HORSE RACING

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

By Richard Eng

Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Race 1 – 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 3-year-olds

3 Home Sweet Aspen – Followed up a good second in career debut with a bullet workout; one step improvement will win this.

4 Shoo Gee – Shortens up and switches from turf to dirt for this; her dirt resume is bullet fast, keeps P Val for the engine.

Long Shot – 6 Pink Blanket

Race 2 – 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $56,000, Allowance, 4-year-olds and up

1 Brace Yourselves – Don’t usually pick a grad facing winners for the first time; his two dirt races show he’s moved way up.

4 Kevlar Kid – Has been favored in all four career starts with only 1 win; has tactical speed to attend the early pace.

Long Shot – 3 Lunada Bay

Race 3 – 5 furlongs, Purse $23,000, Maiden claiming $30,000, 3-year-olds

11 Titian – Appeared overmatched in last and was not persevered with late; big rider switch to Joel Rosario for the money shot.

4 Triple Action – FTS from trainer Julion Canani has been working fast enough; Martin Pedroza had choices and lands here.

Long Shot – 2 Run Candy Run

Race 4 – 1 mile, Purse $16,000, Claiming $12,500, 4-year-olds and up

2 Coloursoftheglen – Ran like a short horse in last when tired late; key vote is Garrett Gomez with a return engagement.

4 Anga – Beaten favorite had no noticeable excuse; like that Rafael Bejarano is riding in a low-level claiming race.

Long Shot – 3 Atticus Pomponius

Race 5 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 8 feet), Purse $54,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds

8 Just Meteor – Richard Mandella barn is winning much more often with FTS; win early pedigree and positive work tab.

10 Photo Shopped – Tepid chalk in an open race; you’ll have an edge over me in seeing the tote board action.

Long Shot – 7 Dancing Joy

Race 6 – 1 1/8th miles, $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

3 St. Trinians – Held well in first race off a 7-month hiatus; figures to be tighter here with a race under her belt.

4 Switch – Stretches back out around 2 turns after smashing elongated sprint wins; tactical speed to sit on Always a Princess.

Long Shot – 2 Always a Princess

Race 7 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 8 feet), Purse $34,000, Claiming $32,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

5 Bella Roja – Dead-late closer sliding down into an easier spot; good resume over Santa Anita lawn and the hillside course.

2 Rule the Storm – The rail post has been death down the hill; expect Rafael Bejarano to send and get off the rail early.

Long Shot – 9 Vikkilee

Race 8 – 1 1/16th miles, $250,000 San Felipe, 3-year-olds

6 Premier Pegasus – Takes the blinkers off for first try around 2 turns; he is bred to run all day, we’ll find out how.

9 Jaycito – Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry, and this is his time of year to shine; draw a line through the BC Juvenile debacle.

Long Shot – 4 Awesome Patriot

Race 9 – 1 mile (turf, rail at 8 feet), Purse $59,000, Optional claiming $62,500, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

9 Catchy Tune – She has proven she likes the turf; the test today is stetching out around 2 turns, facing an average group.

10 Sarasota Sunshine – Joe Talamo had choices and opted to ride here for Mike Mitchell; her preferred surface is turf.

Long Shot – 2 Andina

Race 10 – 6 furlongs, Purse $26,000, Claiming $25,000, 4-year-olds and up

9 Gallatin’s Run – Second start off a 5-month hiatus; sliding down the claiming ladder to his easiest test yet.

8 Lichtenstein – Claimed by Doug O’Neill and spotted nicely for a quick ROI; teams up well with Martin Pedroza.

Long Shot – 5 Scored

Best Bet – 3 Home Sweet Aspen (race 1)

Santa Anita Park Friday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 16/3/$21.80; Long Shots, 8/1/$16.40; Best Bet, 1/1/$4.60

Santa Anita Park Totals – 770/208/$1,304.80; Long Shots, 387/57/$574.80; Best Bets, 45/18/$73.70

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY – 3 Keertana (7/2) in race 9 at Tampa Bay Downs. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Truelyonbroadway ran second at Gulfstream Park paying $3.60 to place and $3.40 to show. Stats – 43/32/$251.60