HORSE RACING
TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK
By Richard Eng
Post Time 12:30 p.m.
Race 1 – 1 1/8th miles, Purse $16,000, Claiming $8,000, 4-year-olds and up
5 Streets of Heaven – Short-priced chalk was claimed in last by Mike Pender; proven commodity at this $8k class.
2 Just Heat – Third start off a 6-month hiatus could be his best; will sit in arrears and make one brush late.
Long Shot – 8 Troubletimesthree
Race 2 – 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $27,000, Maiden claiming $40,000, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds
8 Titian – Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; need not be much to handle these.
4 Champagne Topper – Like the turn back in distance for this speedball; goes as fast and as far as he can.
Long Shot – 1 Brereton Park
Race 3 – 6 furlongs, Purse $20,000, Claiming $12,500, 4-year-olds and up
2 Afleet Deal – Won for $16k, now is dropped down a notch; suspect Jack Carava is willing to squeeze the lemon dry.
4 High Standards – Been away 6 months, but returns at half his claiming price; key vote is from Rafael Bejarano.
Long Shot – 3 Nitro Active
Race 4 – 1 mile, $250,000 Las Virgenes, Fillies, 3-year-olds
6 Turbulent Descent – She beat some of these last time in the Hollywood Starlet; first test for her on real dirt.
7 Zazu – Her best races have been around 1 turn; she still has something to prove in class and distance.
Long Shot – 4 California Nectar
Race 5 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $38,000, Claiming $40,000, Fillies, 4-year-olds
5 Sweet Hanni – Returns off a 4-month hiatus on her preferred surface, grass; like that Rafael Bejarano takes the call.
3 Fairway Road – Even run last time off the claim by Peter Miller; she’s better than that and figures to improve.
Long Shot – 4 Separate Forest
Race 6 – 6 furlongs, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds
7 Sierra Spirit – Tepid chalk in a wide-open affair; you’ll have an edge of seeing the tote board action.
12 Kingpin Ryno – Victor Espinoza had choices and opted to ride for Joshua Litt; should transfer to dirt just fine.
Long Shot – 10 Brite Dreamer
Race 7 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $34,000, Claiming $32,000, Fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
6 Our Road Scholar – Should get some value with the bugboy up; may be better suited as a 1-turn grass sprinter.
7 Waltzing Swan – Like the turn back in distance for this hillside course; Garrett Gomez will take back for one run.
Long Shot – 2 Entabeni
Race 8 – 1 mile (turf), $100,000 Thunder Road, 4-year-olds and up
1 Blue Chagall – Getting Garrett Gomez at 8/1 odds is a gift; saves all the ground and comes firing fast late.
9 Victor’s Cry – Parking lot post will be a factor with a short run to the first turn; Victor Espinoza must carve out a trip.
Long Shot – 4 Proudinsky
Race 9 – 1 1/8th miles, $200,000 Strub, 4-year-olds
3 Twirling Candy – Given plenty of rest since a record-breaking run in the Malibu; he may be better on dirt than synthetics.
4 Tweebster – Bob Baffert uncoupled entry ran 1-2 in the San Fernando; colt ran against a major speed bias in last.
Long Shot – 1 Honour the Deputy
Race 10 – 1 mile (turf), Purse $56,000, Optional claiming $25,000, Cal-breds, 4-year-olds and up
2 A Lil Dumaani – Wheeled right back in a week, that’s old school training; adding blinkers on and P Val.
5 Don Perico – Been away 2 months, stretching out around 2 turns for the first time; still has room to improve.
Long Shot – 10 Renegade Storm
Best Bet – 3 Twirling Candy (race 9)
Santa Anita Park Friday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 16/3/$14.40; Long Shots, 7/1/$8.40; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Santa Anita Park Totals – 430/115/$725.90; Long Shots, 215/30/$311.00; Best Bets, 25/11/$41.90
SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY – 7 A Diehl (6/1) in race 9 at Tampa Bay Downs. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Friday, Profiteroles ran out at Gulfstream Park. Stats – 24/19/$166.30
