Horse Racing

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

By Richard Eng

Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Race 1 – 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $22,000, Claiming $16,000, 4-year-olds

6 Mark of a Warrior – Sharp win in last earning this class promotion; tactical speed to sit a nice trip.

3 Bertran Hill – Joel Rosario is winning races at an amazing pace; has plenty of back class to run a good one.

Long Shot – 2 Elusive Moment

Race 2 – 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $56,000, Optional claiming $80,000, 3-year-olds

6 Ten Devils – Has proven his affinity for grass; wide post, but should be able to tuck in for Joe Talamo.

3 Gab Power – Speedball will like the turf rail out 15 feet; Joel Rosario will try to throttle down somehow.

Long Shot – 5 Including Wardo

Race 3 – 6 furlongs, Purse $23,000, Maiden claiming $30,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds

2 Silver Luna – Beaten favorite gets a big rider switch to Joel Rosario; bit more improvement gets the job done.

6 Benecia – She won at this class back at Fairplex, but was DQ’d; good spot for her today as these are her friends.

Long Shot – 4 Toscanova

Race 4 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $54,000, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

3 Unknown Heat – Like the turn back in distance from route to hillside sprint; expect her best stride to come late.

5 Meltarib – Tepid chalk ran well in debut; the key will be if she improves a step, runs the same, or regresses.

Long Shot – 7 Giveme Onereason

Race 5 – 1 1/16th miles, Purse $18,000, Claiming $10,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

7 Sunny Peace – Speedball has the top speed rider in P Val; if she’s not in front early, she’ll be no worse than second.

5 Lucy Got Lucky – Good stalking style should others duel; chased Sunny Peace over a speed biased track in last.

Long Shot – 3 Sky Brite Miss

Race 6 – 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 4-year-olds and up

8 Wild Hombre – Much-improved effort in last; parking lot post is fine, it allows Rafael Bejarano to clock the speed.

5 Lead Blocker – Fell apart late as a 1/2 chalk; P Val would rather be chased, than chase, so expect him to send again.

Long Shot – 1 Swiss Emperor

Race 7 – 7 furlongs, Purse $56,000, Optional claiming $40,000, 4-year-olds and up

6 Korban – Sleeper pick figures to grind it out to the wire; ran like he needed the start in last, his first in 9 months.

3 Streakin’ Mohican – Another speedball ridden by P Val, what a shocker; not sure if he really wants to go this far.

Long Shot – 9 Hot Damon

Race 8 – 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), $75,000 Megahertz, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

4 Eclair de Lune – She is the classiest horse in the field, and the fastest; big rider switch to Rafael Bejarano.

3 Lilly Fa Pootz – She is 11-of-13 in the money on grass; she’s faced this tough before, but never beaten them.

Long Shot – 2 Burg Berg

Race 9 – 6 furlongs, Purse $30,000, Claiming $25,000, 4-year-olds and up

6 Dave’s Pacemaker – Been away 8 months, but has been working up a storm; tactical speed to sit just off the speed.

5 El Scorpio – Sliding down the claiming ladder to this career-low class; key vote comes from Rafael Bejarano up.

Long Shot – 3 Yes It’s a Cat

Best Bet – 4 Eclair de Lune (race 8)

Santa Anita Park Saturday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 18/4/$34.40; Long Shots, 8/1/$7.00; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Santa Anita Park Totals – 316/83/$532.30; Long Shots, 156/23/$256.00; Best Bets, 18/9/$34.50

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY – 5 Maybelle Slew (2/1) in race 2 at Gulfstream Park. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Come On Donna ran out at Tampa Bay Downs. Stats – 18/14/$115.90