 2nd lifetime start and her morning prowess hints it is a very positive move.......significant jock upgrade.....four year old has a good pedigree to handle two turns of turf
1 Silent Heat on the improve with each and every start and likely to show even more today and he better as the rider's record on the grass is dismal......at least he knows her some as this is the 3rd straight ride on her........and he gets to break his mount from a decent post
6 Get the Gold
7 Ghostly Act
race 7 average clarity
2 Getthemoney disappointing MSW debut as the 6 to 5 favorite on 7 Aug 22 but 35 days later this Koriner filly ran a fast 1:16.1 at Del Mar to graduate with a 5 1/2 length win.......somewhat dull 3rd place finish 6 1/2 months later.......away 46 days preparing for her 2nd out after the layoff and with blinkers going on for the 1st time......trainer has won 4 for his last 11 "1st time blinkers"
3 Doinitthehardway back on Lasix for this Baffert filly who won by 9L to break her maiden the only time she raced with Lasix on a fast rated track.......cut back in distance route to 7F should help her endurance in the extended dirt sprint.......top jock jumps aboard
1 Blessed Touch
race 8 average clarity
6 Precipice very strong effort 1st ever on the grass for this three year old filly in her last race run off of a 2 1/2 month layoff......trainer Rolando Quinonez does well with limited starters and he is 3 for his last 7 with horses racing 2nd out after a layoff.......one negative is that the jock up is OK on the dirt but dismal on the turf
7 Signora Minister Peter Miller filly has been absent 23 months since her two year old MSW debut where she ran a better than it looks 2nd as she was wide on a day that the rail was biased and it was difficult to run well wide......works say she is ready to roll once again......she takes the plunge from MSW to MC50K for her 1st on the grass which she has a good pedigree for
3 Ava's Storm
1 Bella Baby
5 Miss Joannie