Analysis & Selections By: Dean Keppler @Keppskorner
BEST BET: 1-Heavenly Kisses (Race 6)
Race #1: 6-Dr. Troutman is a multiple winner over the afternoon layout and stretches back out for winning connections. This veteran 9-year-old gelding is nicely drawn outside with good positional speed and should be tough to catch on closing day Sunday. 4-Papale was a non-threatening 3rd behind next-out winner Next Revolt who came back to score over this course with a sharp (86) Beyer. He deserves some consideration again at this reduced class level. 2-Rip City makes his first start on dirt after 22 turf attempts and one synthetic try and drops again in class making second start off the claim. The gelding’s recent form has been disappointing, but he has speed and perhaps this is the right level for a wake-up call.
Selections: 6-4-2
Race #2: 5-Prince of Monaco is a $950k August Fasig-Tipton purchase by Grade 1 winner Speightstown who debuts for Baffert off barn’s typical speedy a.m. drills. The well-regarded juvenile colt draws a perfect outside slot for debut and attracts Hernandez. 3-Masters Sunday is by multiple G1 winner Vino Rosso and is sent out by Team O’Neill. The mini-meets leading pilot Vasquez takes the call. 4-Lord Bullingdon (By multiple G1 winner Lord Nelson) debuts for trainer Michael McCarthy who sent out a pair of winning first-time starters last year over this meet.
Selections: 5-3-4
Race #3: 2-Jaycee has speed and makes her initial start over the afternoon layout for a new barn that’s had a nice run this meet with 4 winners. Her efforts over the synthetic at Golden Gate were solid and she’s proven 5 furlongs is a suitable trip. 3-Friendly Shuffle is wheeled back on short rest and returns to the afternoon configuration where she showed good early zip and faded two-back against much better claimers. 4-Cal goes first off the claim for conditioner Angela Aquino who has had good success with new acquisitions and this filly broke her Maiden over this course last July.
Selections: 2-3-4
Race #4: 1-Warren’s Show Biz lost all chance in last start when tossing the rider at the break while returning off a 5-month freshening. This filly makes career start number 15 this afternoon but has run par or better on multiple occasions and appears to fit snuggly with this group. Last chance. 3-Smokemonthecliff was a beaten favorite in the most recent start on the evening card program but efforts two and three back were runner-up solid tries. This filly could be the frontrunner moving to the bigger afternoon layout. 5-Sassy Tinkerbell ships in from Turf Paradise off three consecutive second-place finishes for shrewd barn and owns the field’s best last-out main track Beyer (57).
Selections: 1-3-5
Race #5: 2-Winding exits some solid efforts over the evening program including a recent 3rd in the 1,000 Yard Summer Championships on June 18. This 7-year-old gelding has run well in all 3 starts over the afternoon course. 3-Paul Vincents Poem fell just a nose short 8 days ago when facing similar claimers and earned a strong Beyer for this level with that top try. He is the one to beat if he can replicate that performance on short rest. 4-J T’s Watch ran well in the first start over this course for trainer Jeff Bonde on June 23 and now makes the third start of the form cycle. An improving Beyer pattern for a hot barn makes him a strong contender against this group.
Selections: 2-3-4
Race #6: Turf to dirt 1-Heavenly Kisses has speed and the rail and drops in for a first-time tag this afternoon. She gets in light today and is bred to handle the main track. 5-Assuredly was a beaten favorite 2nd against this level in start number two back on June 25 when making initial try over the course and looks primed for a top try in key 3rd career start. 4-Amazing Flyer showed speed and safely held 2nd in the initial try over this afternoon course on June 25.
Selections: 1-5-4
Race #7: 5-Mastering flashed speed and tired in the All American at Golden Gate in most recent start back in May. He returns to dirt today and his sharp effort two-back at Santa Anita makes him the one to beat in here. The 4-time winning gelding is reunited with winning rider Hernandez. 2-Handy Dandy makes the first start in 7 months for Miller off an encouraging work tab at San Luis Rey. This filly was a non-threatening 5th in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis Mile when last seen in December 2022. All 4 of his wins have come on grass but he gets some serious class relief today and attracts meet’s leading rider. His stablemate 3-Subsidize is wheeled back on 6 days rest after falling only three-quarters of a length short in the initial try over this course.
Selections: 5-2-3
Race #8: 3-Straighten Up returns as a first-time gelding off and extended layoff for trainer Mike Puype. This gelding has trained well for his 2023 return and his main track tries were sharp last summer including a Maiden win over this racetrack. He could be tough to reel in today with an alert break. 6-Devil Among Us also returns as a first-time gelding and goes turf to dirt while making his second start off the bench for D’Amato. He broke his Maiden over this afternoon layout course last December and all three of his dirt efforts have been decent. 2-Alpine Thunder is wheeled back on short rest after finishing second against a similar claiming group. This 5-year-old gelding sports the field’s best last-out main track Beyer.
Selections: 3-6-2
Race #9: Recent maiden winner over this course 5-Reign Over Me appears appropriately placed for first crack against winners. 8-Aberdeen’s Knight finished third in the first try over the course on June 25 at 32/1 earning a (64) Beyer. That number matches up well against this suspect group. 6-Lampy comes off a solid try under the lights but is 0 for 2 over the bigger afternoon layout.
Selections: 5-8-6
Race #10: Trainer Kristin Mulhall has had success with second-off-the-claim runners at Los Al and she sends out 1-Sawasdee in the Sunday nightcap. This 5-year-old gelding has speed and the rail draw and comes in here with an improving Beyer pattern. He could be tough to catch shortening up to 5 ½ furlongs. 6-Creative Peak is back on the main track after two efforts up at Golden Gate. His main track try three-back at Santa Anita was a decent 3rd place finish with an (84) Beyer speed figure. 2-Smuggler’s Run hasn’t shown much of late but drops in class making the third start off the extended layoff and could wake up against this group with a switch to meet’s top rider.
Selections: 1-6-2
