Horse Racing: Today at Santa Anita, May 21

TODAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

By Steve Carp

Post Time 1 p.m.

Race 1 — 4 1/2 furlongs, Purse $56,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 2-year-olds

2 Alien Giant – $85K purchase with good works for a barn that hits 24 percent with its first-time starters

4 Fast Escape – Afleet Alex is a good sire and this one should be motoring out of the gate

Long Shot – 5 Curlina Curlina

Race 2 — 1 mile (turf), Purse $40,000, Claiming, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

1 Smart N Dreamy – Has three wins on the SA lawn and has good strings of works for return to races

7 Zanbo – Veteran mare has fared well in the past over course and will be a short price

Long Shot – 3 Toppers Sunshine

Race 3 — 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $30,000, Allowance $40,000, 3-year-olds and up

3 Rocket Heat – Got caught in final stages last time, now cuts back to 5 1/2 panels from 6 1/2

1 Ultimate Luck – Broke maiden convincingly last out, can handle the rise in class

Long Shot – 5 Surfing Angel

Race 4 — 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $60,000, Optional claiming, $62,000, 3-year-olds and up

2 Midnight Transfer – Turf to dirt for trainer Ron Ellis, who hits 32 percent of the time with this angle

1 Head South – Going for third straight win, loves this track and should get a great trip from rail

Long Shot – 5 Chief Lion

Race 5 — 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $32,000, Claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up

6 Hobbits Hero – Perfect 3-for-3 on the downhill turf course and expect gelding to fire fresh off 10-month layoff

3 Grumpy Small Mouth – Goes dirt to turf for a solid barn and gets Marty Pedroza in the irons

Long Shot – 7 Shakahari

Race 6 — 6 furlongs, Purse $31,000, Maiden claiming $50,000, 3-year-olds and up

6 Wynhurst – Drops and shortens up for Bob Baffert; Martin Garcia returns to ride

9 Southern Loyalty – Lots of speed here and this one will be looking to collar the leaders late

Long Shot – 5 Prince of Prague

Race 7 — 1 mile (turf), Purse $58,000, Optional claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

3 Chaulk O Lattey – Just missed last time, now stretches out and will like the extra distance

8 Tangelo – Throw out the last, a Grade 2 at 1 1/4 miles. This will be more to her liking

Long Shot – 2 Won’t Be Shaken

Race 8 — 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 3-year-olds and up

9 Lucky Logan – Peter Miller is starting to heat up and this one makes its debut as a 3-year-old after 0-3 at 2

4 Hye I’m Jack – Doug O’Neill drops this one another rung on the claiming ladder hoping his speed will hold

Long Shot – 8 Light Dew

Best Bet — 4 Rocket Heat (Race 3)

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY – #6 Monster Hit (9-5) in race 5 at Golden Gate Fields. Guillermo Preciado is an underrated trainer and this 6-year-old is 50 percent on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate (8 for 16). $25 to win.