We are going to be offering wall-to-wall coverage of California Crown Day, including writeups of all the stakes races and betting advice for all the special wagers.
When ready, you can find the landing page at inthemoneypodcast.com/calcrown
(Early week that link won’t work; need Sunday to draw and time to analyze those races)
As always, Dean Keppler will also have full card coverage on the blog.
Now, on to my first write up.
The first of five stakes on the Saturday Santa Anita card is the listed Unzip Me stakes, going down Santa Anita’s famous downhill turf course.
#1 DREAMFYRE: Not seen since the Juvenile Filly Turf, she has a right to be rusty. The one hole can be tricky in a big field down the hill. Grade 3 winner has the speed to be in the early mix and has “figure improvement for age” on her side. Good-looking tab but at Pleasanton so who knows what it means. Market clues will mean something on this one. Seems capable of a mid 80s run but a ton of uncertainty. B-type
#2 ANDIAMO RAGAZZA is a first-level Cal-bred allowance winner. Her form and figures leave her well behind the best of these. Looks a deep closer on the pace map. 75.
#3 VISUALLY is a Grade 3 winner over this course and distance and that counts for something. Got a little beat up at Kentucky Downs and the previous run was a middling effort at Presque Isle on synth so her form is darkened up pretty good. Could get a similar mid-pack closing trip to the big run. Looks a little slow but isn’t out of it. 80 (upside)
#4 ROBERTA’S LOVE won a statebred stake on dirt. Her figures look slow. While the default with these Cal bred is for them to seemingly run about as well on all surfaces, I am not seeing reasons for this one to improve on the surface. X
#5 BACK ON TRACK looks to potentially be another overmatched statebred in a tough spot. Her career best by some way would be needed for an in-the-money spot. X
#6 ZONA VERDE has some sexy bits of form including the Grade 1 placing last time in the Del Mar Oaks. She’s ben down the hill twice and it hasn’t been her best work but she hasn’t been disgraced either. Neither trip was the easiest, and she’s in better form now. Looks a major player on the turnback in distance and I think she’ll be flying late. Could be set for a peak effort in her third run off the bench as well. 88 A.
#7 ANTIFONA has form that ties is with a number of these. This will be her first start for Vladimir Cerin – he claimed her from John Sadler for $80,000 out of the last run. Cerin is a wily veteran and this is an interesting move to be sure. She has won at this level over this course and distance (granted with a terrific setup). This won’t be easy – looks behind the best of these on figs – but I’d like to include in some fashion, not least because she ought to be a price. 82 B
#8 SEA DANCER has looked overmatched in graded stakes of late so this drop back to the listed level certainly makes sense. Two-time winner flopped the only time on this course at this level. I don’t see enough to give me any fear of fading her. X
#9 OMAHA GIRL got back to winning ways with a candy trip in the allowance ranks at Del Mar going long. She’s never been down the hill but might be suited to a turnback based on her pace lines. Interesting to see if they send or sit given the success she’s had towards the front. But this pace will be a lot faster than what she’s used to. Fading. X
#10 GOLDEN CANARY is an unusual example of one of our “bingo card” angles from the show – turf form shipping west. She comes from Woodbine where she was last seen winning a seven furlong allowance in good time. She is a listed stakes winner from last year’s Soaring Free as well. Interesting stranger makes a ton of sense to me, even on the rise in class. 85 A.
#11 TOUPIE is more east coast form. She’s run three very good races on the clock this year, including a listed stakes win from Laurel. Last at Saratoga was a salty affair, this is a subtle drop in glass. Added ground shouldn’t be any problem given these bloodlines. Big chance to prove best of speed. I want her in the mix. 85 A
#12 ALLURING seemed a bit rusty off the layoff and that wasn’t the easiest trip at Del Mar either. She’s multiple listed stakes placed down the hill. Three of today’s rivals have her on the form book and she just doesn’t look that fast. I’m opposing. X
AEs
#13 WRIGLEYVILLE comes out of some tough SAR allowance races. Might sneak her in as a backup if she draws in on the east coast / homer angles. Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm is a well-known friend of the show. And I loved her dam, Marketing Mix, a G1 winner over this course. 80 B?
#14 QUEEN MAXIMA is a maiden winner who looked over her head going long in the allowance ranks. That said, she also looks very much tailor made for a turnback like this. Probably too much too soon and marooned on the AEs in any case.
VERDICT: Not easy to make a top pick among the As but I think I’ll go with the speed of #11 TOUPIE.
As
11-6-10
Bs
1-7-13
Opinion of the race to help choose which pools to be in / how to allocate funds: B-
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