Horse Racing: Today at Santa Anita, Nov. 4

By Richard Eng

Post Time 1 p.m.

Race 1 – 6 furlongs, Purse $38,000, Maiden claiming $100,000 2-year-olds

4 Sacred Ovation – Was flattered when Merit Man ran well in the Breeders’ Cup; has good speed to lead or follow close up.

6 Really Mr Greeley – Bob Baffert must turn the page after a miserable two days of the Breeders’ Cup; shed no crocodile tears.

Long Shot – 2 Star Destiny

Race 2 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $50,000, Optional claiming $25,000, Cal-breds, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

4 Miss Reditore – Reclaimed by Eric Kruljac, one of the strongest trainer angles in racing; Garrett Gomez remains loyal.

13 Miss Becca – Must draw in off the also eligible list; gets class relief, Rafael Bejarano also had a below par Breeders’ Cup.

Long Shot – 11 Miss Well Molded

Race 3 – 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $22,000, Claiming $25,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

5 Queen Mercury – Second best in last first off the claim by Herbert Bacorn; veteran trainer flies way under the radar.

3 Rock U Up – Just graduated to face winners for the first time; speed to lead or follow close up.

Long Shot – Hout Bay

Race 4 – 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

3 California Roll – Been away two months since the Del Mar meet; her race two back is fast enough to upset these.

6 Quiet Sunshine – Her last three races make her competitive with these; a tepid favorite worth trying to beat.

Long Shot – 9 Indian Magique

Race 5 – 6 furlongs, Purse $47,000, Maiden special weights, Fillies, 2-year-olds

2 Wednesday – Strong debut race for Carla Gaines baby; could handle these with one step of improvement.

4 Blushing Angel – John Sadler has an uncoupled entry so caveat emptor; this is the longer odds horse.

Long Shot – 6 Rosies Ready

Race 6 – 6 1/2 furlongs (turf), Purse $50,000, Allowance, Fillies, 3-year-olds

13 Lemon Hero – Favorite must draw in from the also eligible list; like parking lot posts down the hillside turf course.

7 Tornado Allie – Speedball cuts back in distance and returns to turf; I’ve liked cut back horses for as long as I can remember.

Long Shot – 2 Starship Flare

Race 7 – 7 furlongs, Purse $47,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds and up

4 Brannaman – Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry so caveat emptor; showed big improvement last time off an 9-month hiatus.

5 Career Student – Finished third in debut right behind the chalk; strong contender with modest improvement also.

Long Shot – 2 Bobby Flay

Race 8 – 1 mile (turf), $150,000 Goldikova, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

5 City to City – Will try to rebound off a miserable race in last; big rider switch to Joel Rosario for the money shot.

8 A Jealous Woman – Has won 7-of-14 grass starts, a solid resume; tactical speed to lead or follow close up.

Long Shot – 2 Let’s Go Cheyenne

Race 9 – 1 1/16th miles, Purse $16,000, Claiming $12,500, 3-year-olds and up

11 Just Tripping – Slid down the claiming ladder to this class last time; showed a comfort level facing these kind of slowpokes.

9 Toomanylucky’s – Strong gutsy win in last first time for a price tag; Carla Gaines knows what she has, drops the price even more.

Long Shot – 10 Big Bad Jim

Race 10 – 1 1/8th miles (turf), Purse $47,000, Maiden special weights, 2-year-olds

5 I’m Wide Awake – Gets class relief from a modest stakes for this; ran great last time for a maiden facing winners.

1 Irish Surf – Beaten favorite ran a below par race; he is better than he showed and should improve tonight.

Long Shot – 12 Procurement

Best Bet – 2 Wednesday (race 5)

Santa Anita Saturday – Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 24/4/$22.40; Long Shots, 12/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/1/$3.40

Santa Anita Totals – 400/90/$648.00; Long Shots, 201/34/$386.60; Best Bets, 23/7/$20.80

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY – #9 Leroidessioux (7/2) in race 6 at Parx. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Saturday, Joyful Victory ran second at Churchill Downs paying $3.80 to place and $2.80 to show. Stats – 164/113/$996.90; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick